Friday, July 30, 2010

Overland Live - Photo & Video Updates

Overland Live Logo
The Overland Live website aggregates all the latest independent travel websites updates into various categories. This function is enabled via RSS feeds from the travellers website and is enabled by default if using an online blog, photo sharing or Youtube service. I blogged about free website tools which are beneficial to enabling you to keep your travels online.

As a result of these RSS enabled websites, Google provides a service called Google Reader.  This service enables you to link all your favourite websites into Google Reader and to receive the updates automatically as the end publisher uploads new material.  Effectively this means that you have a single site to browse (Google Reader) rather than visiting multiple websites to see if any new content has been added.  This forms the foundation for Overland Live - a single site displaying the latest blogs, photos, videos, tweets and forum updates.

I have now made a few additional changes to how the photos and videos are displayed. Instead of displaying text only for the photo, the website displays the photo - a far better browsing experience.

Here are the links to the updated pages:

Overland Live Photos
Overland Live Videos

Please email me if you have any suggestions on how to improve the Overland Live service.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Stimson Explorer Kit - expedition field kitchen

BigSky Adventures Cooking setup
The cooking setup of overland vehicles vary considerably.  Some vehicles have fantastic looking expedition kitchen units integrated into the vehicle - others have rusty old gas cookers or charcoal burners.  All do the job - some are just more efficient than others.

In my search for the optimum cooking setup, I stumbled across the Stimson Explorer kit. In summary this is a field kitchen build into a neat storage unit and would make the ideal expedition field kitchen for an vehicle based journey.

Unit Overview:
The unit comprises of a sturdy box with a lid that opens and is supported with an extending leg. The sides have supporting handles which are clipped in place during transit.

The interior comprises of the following equipment:


Gas cooker & cartridges
Cooler Box
Cutlery & cutting board
Wash basin
Stimson Explorer Kit - field kitchen in a box
Water Bottle & Pump 

Ease of Setup:
The benefit of this unit is the ability to open the lid and get cooking quickly or remove the unit from the vehicle and setup in a convenient location.
The lid is held on via two elastic bands whilst the water pump is hinged to a holder on the left.

The water tank is independent which means that you can use any water source rather than carrying an integrated water tank around with you.


Vehicle integration:
The unit is standalone so could be mounted on sliding rails or secured to the floor using straps.

Slight Improvements:
The unit, in my opinion, ticks many boxes for an overland trip - easy of use, integration into vehicle, best use of storage space.
However, there is one improvement that is needed.  The gas cooker is stored under the water basin which means that that after use, you will need to allow the unit to cool before packing away.  A neater system would be small drawer system so that the gas cooker can be packed away hot.

Summary: 
If you are planning your overland trip and are undecided on the cooking arrangements, I would recommend looking at this unit. It can integrate neatly into your vehicle and offers the benefit of a compact design which includes majority of your cooking equipment.

Additional photos:






Friday, July 23, 2010

Special Update: World Premiere for "Adventuress Wanted"

Perseverance pays.
After six years in the making, director Thomas McAlevey's first feature length film "Adventuress Wanted" is premiering on the big screen in the heart of New York City.
This 85-minute movie will have its World Premiere at The New York International Independent Film & Video Festival on Thursday, July 29th at 8:10pm, Screen 3 at Village East Cinemas at 181 2nd Avenue (near East 12th) in Manhattan. Tickets are $15.00 and include entry to the after party at Union Square Lounge (see www.nyfilmvideo.com for tickets and details).
"Adventuress Wanted" is a film about love and life, about heroic efforts in the face of adversity, and about noble intentions gone awry. Set against the majestic and dramatic landscape of Africa, the film counterpoints uncommon natural beauty with the universal challenges of a developing human relationship.
"Adventuress Wanted" chronicles the amazing journey of newly met couple Yoshiko and Tom as they pilot their tiny Beach Buggy across all of Africa; armed only with their wits, the daring duo brave everything from close encounters with lions and rhinos to a death-defying illegal entry into Sudan.  There is no additional camera crew, no follow vehicles, and no support team of any kind! From soldiers with AK-47's to irate elephants - our intrepid travelers go it alone. Through the tears and the mind-boggling physical challenges, Yoshiko and Tom keep their camera rolling.
The film will have its West Coast premier in September at the Downtown Film Festival in Los Angeles; details forthcoming (www.dffla.com).
In addition,"Adventuress Wanted" is now being distributed worldwide by Taurus Entertainment (with offices on the Paramount lot in Hollywood). A DVD is slated for public release soon.
Personal note to Redbuggy subscribers; www.redbuggy.com has not yet been updated to reflect these recent developments. We appreciate your patience and your loyalty and promise to update the site as soon as possible.
If you are on Facebook, please visit our NEW PAGE "Adventuress Wanted" and 'Like' it.
We appreciate your support very much.
More news to come soon…
Regards,
Redbuggy.com