DEFENDER OFF GRID

WHEN YOUR MAIN PASSION IS FISHING AND REMOTE CAMPING, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A SERIOUSLY MODIFIED FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TO GET YOU THERE AND BACK AGAIN

- EVAN SPENCE

KAS Salar, the owner of this stunning 2006 Td5 powered Land Rover Defender, is mad keen about his fishing. I don’t just mean he likes a flick on the weekend, he dreams about catching kingfish or marlin and bases his trips around where fish will be biting at certain times of the year. He’s actually in the process of packing for a trip to Fraser Island as we speak, with boat in tow, living out of this Defender for a week at Sandy Cape. The vehicle, and accessories need to be reliable for such a mission, with everything from the engine to the 12V system being tested, Kas knows this full well and has put together a remarkable package to ensure he’ll have a good time.

“My initial love for four-wheel driving was ignited when I was about 19 and I would borrow my dad’s bone stock Suzuki Sierra, fill the car with all my mates and go camping at Stockton Beach,” Kas tells us. “These trips are still some of my fondest memories camping and I think that says something for how basic a 4x4 and camping set-up you can have and still have a great time”.

A few blown clutches and lots of snatch recoveries later and Kas decided it was time to buy his own 4x4. “Growing up with the Sierra I became fond of boxy short-wheel-base 4x4s and decided a Jeep Wrangler JK (2012 Rubicon short wheel-base purchased brand-new in 2013) was the obvious next step for me.”

There was another LWB Wrangler as well, which Kas went to town on, fitting 37-inch tyres and hitting every rock crawling track he could find. However, the urge to build a touring vehicle more suitable for longer fishing trips was keeping him awake at night. So how did he end up with a Defender?