If you look back at the history of military weapons, you'll notice that many early combat knives were based on the double-edged dagger design. This was effective as a close-combat tool against armored opponents, since its sharp tip could penetrate between plates and defeat chain mail. However, as equipment evolved and guns became more common than edged weapons on the battlefield, the dagger began to fall out of favor. By World War II, the Mark 1 trench knife dagger would be replaced by a sturdier single-edged knife — the Mark 2 combat knife, which you probably know as the Ka-Bar.
The new TOPS Operator Seven combat knife.
The transition to a heavy-duty single-edged knife was significant because it made the combat knife a much more versatile tool. It could now easily be used for cutting wire, opening cans, and other utility tasks. However, its sharp tip and protective guard still made it an effective piercing weapon. A fuller in the blade reduced weight while maintaining strength. These days, when someone mentions a combat knife or fighting knife, it's likely to resemble this style.
TOPS Knives recently introduced its latest take on the classic American fighting knife, dubbed the TOPS Operator Seven. With an overall length of 12.5 inches, a 7.25-inch blade, and 0.31-inch-thick full-tang construction, it's a hefty one to say the least. The knife is composed of 1075 high-carbon steel hardened to RC 56-58 and finished in a gunmetal-grey stonewash TOPS calls Acid Rain. This steel is differentially heat-treated for a durable hard edge and more flexible spine.
True to its inspiration, the Operator Seven has a sharp piercing point, fuller, and prominent double guard. There's also a large finger choil in front of the guard, designed to allow the user to choke up on the blade for precise whittling or skinning. The 1-inch-thick handle is flanked by scales made of tan canvas micarta bonded to textured black G10. TOPS says this design will “fill out the user's hand much like an ax or hatchet handle would”.
The TOPS Operator Seven includes a black kydex sheath with dangler belt loop, and is available for an MSRP of $190. For more info, go to TOPSKnives.com.
During any survival situation, knowledge and practical experience are your greatest assets. If you know the terrain like the back of your hand and have practiced your core survival skills frequently, you'll be able to stay calm and efficiently take steps to obtain shelter, fire, water, and food — even if the only tool you have is the one between your ears. However, there's no denying the value of gear in these situations, whether you're in an urban environment or the remote wilderness. A few simple items, such as a knife, lighter, weather-proof tarp, paracord, and cooking pot can make living through adverse conditions a substantially easier task.
In the On the Grid column in Issue 26 of RECOIL OFFGRID, we discussed some “gear philosophies” ranging from primitive survivalist (i.e. someone who carries little to no store-bought gear) to extreme geardo (i.e. one who carries everything but the kitchen sink) and asked readers to let us know where they fall on this spectrum. Some of the replies we received got us thinking — while the quantity of gear carried is an important variable, it must also be carefully balanced with quality.
Unless you're a lottery-winner with countless zeroes at the end of your bank account balance, we all have some form of budget for survival gear. It's essential to use that budget wisely, rather than squandering it frivolously. This leads to an interesting consideration: do you bias your purchases towards a smaller number of top-of-the-line tools, or would you rather diversify with more gear at the expense of longevity and reliability? In other words, would you rather survive with a handful of costly high-quality items, or a wide array of low-budget gear?
This is the question we'll address in today's Survival Scenarios article. For those who have missed our previous installments of Survival Scenarios, here’s how it works. We ask you how you’d handle a difficult choice in a hypothetical survival situation. These exercises can help you mentally ready yourself for an event you might encounter in real life someday, and consider adjusting your emergency preps accordingly. In previous Survival Scenarios, we asked how you'd react to a flash flood in a narrow canyon, and which survival tool you'd rather have on a desert island. As always, the article will end with a poll where you can make your choice and see how others felt.
