Dune Field

Our first destination is the Grand Erg Oriental, one of the major dune fields in the Sahara Desert. It lies mainly in Algeria, but also extends into the southwestern corner of Tunisia, where we will pass into it.

Image from: Wikimedia Commons.

The erg is an area of desert devoid of vegetation and consisting of wind-swept dune fields. (The regular pattern of the ergs can be seen very clearly on this Google map in the lower left-hand corner.)

Because the Erg Machine was originally designed be a high mobility cross-country 4×4 army truck, with good ground clearance and locking differentials on both axles, no modifications to the vehicle’s design are necessary to prepare it for crossing such inhospitable terrain. It is for this reason that the Erg Machine was so named.

Modifications specific to the voyage are limited to the addition of an auxiliary fuel tank to ensure sufficient autonomy in the desert, a personnel cabin for storage and sleeping (no need to pitch a tent in the sand!), and locking supports for additional material, such as oil and water jerry cans in the truck bed.

Originally published on Tumblr