New 4x4 maps and books: August 2019

KEEN TO plug the co-ordinates into your sat-nav unit, escape the concrete jungle and unwind at a campsite with a good book? These new maps and books for the avid 4x4 traveller will make life easier.

Garmin RV 775 MT-S with Hema Maps

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Navigational gurus Garmin have teamed up with mapping legends Hema Maps for this new RV-dedicated GPS unit. This new model features a 6.95-inch edge-to-edge display, pre-loaded Hema 150k topo maps of Australia, RV-specific navigation features (including road warning and custom routing for the size and weight of your RV or trailer/van), and Hema Maps’ extensive Points of Interest, numbering more than 40,000.

Other features include driver alerts for any upcoming steep climbs or sharp curves, voice-activated navigation, Bluetooth hands-free phone call and the capacity to work in conjunction with Garmin’s BC 30 wireless backup camera (sold separately).

And, there’s more, including a Suggested Attractions feature that informs you of what is worth checking out during your journey, and a LiveTrack feature, where friends and family can follow your journey.

Website: www.garmin.com

ExplorOz EOTopo 2019

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ExplorOz has released its latest version of the excellent EOTopo mapping. EOTopo covers the entire area of Australia and is suited to anyone from adventurers and campers to off-road tourers. It covers the country via high resolution mapping that also displays natural land forms and man-made structures in topographic details. It also shows land boundaries and localities as well as – of course – roads, tracks and Points of Interest (POI).

This latest version is the result of extensive cross-referencing all changes since the 2018 data extraction, such as OSM data, the latest parks and forestry data, and updated ExplorOz Places database. The resultant data covers roads, parks, airports, state forests, national parks, all waterways, hiking tracks, etc.

The symbols now displayed are cleaner and offer a crisper, more easily discernible appearance. It is available as a Raster version for use in raster-based mapping software and an App version for use in the ExplorOz Traveller App.

Website: www.exploroz.com

100 Things to see in the Kimberley

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Available as an e-book or printed version, this guidebook to the mighty Kimberley region of WA has been written by a born-and-bred local guide, Scotty Connell. The book is chock-full of info, advice and plenty of secret destinations visitors will find in this touring bucket-list destination, with Scotty drawing on his many years as a guide in the region.

The book, aimed at campers, adventurers, water-based explorers and off-road tourers, is divided into chapters that extensively cover a number of the Kimberley’s must-visit locations such as the Gibb River Road, the Kimberley Coast, Broome, Mitchell Plateau and plenty more.

Even more impressive, the publisher, Exploring Eden Media, is donating $4 from every copy sold to Feed The Little Children Inc., a Broome-based charity that provides meals to children in need.

Website: www.exploringedenbooks.com

Four-by-Four Driving, Edition 5

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This hefty tome contains an enormous amount of information on off-roading skills, techniques and technology. Whether you’re a beginner in your first 4x4, or view yourself as an experienced tourer, this book, written by Tom Sheppard, is a great addition to your library – and to your driving knowledge.

The book, now in its fifth edition, covers every single aspect of off-road touring, from the reasons why people find off-roading so appealing, through to the different four-wheel drive systems on the market, and how to prep for either a short escape or a true expeditionary adventure.

Sheppard draws on his decades of extensive off-road exploration and adventure to delve deep into the essential skills needed for each terrain type, the different recovery scenarios you may encounter, and also advanced skills that may get you out of a seemingly impossible bind. A treasure-trove of info for off-road tourers.

Website: www.desertwinds.co.uk