Background Info
Flickr.com/zenjazzygeek
In this scenario, a sudden storm hits on your long commute home from work. The powerful sheets of rain and intense gusts of wind cause your truck to hydroplane, skidding off the shoulder of a remote two-lane highway, slamming into a muddy ditch, and keeling over onto one side. Pain shoots through your ankle from the impact; you're not sure if it's broken or just sprained. It's late evening and you know it's unlikely that another vehicle will pass by at this hour, much less see your truck from the road in this downpour. You'll need to take shelter from the storm and build a fire for warmth (and signaling).
Flickr.com/mpaulmd
Your gear consists of a single get-home backpack which was stashed in your truck's backseat. Its contents will depend on your choice below, and they'll be the only items you'll have to survive and signal for rescue. Either way, the gear in your pack has a comparable total value.
Although it's likely you'll be spotted by another motorist within the next 12 hours once the storm abates and the sun rises, there's a possibility that the storm might worsen and you might need to rely on your gear for a few days.
The “Quality” Loadout
If you prioritized quality over quantity, the selection of gear in your pack is limited to only a few essentials, but those items are well-made from top-quality materials — the sort of gear you'd never worry about breaking or damaging from hard use. Here's what you find in your pack:
Knife — A heavy-duty fixed blade constructed from thick carbon steel with a durable and sharp edge. It includes a kydex sheath and ferro rod/magnesium bar backup fire-starter.
Fire Kit — This metal tin contains a large slab of commercially-prepared fatwood, a pack of stormproof matches, and a waterproof lighter with a sturdy metal case.
Shelter — For cover from the rain, you find a tightly-folded durable tarp, lined on one side with heat-reflecting foil. It includes a bundle of mil-spec 550 paracord and triangular titanium stakes for easy set-up. You also have a top-of-the-line sleeping bag that can help you stay warm.
Food and Water — There's a hydration bladder in your pack that contains 2 liters of clean water, and a nested set of titanium cookware (small cup, large pot, lids, spork, heat-resistant pot holders, and a mesh carrying case). There are also six calorie- and nutrient-dense vacuum-packed camping meals, which can be prepared in minutes with hot water.
Before you jump the gun and say that this setup sounds like everything you need, read on and consider the possible advantages of a more diverse loadout.
The “Quantity” Loadout
If you prioritized quantity over costlier high-end gear, you'll find an extremely diverse set of tools in your pack, but all are budget-friendly picks from the local outdoor gear store. Here's what your pack contains:
Cutting Tools — A $20 partially-serrated hunting knife made from 420 stainless steel, a small multi-tool that appears to be a knock-off design, and an surplus entrenching tool that functions as a shovel, ax, and saw.
Fire Kit — This zip-up freezer bag contains a value-pack of plastic lighters, several books of matches, a roll of burlap fabric and a tube of petroleum jelly to aid in fire-starting. There's also a small propane stove with a canister of fuel, so you'll be able to cook and boil water on demand in case the campfire takes some time.
Shelter — You find a huge but thin blue tarp which seems reasonably water-resistant, a bundle of twine, and some plastic stakes. There's a large inexpensive sleeping bag, an old wool blanket, several tightly-folded mylar space blankets, and a bright yellow rain poncho. You also have a spare set of clothes.
Flickr.com/calliope
Food and Water — Your bag contains six 16-fluid-ounce plastic water bottles (3L in total), a value-pack of beef jerky, a jug of trail mix, bags of dry beans and rice, a large stainless cook pot, and a wooden spoon. You also have a tackle box containing line, sinkers, hooks, and lures (you'll still need to fashion your own pole). Lastly, there's an old bolt-action .22LR rifle you bought used at the local gun store, and a brick of the cheapest ammo the store carried.
First Aid Kit — With the money left over in your budget from buying affordable gear, you purchased an off-the-shelf first aid kit. The hard plastic case contains various bandages, ointments, medications, antiseptic towelettes, a cold compress, and a moldable splint (this could be useful for your ankle injury). There's also an orange plastic whistle with a built-in button compass.
The Decision
Each of the above loadouts has some clear advantages and disadvantages.
