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Weekends with the Family :: How to successfully plan small vacations

I really have no quarrel with the way I live. I am a day-job dreamer and a weekender, meaning I define my relationship to travel and the outdoors by breaks in a five-day workweek and amid limited vacation time. I live for the weekend, you might say. It’s time spent with my wife in middle…

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: 46-Gallon Transfer Flow Fuel Tank Install

How many times have you passed a gas station wondering if you should turn back and top off the tank? Are you constantly curious about how much gas is actually remaining when the low fuel light illuminates? Have you looked at those gasoline-filled 2-liter Coke bottles in Mexico and pondered what the percentage of cola…

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: OME BP-51 Suspension Installation

Suspension is the foundation of any overland vehicle build. Its purpose is to manage the additional payload of tents, campers, armor, and other accessories. Although factory springs and shocks will likely provide a more comfortable ride and last longer than aftermarket components on a stock truck, they were not designed to manage the weight of…

Exploring America’s Swampiest State :: The Florida Adventure Trail

It took a lot of dirt to raise Jon Birkmire. A lot of water, too. As a child growing up in Florida, there’s hardly a river, beach, or dirt road he hasn’t explored in the peninsula state known for its abundance of coastline, swamps, alligators, and snakes. So ten years ago when he discovered Florida…

Colfax Design Works Project TOAD 65 Liter Drybag: A Fully Waterproof Duffel That Doubles as a Backpack

Colfax Design Works is a soft goods designer that creates durable products for diverse environments. All their products are made in the USA to lessen the carbon footprint. They make products for adventure travel, and their primary offering is the Project TOAD (tactical operations amphibious drybags) 65-liter drybag.  I’ve been testing the TOAD drybag for…

Expedition Conservation – A Finnish couple touring Africa

I have great respect for women traveling the further reaches of Africa independently, more so when they are European (Finnish) women with the passion to tackle challenges of the African continent with determination. In my personal opinion, Europeans and more specifically Scandinavians do not frequently travel to the far reaches of Africa (we have not…

Overland News of the Week

Prints for Wildlife Fundraiser Running for the third year, Prints for Wildlife will be raising funds for African Parks. This conservation non-profit currently manages 20 parks in 11 countries on behalf of governments in the hope of safeguarding and securing protected areas in Africa. Over 100 wildlife photographers will donate one fine art print each,…

Bearmach Land Rover Parts Placed Under Administration

Land Rover owners and mechanics, particularly those who own and work on older vehicles, were shocked to discover last week that the well-respected and popular aftermarket retailer, Bearmach, has thrown in the towel. The company was incorporated on 24 April 1958, originally trading as Bearings and Machinery before the name was changed to Bearmach in…

Nomadix Puffer Blanket: An Ultra-versatile Blanket For Minimalist Overlanders and Travelers

“Own Less. Do More” is more a manifesto than just a tagline for Nomadix. They call their first and most popular product The Only Towel You Need. In short, it’s designed to work for everything you could possibly use a towel for.  Nomadix’s original towel is lightweight, super-absorbent, odor and sand-resistant, and dries quickly. And…

Expo Gear You Will Want to Explore: Savvy Creations for Outdoor Comfort

Amid massive builds with habitat boxes, larger-than-life bumpers, rooftop tents, and overlanding gear at this year’s Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, the displays of homegrown and sustainable-minded companies punctuated the landscape. These are the companies and products that always garner my attention for their creative ability to meet industry demands and emerging markets….

Video of the Week :: End of the World Rig

Gordon Clement from Gordofromearth might just be a genius and will be one of the few survivors of a Zombie Apocalypse. His 2003 International BlueBird school bus conversion into an overland rig is astounding. The rig is enormous (36.5-feet long) yet completely functional and, yes, cool. He has managed to master every element on his…

The AEONrv is an All-American All-Rounder

The AEONrv is based on the Ford Transit EcoBoost 350 AWD platform and is being marketed as the first true all-season, electric cabin, off-road capable, new and modern (AEON, get it?), four-person recreational vehicle, retailing at $199,500 (plus fees and taxes). The fifth of a million dollar question is will this vehicle be worth the…