SA4x4's monthly columnists bring you everything 4x4 & outdoor survival

Enter & Stand a chance to win!

Enter & Win! desert Product full recovery kit Email an image of your 4×4 in an overland location (or post it on Instagram), and be eligible for the Readers’ Rides prize. The prize is a heavy-duty Desert Air Jack which retails at R2 581, at any one of the 27 4×4 Mega World stores throughout South Africa. Rassie Kotze’s stunning pic of his Hilux in the Swartruggens area earns him a brilliant new prize from 4×4 Mega World – a Desert Air Jack. To enter, post a pic of your rig on Instagram, or email it to us. For more

THE WILD GUIDE: Pint-sized predator

“And though they be but little, they are fierce…” (William Shakespeare) Story by Lorraine Doyle Although this is a cheeky misquote from Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream, it is so apt when applied to the subject of this month’s article – the Dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula). What this southern African small carnivore might lack in stature, it surely makes up for in attitude! A Dwarf mongoose weighs between 210-350g on average, with a maximum shoulder height of about 7.5cm and a total length (including their tail) of 35-40cm. The Dwarf mongoose is the smallest of the family Herpestidae (derived from

Bush Craft: Snake bites

Words & pictures Paul Donovan The very first article I wrote for SA4x4 was way back in a distant time, and it covered the subject of snake bites. In that article I detailed the technique universally endorsed as the first-aid treatment for snake bikes: the Pressure Immobilisation Technique. I’d like to bring that article up to date, as there have been advances regarding the first aid treatment of snake bites. It has to be done properly The problem with using the Pressure Immobilisation Technique is not only carrying enough compression bandages to apply to the bite but, more importantly, applying

TRAIL SAVVY: LEAF vs COIL SPRINGS

The leaf versus coil debate has been going on since Land Cruiser 70 Series drivers got jealous of the comfy ride in coil-sprung Land Rover Defenders. We joke, but both leaves and coils have a range of benefits and drawbacks that suit different vehicles and needs. How you value these attributes could affect your next choice of vehicle… The task at hand Your vehicle’s suspension system is possibly the hardest-working, least understood, most abused and under-maintained aspect of your rig. The average bakkie is expected to safely carry a ton, but remain comfortable and stable when empty on the school

THE RECOVERY SERIES PART 4: Recovery tracks

Recovery tracks have a long history. In fact they probably go back as far as the advent of wheeled vehicles, in one form or another. Early explorers in the Namib resorted to wooden planks and plane tyres to get their thin-wheeled trucks through the soft sand. Certainly, today’s tracks can trace their origins to the heavy perforated steel sheets called Marsden Matting, which the US army used from around 1941 to build stable landing platforms in the mud for planes and armoured vehicles. The next development of the Marsden Matting, also called PSP for Perforated Steel Planking, was the use

Enter & Win! desert Product full recovery kit

Enter & Win! desert Product full recovery kit Email an image of your 4×4 in an overland location (or post it on Instagram), and be eligible for the Readers’ Rides prize. The prize is a heavy-duty Desert Air Jack which retails at R2 581, at any one of the 27 4×4 Mega World stores throughout South Africa. This lightweight and versatile air jack, made from PVC, requires no specialised mounting points, can lift up to three tons in almost any conditions from mud to sand, and can be inflated using either a compressor or exhaust pressure. For more 4×4 Mega

Trail Savvy: Pack like a Pro

Anyone who has to load cargo vessels for a living will tell you that packing is a science with a bit of art thrown into the mix. When crossing oceans, you can’t have ships listing to one side or prows pointing to the stars. Same with the guys trying to fit the contents of large houses into the defined space of a furniture removal van. These guys are the true Tetris geniuses, because there’s hell to pay if priceless antiques are left behind, or the van falls over at the first roundabout. Loading up for an overlanding mission is much

Recovery Series Part 3: Tyres – the first line of defence

The four circles of rubber connecting our vehicles to the road are one of the most critical components on any drive, on any terrain. Yet they are all too often overlooked, or simply taken for granted. In reality, you are only connected to the road surface by an area of rubber the size of an A4 piece of paper. Take away the tread, and that contact surface is reduced to not much more than an A5 piece of paper. Despite this small patch separating terra firma and disaster, all too often tyres are the one component (or four components) where

Trail Savvy: Weight & loading

Guys like to be kitted. There’s even a sense that if you have more stuff than the folk in the campsite next-door, that you’re a better, more organised person. That smug sense will be wiped clean away when it comes to the reality of driving your 4×4 laden with all that clutter. Quite simply, an overloaded vehicle is a dangerous vehicle, not only in the handling department, but also because it is more prone to mechanical failure. Apart from the strain on the drivetrain, a vehicle that’s too heavily loaded at the rear will have overly light and unresponsive steering,

Recovery Series: Part 2

What basic equipment do I need in my vehicle when venturing off-road? This month, we provide a list of the essentials you will need to keep you moving when the going gets rough, and help get you out of trouble when you do get stuck. Spade A good old-fashioned garden spade to remove sand or mud from behind or in front of the wheels. Makes for a great griddle for that steak braai as well! ARB deflator (analog or digital) The only thing connecting you to terra firma is four pieces of rubber more or less the size of the

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