The “quality” gear is much more reliable, meaning you won't need to worry much about it breaking or malfunctioning. It's also a simpler setup, so you'll spend less time planning out a shelter or deciding how to start a fire. However, you won't have many backup options in the unlikely event that something breaks or is lost. And you don't have some of the additional tools available in the other loadout, such as a first aid kit, change of clothes, or rifle.
The “quantity” kit's tools are less durable and reliable, but there's also quite a bit of redundancy. In the event that your fixed-blade knife breaks or dulls, you'll have two other options to fall back on. Your shelter materials are also less weather-resistant, but more plentiful and can be built in several configurations. You have lots of food and water plus the capacity to obtain more from your surroundings, but preparing the inexpensive dry beans and rice will take longer (and be less flavorful) than the more costly freeze-dried meals. By having enough budget left over for the first aid kit, you can also treat your ankle injury and any others you might incur.
Based on the location, circumstances, and your skill set, which option would you choose: a handful of costly high-quality items, or a wide array of low-budget gear? Enter your decision into the poll below, and feel free to justify that choice in the comments section.
Survival Scenarios is a recurring feature on OFFGRIDweb.com, and will ask you to make a difficult choice between two or more hypothetical situations.
We don’t just want you to read our posts silently—we want to hear what you have to say. Share your thoughts or suggestions in the comments below, or head over to our Facebook page.
Hygiene is extremely important in everyday life — you don't want to be that guy at the office who seems to be blissfully unaware of his own heinous body odor. But even when you're alone in the wilderness in a survival situation, proper hygiene has substantial value. Washing your hands and body regularly will kill bacteria, reduce the risk of infection, repel insects, and improve morale by helping you feel refreshed.
If you've ever traveled through the desert in the U.S. or Mexico, you'll recognize the spiky yucca plant.
That said, items such as hand sanitizer, liquid soap, shampoo, and dish or clothing detergent are all consumables that will eventually run out and be difficult to replenish. It's therefore useful to know how to improvise a cleaning agent that will produce suds and break down dirt and grease. In the desert, this can be accomplished using the root of the plentiful yucca plant.
We've mentioned yucca soap in the past, but recently saw a video from desert survival instructor Junkyard Fox that shows a helpful step-by-step process for making and using the substance. The video discusses the active ingredient called saponin, and how Native Americans in the southwest have used it throughout history.
Even without added water, the traces of moisture in yucca root will produce soapy suds.
In the second half of the video, James discusses creosote, another common plant that can be used externally on the skin for antimicrobial purposes. The rough-edged leaves and pleasant-smelling waxy coating will help you feel and smell cleaner if used as an improvised scrubbing sponge. It can even be used in tandem with yucca soap for extra cleaning properties, or burned as an insect repellent.
Check out the full video below to see how yucca and creosote can be harvested and used for survival hygiene:
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you change the oil in your truck regularly, make sure there's plenty of air in the tires, and top off the fuel tank when the opportunity arises, it's much more likely to get you to your destination reliably than a vehicle that has been neglected. This is common sense, and the same logic applies to other important tools — routine maintenance is especially important for critical items that get used every single day.
That said, when was the last time you maintained that folding knife in your pocket? Most of us remember to periodically sharpen the edge at home with whetstones, diamond rods, or some other tool. But unless you're extremely diligent, months might pass between sharpenings, and the edge on that blade may become dull and ineffective. Microscopic chips and rolls on the edge can impede its performance, forcing you to work harder with each cut and open yourself to serious injuries.
Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) recently introduced a new pocket tool that's designed specifically to keep your knife performing like new. The CRKT Knife Maintenance Tool can be carried on a keychain or in a pocket, and includes six helpful functions.
The Knife Maintenance Tool features a tungsten-carbide sharpener to grind away chips and larger blade defects, as well as a gentler ceramic honing edge that can remove microscopic burrs and fine-tune the edge. These will work well with CRKT knives, but the company says they're also “compatible with nearly every folding knife in existence”.
