There are some subtle shifts happening at Overland Expo. With new owners since the middle of last year (Emerald Expositions, purveyors of huge industry events like Outdoor Retailer), the purpose and scope of the four yearly Expos are slowly moving. This was inevitable, given the sheer scale of Overland Expo now (especially the Flagstaff event)….
Category Archives: Four Wheel Drive
Stage 1: Project Jeep Wrangler 4Xe for Overland Fun
Each year, we identify one significant international project vehicle and one more modest undertaking. For 2023, it was the Grenadier for crossing Africa and a new Jeep Wrangler 4xe overland project for North America. For this new project, we wanted to try a list of new products and approaches that had not crossed our keyboards….
The Meat Trail: A Pilgrimage Across the Americas
Meat is eaten all over the world. Inuits eat it raw, having little fuel to cook with. In Africa, large strips of beef are grilled straight on the coals with no grate. In the USA, indulging in hamburgers and steaks is practically an institution. My preference is to grill a well-marbled piece of beef over…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 2: All-Terrain Tires
Join us for episode two of our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this second episode, we discuss the fundamentals of all-terrain tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and tread features for sand, rock, ice, snow, and…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Summer (2024)
Feature Image Courtesy of The Journal of Lost Time AMERICAN NORTHWEST Northwest Overland Rally When: June 20-23, 2024 Where: Leavenworth, Washington The Northwest Overland Rally caters to keeners curious about anything from winching to photography, off-pavement driving skills, or seasoning your cast-iron pot. Join a wine-tasting, whiskey-sharing, or happy hour session before the evening’s lively…
Top Overland Rigs for Real-World Travel from Overland Expo West
While exploring Overland Expo West I was searching specifically for vehicles that have the potential to carry an explorer as far as their heart might desire. Naturally, not all travelers are the same; their needs and the routes they might explore vary. Some might desire a large vehicle that can carry a family in comfort,…
Jeep Beach 2024
Each year, tens of thousands of Jeep enthusiasts descend on Daytona Beach, Florida for the annual (2024) Jeep Beach event. This is considered one of the largest Jeep gatherings in the world, an evolution over the past 21 years to its current form. The event includes trail rides, beach drives, training, obstacle courses, mud bogs,…
Overland News of the Week, May 24th, 2024
Hilleberg Introduces Two New Tent Models for Spring 2024 In this week’s Overland News of the Week, we’re excited to hear that Hilleberg, the well-respected, premium Swedish tent maker, is expanding its range with the Saivo 4 and the Rogen 3. The Saivo 4, part of the all-season Black Label series, is a robust 4-person…
Arctic Trucks Launches New Trucks At Overland Expo West And Announces North American Partners
Arctic Trucks introduced three new vehicles tailored for the North American market at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona. The vehicles presented were the AT35 and AT37 for the 2010-2023 Lexus GX460, the AT39 for the 2022+ Ford F-150 Lightning, and the AT44 for the 2017+ Ford Super Duty. There was also an incredible…
Top Gear Overland Expo West 2024
With every year that passes and the overland lifestyle grows in popularity, it becomes increasingly challenging to find innovative products that are practical and worthy of investment. A few years ago, we proudly discovered the Poolahoop, which we initially mocked and later praised. Was the Poolahoop the zenith of modern American overland innovation? No, it was not. Instead of…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 1: Mud Tires
Join us for our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this first episode, we discuss the fundamentals of mud tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and basic driving techniques. Presented by Hankook Dynapro Tire How to Select…
Overland Expo West 2024 :: Top Rigs
The 2024 edition of Overland Expo West was a blustery and wind-blown affair, in stark contrast to last year’s event which suffered one deluge after the other and was mired in mud for much of the weekend. Such is the variability of the weather in Arizona’s high country. But uncertainty from the skies does not…
Redarc Unveils Three Revolutionary Products at Overland Expo West
Redarc, the Australian mobile power solutions company whose products have earned our trust over the years, will unveil three innovative products at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, AZ, tomorrow, Friday, the 16th. According to the press release, these new offerings have been designed, engineered, and rigorously tested in Australia’s toughest conditions. With these launches, Redarc aims…
The Principles of Overlanding :: Insights on Exploring the World by Vehicle
Lessons are often learned the hard way, which, in my case, includes screwing up, getting stuck, carjacked, impounded, detained, delayed, and generally mired in the throes of adventure. Even the worst scenarios had a silver lining (maybe not the carjacking) as my awareness grew, and I adjusted my traveling operating system. During my travels, I…
DJI Power 1000 :: Field Tested
One of the challenges when overlanding is having a reliable source of sustainable electricity on tap to power lights, charge an array of electronics from cellphones to computers to drones, and run convenience items such as 12-volt fridges, 110-volt grills, and cooktops. Most off-road RV trailers have that covered with a deep-cycle house battery. But…
Overland News of the Week, May 10th, 2024
Storyteller Overland Acquires Taxa Outdoors In this week’s overland news, adventure lifestyle and adventure van manufacturer Storyteller Overland has acquired camping habitat and overlanding utility trailer brand Taxa Outdoors. Entrepreneur and former Global Brand President for Harley-Davidson Neil Grimmer will serve as the chief strategy officer of Storyteller Overland and CEO at Taxa. “With the…
Can the Hummer SUV Overland the Toughest Terrain?
Moab has been the testing and playground of capable 4WDs for decades, equal to the Rubicon trail for both range of difficulty and notoriety. The sandstone slickrock of the Colorado Plateau has also become a required milestone for manufacturers, with engineers and test mules descending on the region for validation and tuning programs. All of…
Join Expedition Portal to Support Acalanes High School Body Shop’s Baja Adventure
Over the previous few decades, the traditional shop class has all but disappeared from American middle schools and high schools. Subjected to a wide range of diverse pressures, vocational education [career and technical education (CTE) as it is more correctly known] has slowly been whittled down to a stub of what it once was. Budget…
Inverted’s Electrified Classic 4WDs Are Sublime and Unattainable for Mere Mortals
As someone who devotes endless time, thought, and treasure to the maintenance and improvement of a 22-year-old Land Rover, it always amazes me what can be achieved by vehicle builders who are in the confident possession of talent, experience, and capital. While I experiment with reviving gray plastic with clear coats of affordable spray paint…
Visit the Expedition Portal and Overland Journal Team at Overland Expo West 2024
Overland Expo certainly has come a long way since the event’s humble beginnings, with events hosted nationally, namely Overland Expo West, Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, and East. Overland Expo West is closest to home for most of the nomadic Overland International (Expedition Portal and Overland Journal) team, and we have a soft spot for the…