I like to think that I’m pretty strong. After all, as a 5.13+ rock climber and competitive ultramarathoner, I’ve worked pretty hard to get that way. I’ve gotten used to the fact that my muscles are usually the first thing people comment on when we meet. Strength is an essential part of my personality, my…
iKamper Introduces A New Wedge Style RTT and a 270- Degree Awning
We here at Expedition Portal have a comprehensive “Field Tested” review of the new iKamper Blue Dot Voyager wedge-style rooftop tent and the ExoShell 270 Awning heading your way within the next two weeks. That does not mean we can’t spoil you with a preview of two new iKamper products launched on 5 October 2022….
2022 OLAF OctoberFest
Camping, wheeling, beer tasting, e-bikes, food, friends, and gear sounds like a decent weekend getaway recipe. This year Olaf OktoberFest will be held between 14-16 October, due east of Los Angeles at the Big Bear’s Holcomb Valley Ranch, a 400-acre oasis which is encircled by thousands of acres of San Bernardino National Forest, rolling hills,…
Niche EV Adventure 1 ORV Teams Up With Egoe
My son has grown up traveling the world in purpose-built campers. He has had the opportunity to experience every shape and size of overland vehicle in a real-world, global travel environment. He has been planning his own adventure vehicle since he was 12 (he is now 23) and has spent thousands of hours staring out…
Over-The-Counter :: Medicine for Travelers
As travelers prepare to return to international travel, many will likely forget to pack their over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Many more will forget to check the international rules and regulations for common medicines easily obtained in their home countries—but possibly not allowed overseas. Trip-takers consistently list “forgetting to pack prescription and over-the-counter medicine” as one…
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…
The 43rd Annual Mojave Road Rendezvous takes place this weekend
The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA) is holding its annual Mojave Road Rendezvous. It is set to be a cracker of an event this year, bigger than ever before and with more to offer all desert lovers. The event features a lineup of world-class speakers, corporate-sponsored workshops, a huge offering of historical presentations,…
New Defender Honors its Lineage with 75th Limited Edition
I hereby offer my services to Jaguar Land Rover. Clearly, from an enthusiasts point of view, what the company is lacking is the loud voice of a Defender die-hard, someone who has a passion for the vehicle and its history, someone who is not reluctantly thrust into Defender development while the cool kids standing in…
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…
Brat Class 2 E-bike Coming from Volcon
Volcon ePowersports, the first company to make all-electric off-road powersports machines, announces a new Class 2 electric bicycle they call the Brat. The single-syllable moniker follows the lead of their Stag UTV, and the fat-tired, two-wheeled, go-most-anywhere Volcon Grunt, reviewed by Scott Brady. Volcon states the Brat is built “for any adventure, on or off…
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…
Jeep Launches Wrangler Willys 4xe and Grand Cherokee 30th Anniversary 2023 4xe
Jeep has had a busy few months and launched two commemorative vehicles this week. The Willys Jeep changed the world – not many vehicles can boast such incredible heritage. When the U.S. Army needed a light, off-road capable military utility vehicle to increase mobility on the battlefields of World War Two, they turned to the…
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…
Is the New GFC Platform Topper the Strongest Ever Made?
GFC (Go Fast Campers) today released the all-new Platform Topper and to test this new product they decided to do something Mythbusters radical, they lowered an old Ford F250 onto it! My jaw dropped when they opened the rear door of the topper, how is that even possible? The company had to reinforce the bed…
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,…
The Airstream Rangeline Touring Coach Is European Inspired, and We Like It
During a recent tour of Central America, we dragged ourselves away from Antigua, Guatemala, to visit blissful Lake Atitlán. The access road to the lake is a steep suicide pass with 17 hairpin turns, the acrid smell of burnt brakes, and clutches lingering in the green jungle air. Relieved, hot, and bothered, we reached the…
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…
Feature Vehicle :: 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 V8
Once a year, I fall happily down the Top Gear rabbit hole and binge the “Specials,” where the chaps generally buy old vehicles within a genre and start the episode off by putting the vehicles under extreme pressure to expose the vehicles’ weaknesses, thereby making them unreliable. They will then modify the vehicles to be…