In addition to the sharpener and hone, the Knife Maintenance Tool has two fold-out bit drivers, which contain T6 and T8 Torx bits. These can be used to tighten the hardware on pocket clips, handle scales, thumb studs, and other folding knife parts. There's also a flathead screwdriver on the end that can double as a mini prybar or scraper, a bottle opener, and a keyring loop. The tool is flanked on each side with tough fiberglass-reinforced nylon scales emblazoned with the CRKT logo.
The CRKT Knife Maintenance Tool is available at an MSRP of $30. For more info on this item, go to CRKT.com.
Our friends at RECOIL saw the writing on the wall, and have already taken a step in the opposite direction with RECOILtv, which launched back in 2016. This streaming video platform exists free of the restrictive YouTube ecosystem, and has already served as a home for gun-, gear-, and training-related content created by our staff. More recently, RECOILtv has created a Partner Content section to host videos from other noteworthy gun channels who are looking for an alternative to YouTube.
Currently, the new RECOILtv Partner Content offers videos from the following creators:
InRangeTV – A collaboration between Ian McCollum (of Forgotten Weapons) and Karl Kasarda, with a wide range of videos about modern and historic weapons.
C&Rsenal – Learn all about guns from around the world with these videos covering in-depth firearm history.
Of course, this is just the beginning. RECOIL is working to expand the partner content lineup in the future and help more gun-related video creators find a better platform to share their work. To see the latest third-party gun videos on RECOILtv, go to videos.recoilweb.com and click the Partner Content button.
Communication is the foundation of human society — without it, we'd never be able to collaborate and organize anything productive. Party games like telephone and charades show how impeded communication can lead to confusion, and while the results are humorous in that context, failure to communicate can be frustrating or downright catastrophic when the circumstances are dire. In any survival situation, the ability to signal for help or instruct family members where to meet can save lives.
These days, we often think of communication as taking place wirelessly — cell phones, internet, and radio, for example. Then there's the obvious face-to-face communication we use on a daily basis. However, there are plenty of options beyond these, and some of the methods we consider outdated can be valuable for survival purposes. We've previously discussed the potential of landline phones, Morse code, and smoke signals when other forms of comms are interrupted.
The following infographic from Mobile Text Alerts gives a recap of 10 important communication methods and their historical origins. Although reverting to dial-up modems and carrier pigeons might not be the most practical for survival situations, some of the other options can serve as a reminder that humans have found ways to communicate effectively since long before the dawn of social media. Click here to download a full-size version of this infographic.
For more off-the-grid communication techniques, check out some of our previous articles below:
In the backcountry, a pack full of tools will undeniably make your life easier. At the very least, it's wise to bring along the “5 Cs” of survival essentials — cutting, combustion, cordage, container, and cover. However, even if you find yourself without the most basic items, you can get by with some knowledge and ingenuity.
The following video shows how bushcrafter NW Primate tested his survival skills with only one of the 5 Cs: a cutting tool. He uses nothing but a Tom Brown Tracker knife to make cordage for a bow drill, gather tinder and kindling, start a fire, make a water vessel, and boil water for drinking and cooking.
His water vessel is made from a large section of tree bark, carefully stripped from a maple tree, soaked, folded, and clamped together with split sticks at each end. He writes, “I have seen several demonstrations and designs for bark containers that will hold water and initially intended to make a variation of a canoe bailer that was used by the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest.” This vessel was used in conjunction with the hot rock boiling method to heat and purify water from a nearby stream. Finally, he kicked things up a notch by using some of his water to prepare a box of mac and cheese over hot coals.
A quick reminder: always be very cautious with hot rock boiling, since porous rocks that contain moisture may explode and send sharp fragments flying. Protect your eyes and stand back whenever possible — few things will ruin your day faster than a face full of shrapnel from a fractured stone.
For more info on the details of this water vessel, click “Show More” under the description on the YouTube video.
Much like the ill-fated predictions that we'd all be driving hovercars and fighting cyborgs armed with laser blasters by the early 2000s, we've often heard it said that modern technology is bound to make the wristwatch obsolete. Despite this claim, watches seem to be alive and well. In fact, we'd even say that there has been a resurgence in their popularity in the last decade. Some of this may be due to the convenience of knowing the time without pulling out a cell phone, and some can be attributed to appreciation for the visual style of a nice timepiece.
