PPE has just completed its November 2024 Morocco exploration. This was a great trip with a mix of returning crews and some welcome new members. It was also our first ‘Cat 2’ trip, which basically means it was open to vehicles that are not our usual stripped-down Land Rovers. This time out we had a selection of early Discoveries, including a rare petrol 2-litre Disco 1. We did have two Defenders along including a beautiful 5-door station wagon Td5 and a pickup cab 90.
So what is all the ‘Cat’ 1 & 2 stuff…?
In late 2023 and into early 2024, after completing the Lost Patrol series of expeditions, we were looking at future possibilities for PPE trips. In keeping with the spirit of the PPE, these trips would always be either based around a historical objective or a desert exploration. Some of the ideas being considered did not necessarily require our usual stripped-down Land Rovers. So we created the Category 1 and Category 2 standards for vehicle-based expeditions.
Category 1
These are our typical trucks that have the ability to be stripped down. Roofs, door, windscreens and any other access weight can be easily removed and put into storage during the expedition. The objective here is always to reduce weight. Every extra kilogram puts additional strain on a vehicle’s drivetrain and suspension and increases the chance of a breakdown. In sand seas lightly loaded, short wheelbase vehicles rule. Longer wheelbase trucks, with minimal loads can make it as well, but requires much more skill and inevitably, more digging to get through. Our Cat 1 trucks have in the past been all Land Rovers, but we are open to any type of 4x4 that has the same ability to be stripped down. We provide vehicle owners and crews with a Vehicle Specifications guide that details the ‘must haves’ and strongly recommended set up to take part in a CAT 1 trip.
Category 2
These are trips that do not necessarily require trucks capable of being stripped down once we reach the target area. So hard tops, station wagons and other specifications can take part. We still require a minimum standard of equipment and preparation to ensure we have as trouble free adventure as possible.
So, if you are thinking about joining a PPE expedition one day, but don’t have a CAT 1-capable vehicle, just keep an eye out for CAT 2 trips coming up in the future.