Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide

[happybonzo]

Some of you may know of the legendary Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide already.
Second hand it sells for stupid money on Ebay and Amazon; try around £200
It seems that there is going to be a reprint and that one can pre-order it.
It is probably the finest guide for anyone who has any interest in driving to strange places and is full of really useful tips.

I emailed Tom Sheppard and this is his reply.

Thank you for the enquiry. Yes, and my website (you may have to press the 'reload' button) also says a reprint/update is on the way. It's at the printers now and should be available within four weeks. I'll keep your e-mail on file if I may and let you know as soon as the new edition is here. And - one in the eye for the profiteers - it's actually less expensive than the original £40!

If you want one then I would suggest that you get your name on the list ASAP

http://www.desertwinds.co.uk/expedition_guide.html

[Fletching]

Interesting.

Ron Fontaine's got some good tips for vehicles too. E.g.:

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-to-make-a-survival-heater-for-your-car/

Steve

[happybonzo]

I have just received my copy of VDEG. My views on it, so far, are that there are some things that I knew already but that there were shatteringly wide gaps in my knowledge.
I was/am fairly well up to speed on the vehicle preparation side having been building Motorhomes for a number of years. Where the book gets really interesting is on fuels and oils; on what to look for and how to interpret what the numbers on the pumps and oil cans mean.
I have just started trying to get my head around the navigation chapters. These are full of useful gen on desert navigation including the use of the sun compass. It is all good, sound basic stuff but the points covered are of relevance and should be read carefully. The chapter on pre-journey mapping are excellent and should really be entitled PPPPPP.
There is also excellent advice on tyres. I was not aware of the pitfalls of using some of the very extreme treaded tyres. I have always tended to use "rough" duty tyres as a general replacement and have often thought about buying something with more bite. It turns out that this could have been a very expensive mistake.
The chapters on vehicle recovery are entertaining especially if you have ever had to get a vehicle out of the clag. I am lucky in that the worst I have had to do was a Unimog that was sunk below the floor pan and I did have both an hydraulic winch on the 'Mog and also a large John Deere tractor handy. The use of sand ladders, as opposed to using PSP, is also covered very well.
Clothing, food, communications; these, and many other subjects, are all covered in a sensible, practicable manner.
In conclusion, all I can say is that it makes a refreshing change to read a book like this that has been written by some-one who has been there and done it rather than some of other offerings that merely quote from the efforts of others.
If you going beyond the Black Stump then I'd urge you to buy this book as it may well jog your memory for something that you might have missed