While we can understand the appeal of high-tech smart watches with Bluetooth and internet connectivity, we tend to lean towards simpler designs for every-day carry and use on outdoor adventures. Specifically, field watches offer some distinct advantages for use in the backcountry.
A standard-issue A-11 field watch, one of the most iconic designs of the WWII era. Source: Crown and Caliber
Field watches are simple, easy-to-read analog watches inspired by vintage military wristwatch designs. As a result of this origin, they offer slim cases, high-visibility markings, and tough fabric or leather straps designed to withstand years of hard use. If a smart watch is analogous to a 30-function multi-tool, a field watch is like your grandpa's WWII-issue Ka-Bar — it's built for one primary purpose, and it does it well.
For more info on the history of standard-issue field watches, check out our previous review of another Bertucci watch, the A-4T Vintage Yankee.
The Origin of the GMT Watch
Although most field watches offer nothing more than a hour, minute, and second hand with high-contrast markings, some designs have a few more advanced features. Twelve- and twenty-four-hour numbering is common, making it easier to tell time in the standard civilian and military formats. A date function is also useful for tracking the day of the month at a glance.
One of the most significant upgrades seen on field watches is referred to as GMT. You may recognize this abbreviation for Greenwich Mean Time, which is the mean solar time measured at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. Time zones around the world are often referred to as GMT +X or GMT -X, where X is a certain number of hours offset from the standard time in London. For example, the time zones in the United States are as follows (not including Daylight Savings Time adjustments):
Eastern Standard Time (EST) – GMT -5
Central Standard Time (CST) – GMT -6
Mountain Standard Time (MST) – GMT -7
Pacific Standard Time (PST) – GMT -8
When it comes to analog watches, a GMT function means that the watch has a fourth hand. When set and adjusted correctly, this enables the wearer to check the current time with the standard three hands, and simultaneously read the fourth hand to see the time in another zone.
The GMT watch feature originated in the 1950s, as a result of pilots who needed to keep track of time both at home and in the current destination. The fourth hand in these GMT watches operates on a 24-hour movement, making one 360-degree rotation each day, as opposed to the regular hour hand, which operates on a 12-hour movement and makes two full rotations each day. There are two ways to use this fourth hand, which we'll explain below.
How to Use and Set a GMT Hand
If you're not traveling, the GMT hand can simply be set to provide the 24-hour time in your current location. This makes it easy to instantly read the time in either 12- or 24-hour format without doing any mental math.
If you are traveling outside your home time zone, the fourth GMT hand can be set to your home time, and the primary hour hand can be set to the time in your current location. It's also useful if you work or frequently communicate with people outside your time zone — just keep the GMT hand set to their time zone so you won't mix up the scheduled time for an important conference call.
The video below from World of Watches shows the basics of how to set a 24-hour GMT hand:
Bertucci A-2TR Vintage GMT
We frequently wear the Bertucci A-4T mentioned earlier in this article, so we were pleased to hear about the release of its new sibling: the Bertucci A-2TR Vintage GMT. Like the A-4T, the A-2TR features the company's patented solid titanium case with built-in band lugs and a matte finish.
The A-2TR has a slightly smaller case diameter (40mm) and narrower band (7/8″) than the A-4T, although this size is still substantially larger than the 30mm field watches of the 1950s — those appear tiny by today's standards.
The A-2TR also features a Swiss-made quartz movement, hardened sapphire crystal, and 100-meter water-resistance as a result of its screw-down crown. These features provide the sort of durability we expect from an outdoor-oriented watch, and ensure it'll hold up to the inevitable bumps and scrapes of daily use. The hands and face markings are treated with Swiss Super Luminous material that provides passive glow after exposure to light from the sun or indoor bulbs.
