Tom Sheppard, a former Royal Air Force pilot, has by his own account covered over 60,000 km in all-wheel-drive vehicles, primarily in deserts. Mostly as part of expeditions and first crossings (e.g. the west-east crossing of Africa). In the Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide he set down his collected knowledge on the subject of expeditions with 4×4 vehicles. It’s written for expeditions, but also offers valuable tips for normal trips, even if not all chapters are relevant in this depth for ordinary travellers. Other books of his deal with all-wheel-drive driving and travel in Algeria.
The book, in its second edition, is very comprehensive, and over around 600 pages with around 800 pictures, every important subject around expeditions is dealt with in depth. A large part is of course taken up by the vehicle. Sheppard describes the procedures for shipping and dispatch. He explains what to bear in mind when choosing the vehicle and loading it, and the individual all-wheel-drive technologies are described and compared. Another chapter deals with vehicle maintenance and gives tips on what to watch out for with fluids when you’re travelling in distant countries.
Sheppard goes into gear in great detail. That ranges from clothing and what function the individual fabric types have, through tents, water transport, supply and production as well as using it sparingly. Food and cooking also have a chapter of their own. He gives driving tips for various situations and types of route, as well as recovery tips. The subject of navigation and navigation systems is important to him too, as well as international rescue systems and communication. He explains how to obtain maps and satellite images and how to work with them.
In the practical section, Sheppard describes how to select and train a team. What to do before and after driving. He also goes into personal hygiene and conduct in foreign countries. Anyone travelling in groups will find explanations on driving and communicating in groups.
The Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide is a classic among expedition books and is currently no longer available as a new book. Take a look at it on amazon.de.
The new 4th edition is expected for 15 May 2017: Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide.
Language: English
Pages: approx. 600