Dust on the Dashboard - a micro-overland adventure

Gibraltar Rocks Fire Trail

Dust on the Dashboard - The phrase I use when the travel conditions have met my craving for a sense of adventure.  This past weekend fulfilled that craving for a micro-overland adventure.

Alastair Humphreys coined the term microadventures, which I think sums up short overland adventures nicely:

They may be small but microadventures can still be challenging and rewarding. Each one is designed to inspire others to set their own challenges, challenges which may be short but which grasp the spirit of adventure.
This is the goal of my microadventures.

Android GPS Apps - Part 3

Mapping, tracking & export features are important for any smartphone GPS app.  Waypoint management should be easy with a quick 'create' button handy the main screen.  In Part 3 of the Android GPS app test, I spent time with Locus Pro, OruxMaps and BackCountry Navigator.

My device was the Google Nexus 7 (4.1) with a wifi connection to a 3G personal wifi device.  All applications relied on a data connection to download the maps.  I did not test the offline capability.
Read the summary of the apps and the first test.

Android GPS Apps - Part 2

GPS Apps on Google Play

Do Android tablet GPS actually work or is it simply better to use a dedicated GPS?  I used time travelling between two cities to experiment with a few of the apps I downloaded and mentioned a few weeks ago - read about the few apps I downloaded.

The apps I randomly tested throughout the day included Maverick, MapMyHike+, My Tracks by Google and Androzic.
My primary test was mapping, tracking and export capability of each application.

My device was the Google Nexus 7 (4.1) with a wifi connection to a 3G personal wifi device.  All applications relied on a data connection to download the maps.  I did not test the offline capability.

Africa Overland in a classic Porsche

Ever considered trans-continental overland travel with a Porsche?
Throughout the decades of overland travel there have been a many unusual overland vehicles which have completed full trans-Africa overland journeys... these unique vehicles include a tractor, Quad bikes, a Rolls Royce, a Smart car and now a classic Porsche.

Ben Coombs, driver and author of his book 'Survival of the Quickest' departed the UK in the autumn of 2008 heading South to Cape Town via the East coast of Africa.

The UK Telegraph magazine published a few photographs of this epic overland journey. The photos are available here: Across Africa in a classic Porsche.
These are a few my favourite photos:

I highly recommend reading his book and to get a feel for his journey watch the video from Northern Kenya:

The AfricanPorsche Expedition - Northern Kenya from Ben Coombs on Vimeo.

Interested in more Porsche content? Read all about Ben's trip via his website Bencoombs.net or his previous misadventures in a blog called 80breakdowns.
His Flickr stream via Flickr: fivetenben

His book 'Survival of the Quickest' is available on the Kindle via Amazon UK.



Additional reading:
Unusual overland vehicles
Mercedes Benz 300d