Our watch features the optional Horween Montanaro leather band, which is made in the USA , water-resistant, and fitted with a stainless steel buckle and loop. Bertucci also offers this watch with heavy-duty nylon NATO straps in black, olive green, or coyote tan. With the leather band, this watch is priced at $290. With a nylon band, it's $270. These bands are sold separately, and their straight-through design makes them a breeze to swap out, so you can always get a few options if you're indecisive.
As expected from a GMT watch, the A-2TR features a fourth hand (a red arrow) that moves on a 24-hour rotation. Numbers on the inside of the face indicate 24-hour time. The GMT hand is set by loosening the screw-down crown, pulling it out to its first position, and turning counter-clockwise. Turning the crown clockwise at this position adjusts the date function, and pulling it out to its second position allows adjusting the primary hands.
Rotating Bezel Functions
Another notable feature of the A-2TR Vintage GMT is its rotating bezel, indicated by the R in its model name. The bezel rotates counter-clockwise with 60 positions, each indicated by a positive click of the ratcheting bezel mechanism. This bezel offers two valuable functions for use in the outdoors:
Elapsed Time
The main function of the rotating bezel is to help you track elapsed minutes or seconds, similar to a stopwatch. To track elapsed time, rotate the bezel counter-clockwise until the large red triangle aligns with the minute hand.
As the minute hand moves, the markings around the bezel will show the number of minutes that have passed. There are markings for 1-minute increments up to 15 minutes, then 5-minute increments for the rest of the hour. If you need to time more precisely, you can align the bezel with the second hand. In this case, you'll have to mentally keep track of the elapsed minutes after the first 60 seconds.
Breaking down challenging projects into smaller increments has been shown to improve productivity, so this is one way we use the timer bezel. It's also helpful for tracking how long you've spent walking a path, cooking food, brewing coffee or tea, or working on any other task.
Improvised Compass
The other advantage to a rotating bezel is the ability to use it as a navigational aid.
During the day, you can aim any analog watch's hour hand at the sun and split the angle between it and the 12:00 mark to find a north-south line. The end of this line furthest from the sun will be north, assuming you're in the northern hemisphere. For a more detailed explanation, refer to our previous article on how to use a watch as a compass.
A rotating bezel will help you use this technique more precisely. Once you've pointed the hour hand at the sun, turn the bezel ring until the “30” mark is halfway between the hour hand and 12:00 on the watch face (i.e. south). The red arrow is now indicating north, the 15 mark will indicate east, and the 45 mark will indicate west. The other increments can be used to orient yourself more precisely to the northwest, southeast, and so on. The ring should be adjusted every hour to reflect changes in the sun's position.
The rotating bezel on your watch is a little less precise than a compass, but it can help you stay on course.
Once you've established the N/E/S/W cardinal directions, bezel ring can be rotated again to shoot an azimuth, much like you'd use the bezel ring on a real USGI lensatic compass.
See the Bertucci manual excerpt at the end of this article for more details about rotating bezel compass use.
Conclusions
The new Bertucci A-2TR Vintage GMT is a modern-day homage to the classic field watches of the 1950s. The integration of features such as a date function, a 24-hour GMT hand, and a rotating bezel add value without diminishing the watch's reliable simplicity and old-school style. The strong titanium case, sapphire crystal, and water-resistant screw-down crown subtly modernize this design.
As with the previous Bertucci watch we reviewed, the interchangeable bands are a nice touch, since they make the watch more versatile and very easy to clean. As much as we like the Horween leather band, we'll probably switch it for one of Bertucci's Tridura synthetic bands in the future, since the band on our A-4T has proven surprisingly resistant against moisture, dirt, and abrasions.
During our time with the A-2TR, it has made a nice addition to our EDC gear rotation, and it has been hard to find fault with any aspect of its design or construction. However, the included documentation could use some improvement — despite Bertucci's site stating details on the use of the rotating bezel as a compass can be found in the owner's manual, we found no mention of this feature there. The manual also makes no mention of adjusting the GMT hand, but this was easy enough to figure out. Our manual is dated 1/2017, so perhaps a future revision will add more instructions.
