Overlanding has always benefited from adjacent markets, with many attributes and needs shared across backpacking, fly-fishing, military, hunting, fishing, and adventure travel. These categories can introduce solutions from the incubation of fresh perspectives. As Clay Croft and I were driving down the length of West Africa, I took note of the thoughtful features on the…
Category Archives: 4WD
OV Conservation: SOTA Convoys Mobile Desert Oases
Burundi is a small country in the heart of Africa. There is a lovely road that runs from the largest city, Bujumbura, into the hills. “These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and [with continued apologies to Alan Paton] they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” Burundi is also the second poorest country in the…
On the Jaguar Trail: The Cats of Arizona’s Borderlands
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2008 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Photography by Roseann Hanson, Jonathan Hanson, Scott Brady, and Brian DeArmon August 31, 1996 – Baboquivari Mountains, southern…
Leitner Designs Launches Revolutionary Rack for Your Outback
Gone are the days when fitting a roof rack to your rig meant ordering some A1 towers and a couple of load bars from Yakima and calling it good. Roof gutters have long disappeared from the automotive design landscape, and model-to-model updates can subtly change roofline profiles and the hardware on factory rails. Hidden fasteners…
Classic Kit: Tea
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2019 issue, this article is part of that celebration. I’ve had a few travel dramas in my time, but on my latest journey, a serious misfortune occurred….
Overland News of the Week, October 9, 2026
Vintage Rides Iron Horse Nomad Trails Documentary Film Coming Soon Each year, Vintage Rides brings the vision of motorcycle travel to life by producing an original documentary film centered on heartfelt stories of adventure. In the latest edition (launching October 15), Vintage Rides tour leader Johann Rousselot arrives in Kyrgyzstan and sets off alone on…
Luminous Flux: Swim, Sink, or Shine; We Test Nine LED Driving Lights to Their Limits
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2013 issue, this article is part of that celebration. I distinctly remember the moment I became aware of auxiliary lights. I was 15 years of age and…
EP325 | Principles of Overlanding: App Navigation with Chris Cordes
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady discusses the core principles of overlanding navigation with Chris Cordes, highlighting primary, secondary, contingency, and emergency backups. They compare three main app categories: turn-by-turn tools like Google Maps, reference/layer apps like iOverlander and Tracks4Africa, and hybrid discipline-specific platforms such as onX and Gaia. While Google excels at everyday routing…
Gear Callout: Laundry at Camp
I haven’t owned a washing machine since 2018, when we sold our first house on wheels, a 40-foot diesel motorhome. Through the intervening years, as my family’s movable homes have shrunk in size, my appreciation for modern appliances has deepened. Some days at camp, when I’m playing catch-up, I relate to Mary Lois Walker Morris,…
Deep Breaths at 10,000 Feet
There’s a corner of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that, until recently, I had only known in winter, except for a few summer trips to ski glaciers and couloirs when the snow had gone soft and gray, and little rivers of meltwater ran beneath your skis. I had passed through Cooke City plenty of times, but…
Classic Kit: The Hi-Lift Jack
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2012 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It is the unsung hero of expedition travel, an essential piece of kit that any mindful backcountry regular…
Autonomous Overlanding?
For almost 130 years, the automobile has been built around the fundamental assumption there would be a human inside controlling the machine. In every vehicle ever made, that human sits behind a steering wheel, presses an accelerator to go faster, and pushes a brake pedal to slow down. They have buttons, switches, and levers to…
Defender Wolf Series II Debuts as Reports Point to a US-built Defender Pickup
I recently spent a weekend surrounded by—and driving—the “new” Defender. While I appreciate the luster and luxury of these vehicles, I’m most drawn to their form and function. My own old Defender is beaten and bruised, carrying the scars of countless adventures while continuing to support my dreams. Wouldn’t a basic, rough-and-ready Defender be exactly…
EP324 | Get Out Go: Bridging Cultures Through Overland Adventures
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady speaks with Christoff and Vanessa Ailert of Get Out Go! about overlanding across Southern Africa and the US. They compare community culture, gear needs, and why items like rooftop tents or extra fuel are less essential in North America. Sharing insights from full-time vehicle travel, they emphasize weight management,…
The UK Isn’t Coming to Defender Trophy. That Has Precedent.
The Defender Trophy is getting closer, with two-person teams selected from around the world to compete in Africa this October on a three-week adventure that hasn’t been paralleled since 2006’s G4 Challenge. Over 70 countries were invited to participate, from the USA and Canada to Brunei to Northern Cyprus. The one glaring exception: the United…
Classic Kit: The Pith Helmet
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2010 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Home, they say, is where you hang your hat. If that hat happened to be the legendary pith…
EP323 | Rugged Destinations: A Family’s Journey
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady chats with Amanda and Patrick from Rugged Destinations. They share highlights from pre-running the Back 400 and skills course at XOverland Ranch in their newly built Mitsubishi Canter JDM firetruck, their passion for JDM imports, and what inspired their outdoor travel. The couple discusses transitioning from traditional careers—Patrick as…
EP322 | Ant Austin: From Japan to AI
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews Ant Austin of We Will Roam in Montana about balancing a tech career with long-term overland travel using remote work and contracting. They explore storytelling as the connection between tech, AI, and adventure, highlighting practical AI applications for creative organization while noting concerns over disclosure, scams, and Overland Collective’s…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Mongolia
Photography by Richard Giordano Summer is an exciting time in Mongolia. City dwellers flock to the countryside to enjoy the annual Naadam Festival, a celebration centered around wrestling, horse racing, and archery competitions. Nomads move to their summer gers (yurts), where green grass and warmer temperatures are enjoyed by multi-generational families and their meandering livestock….
Hyundai Confirms New Body-on-Frame Pickup
Hyundai recently announced its plan to go after the heart of the North American adventure truck market. At its 2026 CEO Investor Day, the company confirmed that a new body-on-frame mid-size pickup is part of its product plan, with the truck expected to arrive in North America before 2030. Hyundai says it will be designed…