When it comes to the SUV and 4x4 market, Land Rover has traditionally created some of the most interesting, and iconic advertisements. No Road - Except for Land Rover is a fantastic example.

via West County Explorers Club: I’m happy to report that an excellent new map of the United States has been published, so excellent in fact, that it received the highest honor in American mapmaking: the “Best of Show” award at the annual Cartography and Geographic Information Society competition.

But why should we care about paper maps in this day and age? I love seeing my location constantly updated on a scrolling electronic map as much as the next guy (probably more so). But I think we lose something too in our narrowly focused driving directions and map searches, and that’s a holistic understanding of the geography around us.

Well-designed, paper maps facilitate just that. The more information they convey, the deeper the understanding. That said, bringing thousands of discrete pieces of information into a balanced, comprehensible whole is no easy feat. Rare is the map that is both readable and informationally dense.

This map, however, pulls it off. It shows landforms in shaded relief. It indicates which parts of country are forested. It clearly shows rivers, urban boundaries, time zones, national parks, relative elevations, as well as other physical features like the Pacific Crest Trail. It also locates culturally important sites like the Burning Man Festival and Wrigley Field. It even names individual mountain ranges. It’s packed with information but the overall visual impression is soothing, calm and eminently readable. 

The Ford Bronco is the definition of a classic American 4x4. With it's simple, tough construction and V8 power, it's always been a popular vehicle to take off the highway. The problem is that it's become hard to find one that hasn't been modified extensively, or has succumbed to the rust due to it's all steel construction. This 1969 'California Car' is an excellent example of a nearly factory original Bronco. It's nearly stock for you to upgrade or restore how you please. Located in Santa Monica, California it's currently at $6100 with the reserve not met. 

You can find it here on eBay Motors. [link]

It all started with a CRACK!

In a matter of seconds, an old man with bad eyesight and a late-90s Dodge Dakota had reduced the front end of my Discovery to shattered plastic. I'm still amazed that my fellow motorists find it hard to see a seven foot tall truck in broad daylight—no, this isn't the first time someone has run into my truck in a parking lot. Despite proper parking lot speeds too slow to register on the speedometer, the insurance adjuster informed me there was $1,600 worth of crumpled cosmetic complexity in need of repair. I smiled and thanked him for stopping by as he handed over the freshly printed funding for the next upgrade.

ARB's 2009 Nissan XTerra

The Nissan Xterra is a fantastic choice for someone who is looking to have a vehicle that can not only handle most trails you throw at it, but also drive to work on Monday. It's often considered a good alternative to the Toyota 4Runner, in which it shares comparable reliability and performance figures. With a utilitarian design and functional upgrades such as the ones ARB has fitted, it's no wonder that people were so envious of the Xterra wherever it went.

I'm a little bit weary of any product that says it can waterproof my device - but this does look somewhat promising. Liquipel coats the inside and outside of your phone with a waterproof layer that is thinner than a human hair. For around $70 you send in your phone, they work their magic, and send it back to you. Currently they're offering it for a variety of Apple, HTC, Samsung and Motorola devices.