In Response to the Congo Thread: A Technical Discussion

[David Harris]

In the Congo they suffered the first major truck breakdown on the entire trip. Would it have been worth the hazzle of bringing a bunch of spares all around the globe when they never really needed it? I think not. They had no reason to believe that the truck would fail, and when they did they found out a way to fix it. With the help of locals and "trustee's".

So stop the bloody pissing contest for crying out loud.

I agree on this, as far as spares, I don't think anyone would have carried spares including an extra hub and broken diffs on a Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser hub bolts are a weak link in the vehicle, since they are only 8mm, too small for the weight rating of the the truck. (By comparison, for example, a Land Rover full floater has 10mm bolts stock.) They rust and fatigue over time and break. Those who are knowledgeable about the weakness drill them out and replace them with larger 10mm or 3/8 bolts. I would at least carry a hand drill or lightweight electric drill with a few bits/easy-outs if I were going out into a remote area, as well as a selection of different sized bolts for the most common sizes on the engine and chassis. This wouldn't take up much room and isn't that heavy. Ditto for RTV. Every time I work on a part of my vehicle I compile a list of the associated hardware, tools and material I used. This makes a good reference to go back to when deciding what tools and parts to carry.

 

[grahamfitter]

SO, I would like to ask what would YOU consider to be the basic level of equipment and knowledge necessary for such a trip?

Little, on both counts.

"I am learning, as I make my way through my first continent, that it is remarkably easy to do things, and much more frightening to contemplate them." - Ted Simon, Jupiter's Travels

 

[Mc Taco]

I'll freely admit that I have NOT read this entire thread. I do find it amazing that some are saying how ill prepared Frederick and Josephine were. I read in their report that they had driven from Western Europe to South Africa, shipped their vehicle to Japan, drove across China, Mongolia, parts of Russia, most, if not all the "Stans", through the Middle East, and down the east side of Africa before starting the leg of the journey documented in the "DRC Trip Report". Sounds like they were/are very well equipped.

 

[David Harris]

I'll freely admit that I have NOT read this entire thread. I do find it amazing that some are saying how ill prepared Frederick and Josephine were. I read in their report that they had driven from Western Europe to South Africa, shipped their vehicle to Japan, drove across China, Mongolia, parts of Russia, most, if not all the "Stans", through the Middle East, and down the east side of Africa before starting the leg of the journey documented in the "DRC Trip Report". Sounds like they were/are very well equipped.

True, but you can drive all the way around the world on dirt roads. People have done that in vehicles like MG's, etc. You wouldn't necessarily need a winch on any of that, and a Toyota Land Cruiser would be more than reliable enough traveling on roads. I honestly don't know what other technical off roading they had to do on their trip, but something tells me from their reaction to the Congo, that they hadn't seen a whole lot of really difficult terrain. This is where they found the limits of their equipment.

David

 

[Scott Brady]

I just drove 1/3 of the way around the world in a completely ill-suited car with a tool kit purchased for 49 euro from the French equivalent of Home Depot. I had no RTV, no winch and had never driven the car before taking delivery. My co-driver had never driven a manual. We drove 17,000kms through 21 countries, including deep mud and even deeper water crossings.

We had:

1. No winch
2. No spares (no room for them)
3. No HAM radio
4. No fridge
5. No HiLift or Come-a-long
6. No traction mats
7. No drawer system
8. No mounted laptop running real-time nav.

We did bring:
1. BGAN
2. Simple tool kit
3. SPOT device
4. A tow strap
5. A good compressor (which proved invaluable).
6. A shovel

We had no flats and no mechanical problems. We drove over 5,000kms of dirt, including 1,200kms along the border with Afghanistan.

Is there a preferred amount of kit and modifications- yes.
Is it possible to have one hell of an adventure without it- yes.
Will I have a winch fitted to my truck when I cross the Congo- yes.

They were looking for a true adventure, and had made the decision to take anything and any risk that came their way. They also achieved their goal. They are not the first to have explored via unconventional means and been successful- they will not be the last either.

 

[Scott Brady]

Oh boy....

There is no unbreakable vehicle. If you are tempted into building super tough vehicle that is suppose to stand up to anything you will most likely be overweight and underpowered.

