Photography by Coastless While the mid-size pickup is currently akin to the popular kid at school, full-size trucks are experiencing their own growth spurt. Improved capability, ample spaciousness, and power appeal to many who desire additional space for a family, more stuff, and a generous payload rating often exceeding mid-size offerings. Realizing this, Supertramp Campers introduced its…
Twisties, Curves, and Canopies: A Journey Through the Ozarks
It’s All in the Planning We had planned the trip for a couple of months, poring over the details, making inventories of what we had and would need for a long-distance moto journey across the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri. I would need to bring a new set of tires for my BMW F 750…
Roof Loading for Overland Travel: How Much is Too Much?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue. Many of you likely remember the Ford Explorer rollover lawsuits of the early 2000s. We were inundated daily with news reports about the dangers of the Explorer and the risk to society that SUVs posed in general. Fast forward 20 years, and though…
Hikers Brew Coffee Review: Adventure-ready Coffee for the Trail
I’ve had a lot of backcountry coffee. Some of it is just plain bad, and others are pretty good. Most of the coffee marketed to adventurous folks like me is instant. I don’t mind good instant coffee, but who says every adventure necessitates it? For the times when you have room in your kit for…
Children of the Road, A Life of Unconventional Norms
Heidi and Jens, full-time overlanders for 15 years, are the real deal. They’ve crossed rivers in Mongolia, the Canning Stock in Australia, and the salt flats of Bolivia. Jens boasts a Unimog tattoo from a parlor in Shanghai; Heidi cooks Kashmiri curry and speaks five languages. We met in Oaxaca, Mexico, in one of those…
Trail Fire Grill, High-Elevation Cooking the Campfire Way
I knew I liked the Trail Fire Grill when I saw creator Mark Ritchie demo it at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, Arizona, this past spring. He had made a bacon and eggs breakfast for me and showed me how this camping grill serves as a barbecue, wok, and oven. I took the grill home…
Living Legend :: Emily Miller
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue. Hyphenated titles come cheap these days. Celebrities aren’t just actors but count themselves as advocates or activists. Emily Miller, a woman whose diminutive stature belies the punch she packs in the way she lives, earns every comma in her introduction. Sports marketer, champion…
Karmik Outdoors Lost And Found Decal Review: This Sticker Makes Returning Lost Outdoor Gear Easy
Growing up, my dad used to insist I write my name and phone number on everything I owned that was even remotely valuable. I still have a glasses case to this day that has “Sam Schild” and my home phone number written on the inside. That habit never really stuck with me, but I’m coming…
Want to Write for Expedition Portal and Overland Journal? Here’s How to Submit the Perfect Pitch.
Photography by Jack Mac By the time the most recent issue of your favorite magazine graces the newsstands or appears in the post, its pages were already well-imagined, copyedited, laid out, and finalized many months in advance. If we board our time machine, traveling to a time well before the issue was put together, we…
Popular Ford Maverick Now Available With Tremor Off-Road Package
The popularity of the 2022 North American Truck of the Year, the Ford Maverick, was universally surprising, and demand was such that Ford could not keep up! The vehicle is not only economical (40 MPG!), affordable, and packed with features, but it also offers comfortable seating for five and a load bed large enough for…
The Dometic Go Camp Collection Review
I like to keep my car packed with whatever I’d need for my favorite outdoor pursuits. On any given day, my car is full of camping gear, bike gear, a camp cook setup, and probably more. But since I also use my vehicle for hauling people, groceries, and other less adventurous things, a lot of…
Join onX OffRoad For a 101 Live Tutorial: Master the App
On Aug 4, 2022 06:00 PM in Mountain Time (US and Canada) onX OffRoad crew members will walk clients through how to use each of the onX OffRoad app’s features and offer tips to optimize your planning for off-road season. Instruction will cover how to find trails, save offline maps, share waypoints and make a…
Is 4WD Essential for International Overland Travel?
Traveler friends Thomas and Sabine from Bavaria, Germany, recently sent me a typically entertaining message. “Next week, I’ll have a talk to around 100 interested people on Explorer-Ostsee-Camp concerning the question 4WD in Travel Reality—How much 4WD do you really need? My personal thoughts about that are only some of all possible. I’d love to add…
Land Rover To Gift Custom Defender 130s to Five Charities
The Land Rover Defender has a long history of doing important things and being a vehicle capable of saving and changing lives. This noble tradition continues, and Land Rover announced on Monday, the launch of its second annual ‘Defender Service Awards’ (presented by Chase, the consumer banking company) to celebrate and support U.S. non-profit and…
Gaia Maps Introduces Gaia Overland
GPS mapping has changed the way we travel and explore. With the convenience of data at our fingertips, we are able to spend more time exploring and enjoying those beautiful routes and destinations and less time planning routes, and worrying about how far the next gas station or campsite will be. Having all the necessary…
Living the Good Life
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue. “Boys, seriously! Knock it off!” I really couldn’t blame them—we were on day 15 of our month-long trip, exploring Montana and filming our family for the first time for our new Solo Series on Expedition Overland. We were all piled into our…
High Fives Foundation and Return to Dirt Provide Off-Road Access to Individuals with Disabilities
Photography by Chris Bartkowski/Generikal When Tim Burr broke his neck backcountry skiing at age 19, he received valuable advice from High Fives Founder and CEO Roy Tuscany: “It will never be the same, but it can still be awesome.” Burr went on to found Colorado-based Return to Dirt, a non-profit organization providing complimentary adaptive equipment…
Overland Embassy Guides Darién Gap Crossing for Travelers
Photo credits: Alejandro Huerta Franco The Darién Gap crossing between Panama and Colombia is many overlanders’ first exposure to the red tape of transcontinental vehicle shipping. Some travelers are so overwhelmed by the paperwork and costs involved they turn around and return the way they came. Others take a deep breath and plunge in, embracing…
Overland News of the Week
REI Co-op Trailgate Vehicle Sleeping Platform Two pieces of gear caught my attention at the Northwest Overland Rally, and REI Co-op’s Trailgate Vehicle Sleeping Platform was one of them. Car camping is arguably the most accessible form of vehicle-based travel for most, and I can see how a tiny interior could be made functional by…
The Overlander Film Festival is Back in Spring 2023
Exploring the planet by vehicle is no easy feat; avoiding danger, navigating perilous roads, and dealing with dangerous animals and potentially hostile areas while motivating yourself and your companions through heat, sleet, and occasional suffering. Try doing all of that while filming the adventure – taking the time to maintain your precious equipment, plan content,…