Update: Bertucci let us know that, as we suspected, we mistakenly received an old version of the watch manual. They sent us a PDF of the correct A-2TR-specific manual, and we can confirm that it includes information on how to set the GMT hand and use the rotating bezel. We're told all future orders will include this corrected manual. See below for a sample of the rotating bezel compass instructions:
For more information on Bertucci field watches and the A-2TR Vintage GMT, go to BertucciWatches.com.
The Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), also known as a side-by-side, offers a number of advantages for survivalists — it's nimble enough to overcome rough terrain, small enough to fit down narrow paths, offers seating for two or more people, and can carry a large payload of gear. We addressed many of these advantages, as well as some UTV-specific driving techniques, in our recent article “Off-Grid Driver's Ed: Learning to Drive a UTV”.
Traditional off-road UTVs are usually powered by a small gas motor connected to a transmission, transfer case, and front and rear differentials to send power to all four wheels. This is a tried-and-true formula, but we're always interested to see new designs that could provide some additional improvements. With the recent growth in the electric car and truck market, it's no surprise to see some of this tech make its way into the UTV world.
Nikola Corporation, named as a nod to famous electrical engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla, has developed a new electric off-road UTV known as the Nikola NZT. The NZT is 100% electric-powered, with a low-mounted lithium-ion battery pack and four direct-drive electric motors (one at each wheel). Nikola says this setup can produce up to 590hp and 722 ft/lbs of torque. Unlike a gas-powered engine, the electric motors produce peak torque immediately off the line, so they're capable of propelling the NZT from 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds.
The Nikola NZT offers a claimed range of 90 to 150 miles under “hardcore riding conditions”. Nikola says it can be recharged in 3 hours with the company's proprietary 400V charger, 8 hours with a 240V charger, or 18 hours with a standard 110V wall outlet charger. An optional 4 kW solar charger will be available in the future for off-grid charging.
Although the NZT is designed for off-road use, you may be able to use it on public roads depending on your state's laws. It will include mirrors, fenders, turn-signals, and other commonly-required features. It also comes with a slew of helpful off-road features, such as 4,500-pound-capacity front and rear winches, electronic power steering, knobbly kevlar-reinforced 33-inch tires, Method Racing beadlock wheels, and 3″ FOX Racing internal bypass shocks.
Most images we've seen of the Nikola NZT are 3D-rendered mockups of the final bodywork, and the video above shows what appears to be an unfinished development mule, but the platform has us interested.
The NZT is currently available for no-cost pre-purchase reservations, and the company says it will “begin delivering the UTVs in the first quarter of 2019”. The final production vehicles will start at $28,900, and upgraded models can reach $45,900 before adding options or accessories. For more information, go to NikolaMotor.com.
If you love the outdoors, it's easy to see the appeal of an adventure vehicle. These trucks and vans are designed to traverse long distances over potentially rough roads, carry a large assortment of gear, and also provide a home on wheels. If you've got deep pockets, you can always turn to a builder like Earthroamer or AEV for a seriously capable rig. But if you can't afford to drop a few hundred thousand dollars, it's possible to build your own DIY RV for substantially less money.
Ian Dow recently shared some videos of his custom adventure vehicle project, which is based on a decommissioned Ford E-350 ambulance. Starting with this platform instead of a regular panel van provided a number of advantages — a large living area, plentiful storage cabinets, preexisting wiring and switches, heavy-duty suspension and brakes, exterior lights, and even a functional P.A. system.
Ian heavily modified the ambulance to add a stowable queen bed, kitchen with sink and magnetic dish rack, hardwood dining table, exterior shower with propane water heater, and many other comforts of home. He also added a carrying platform for his Suzuki dirt bike, and an above-cab roof rack with spare wheels and tires for both the van and bike.
Check out the first video compilation below, then refer to the second video for a much more detailed tour of all the ambulance adventure vehicle has to offer. Ian has already been driving around Mexico and Central America with the van, surfing, fishing, and enjoying the sights.