You cannot carry enough spare parts to fix everything. You cannot carry enough tool to fix everything. The ideal vehicle is built simple and rugged with parts that are common enough to be found, made, or modified on the road.

Well said. Overweight and underpowered = broken and stuck

Light and fast baby, with enough real-world experience to solve problems when they arise.

 

[David Harris]

Reinhold Messner epitomizes what you're saying. This guy climbed all the 8000 meter peaks with pretty much just a sleeping bag and some food. Not even oxygen. He would just show up and hike right past the multi-million dollar, months long expedition assaults on Everest, etc. It was enough for what he did, but the real reason he survived all those risks, was his ability to know when to respect the conditions and turn around when necessary. He had an uncanny knack for reading the mountains and the weather.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Too many people are enamored with the *idea* of an adventure -- but far fewer actually want to find an adventure.

Those who are into "adventure travel" can be divided into two distinct groups: Those who set out on a journey seeking an adventure, and those who set out on an journey hoping they never find an adventure. It's pretty easy to figure out who is who, once something doesn't go according to plans . . .

And with that, I'm taking my stock truck out to explore some back roads for the weekend. I'm not taking a winch, a hi-lift jack, a tire repair kit, a sat-phone, a RTT, or any other fancy piece of gear. Hopefully I'll make it back. If not, everyone can sit around and talk about how I should have gone to work instead of enjoying life.

I for one am the kind that doesnt mind a little adversity. Race cheap, heavy mountain bikes... and still win. Race a stock XR400R in tough enduro races- still win. I've traveled to countries where I'm not fluent in the language, but can still converse. Drive underpowered, overloaded trucks into tough areas.... I still see those places and enjoy those moments with friends and family. I've had a few moments where I didnt know what was wrong with my broken truck, but worked it out and have made it home every time. Gotten sick abroad, went to a doctor and got better.
As Forrest Gump once said... "It happens".




Why am I still reading and responding to this thread..?

 

[TwoTrack]

You have to remain a bit naive, a bit risky, a bit crazy if you want to experience a real adventure. You have to push the limits.

Best said right there.

 

[southpier]

.....Pain and suffering is only fun if you enjoy pain and suffering.

that's good signature material right there!

 

[ywen]

There are many ways to go about a trip and ways to be prepared. The authors of the Congo thread went their way. I enjoy reading the story but I got to say most of the story revolves around negative experiences and negative things that happened. Much of that they put themselves in those positions and their attitude is not very positive. As with anything in life if you think negative your experience is negative.

sigh.. many people think the definition of fun is sitting around on a beach sipping umbrella drinks instead of driving for thousands of miles thru a desert.. "overlanding"

Get it?

Just because some of you felt it wasn't fun, it doesn't mean for the trip taker, the cumulative experiences from their trip was not positive to them. For anyone to hint to the author that they would have had more fun if they dragged additional parts and learned more skills and avoided the various experiences they did is simply ridiculous.

 

[ywen]

BTW.. as a general comment. . i detected tons of jealousy of their Congo trip and the "street cred" (forum cred?) they gained from the trip report. I think that explains some of the judgmental feedback they received. Perhaps I'm wrong in that assessment, which I hope I am...

 

[78Bronco]

sigh.. many people think the definition of fun is sitting around on a beach sipping umbrella drinks instead of driving for thousands of miles thru a desert.. "overlanding"

Get it?

Just because some of you felt it wasn't fun, it doesn't mean for the trip taker, the cumulative experiences from their trip was not positive to them. For anyone to hint to the author that they would have had more fun if they dragged additional parts and learned more skills and avoided the various experiences they did is simply ridiculous.

As a reader of the thread I had fun laughing at there on-going perdicament.:ylsmoke: Having to trust complete strangers can be difficult. Imagine all the what if's...like what if the ferry sank then we would be chiding them for not having a raft on board the truck.

While I do enjoy drinks on the beach I also enjoy finding new places by vehicle.:smiley_drive:

 

[ywen]

yeah this crap is like photography forums.. a big pissing fest on who knows more, knows better..

 

[Scott Brady]

yeah this crap is like photography forums.. a big pissing fest on who knows more, knows better..

There are those who talk, and those who do.