Cooper Discoverer AT3 review. The ultimate all terrain tire for the real world?

One of the most asked questions about preparing a 4×4 vehicle for a trip is: “What tires do you recommend?” On any 4×4 forum a search about tires should keep you entertained for a few hours. So, when we took delivery of the new Explore More crew truck, a 2015 Toyota Hilux, we asked ourselves the exact same question. And hours were spent researching the internet for the holy grail tire.  I used to run BF Goodrich AT’s and Muds on most of my previous trucks. But the BFG AT seemes very old technology today  and the Cooper Discoverer AT3 was getting raving reviews from some very reputable sources.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 on rocks lr

The Cooper Discoverer AT3 tires left everybody speechless on our trip trough Croatia, they look good too!

The Toyota is our daily driver and is used to eat highway miles to haul photographic equipment around one day, carry dive gear for four people to the beach the next and leave for an overland adventure the day after that. So we were looking for a tire that stands out on the black stuff, but also performs on gravel, rocks, mud, sand and snow. It should also be comfortable, quiet , puncture proof and last forever. Does such a tire exist? Are we expecting too much? We will see, because the above is exactly what Coopertires promise about the Discoverer AT3.

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Go prepared! Vehicle recovery gear.

If you venture of the beaten track with your 4×4 it is likely that you will get stuck at some point. The weather can turn perfectly groomed tracks into mud pits. Fallen trees or other obstackles can force you to find a detour and your vehicle can be stranded. With a few basic skills and the right tools that should be no reason for concern. Here is a summary of what we carry on our overland trips, why we take it and what we use it for. The interesting thing is that our vehicle recovery kit remains essentially unchanged no matter where we go. We use this kit in the desert, the snow, the rocks and in the mud.

recovery gear (1 of 4)

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Off-grid power! Xtorm extreme powerbank & SolarBooster 12 watt panel.

Although we try to escape citylife when we head for the forests, we mostly carry electronics. For safety reasons -your mobile phone-, or entertainment.  We’ll use a GPS to point us in the right direction when we get lost. Everybody who has used a GPS knows the batteries drain quickly. Most smartphones need charging everyday. A portable powerbank is a good solution. The problem with most portable powerbanks is that they’re designed for life in the city….That’s why we like the Xtorm extreme, a powerfull waterproof powerbank that charged our GPS, IPad, iPhone, USB camplight, Kindle & GPS. A powerbank and a solar panel will keep all your electronic devices charged.

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Bushcraft kit load out!

This is my basic equipment when I go walkabout, depending on the destination and purpose I will omit or add a few things. There’s no food or clothing here, we’ll talk about that in another article.

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Croatia, the green heart of Europe.

Last autumn we met up with our Croatian friends to go for a scouting trip in the north & central part of Croatia. Most people heard about the beauty of Croatia’s mediteranian coast line, but when you venture inland, this country becomes even more amazing! The mountains are vast and desolate, and posess an unspoiled beauty that became hard to find in Europe. The landscape is extremely diverse and changes from one beautiful vista into another. This area is one of the last true wildernesses in middle & south Europe and fortunately big parts of it are conserved as National Parks now. To be able to get to the best spots you need to cover some distance and a 4×4 is the most practical way to do it. It gets you to all the cool hikes, camping spots and places to do some serious wildlife spotting.

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Land Rover Defender 90 long term test.

11 months ago we took delivery of a brand new Defender 90. After 31.000km it has seen more terrain than most Defenders do in their lifetime. The little Defender spent more than 20.000km off tarmac. We zig zagged through Iceland for 3 months, explored the mountains in Croatia and went greenlaning all over Europe.

Here is our conclusion:

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Hunting in Croatia.

While preparing to guide an adventure/overland trip to Croatia in October with our good friends in Croatia, we were also invited to hunt roebuck and wild boar on their hunting grounds. Hunting in Croatia is a way of live, people hunt for food, not for sports or as a hobby. As our hunting guide explained, they work all year round to take care of the animals and keep them healthy.  Especially during the winter time animals are given extra food like hay, corn, and salt. We were very impressed with the biodiversity in the Croatian woods. Also the abundance of wildlife cannot be compared to the densely populated Benelux area that we live in.

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Warbonnet Blackbird XLC 1.1 DL review

I’m a big fan of hammocks. A good hammock is your friend in every environment. Most people think hammocks are for jungle trips, not true! I’ve used them in Sweden and Canada for wintercamping, on jungle trips to Borneo & beach holidays. The Blackbird is manufactured by Warbonnet located in the foothills of the Rocky mountains, Evergreen Colorado.

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(n)Iceland.

I know this is not the first time I write about Iceland. But I can’t help it, this land has a magnetic effect on me. I have spent 3 complete months in it’s amazing highlands in the last 5 years. But last summer, the summer of 2014 was something special. Read more

Red dirt roads in The Land Of Never Never

This trip we headed out to a lesser visited area of Australia, the Northern Territories is the least populated region. Just the way we like it. Cattle-stations, gigantic Mango Tree plantations and a lot of space. it’s also aboriginal country. Our plan was to hire a 4×4 vehicle with a rooftop tent and go camping in national parks. We rented the most reliable and best known expedition vehicle in the world: a 1994 Toyota Landcruiser V8 4500cc. Australia is the most 4×4 friendly country in the world.  Everybody drives a fully equipped off-road vehicle. As the distances between villages can easily be a few 100 kilometers everybody carries at least 2 extra tyres and basic survival equipment.

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