So, why are we talking about a 702-horsepower truck for overlanding? Because you can drive everything from a 9-horsepower Citroen 2CV to a 702- horsepower TRX around the world. Eccentricities can and do exist on either end of the spectrum. More importantly, we find it relevant to test a broad spectrum of off-road vehicles to…
Is the Monocoque Darc Mono the next “Ultimate Expedition Vehicle”?
The Darc Mono is billed as the ultimate expedition vehicle, but what exactly makes this new monocoque carbon-fiber globetrotter stand out from the rest? And is it deserving of its self-proclaimed title? Having seen a flurry of recent web coverage, I decided to dig into the Darc website and see what I could discover. …
Rumpl Blankets
Necessity is the mother of invention, and quite often, the best-selling products offer solutions to everyday problems. I’d not heard of Rumpl Blankets before writing this piece, but within 10 minutes, I was sold. Rumpl began their journey “in the back of a van,” where on a surf/ski trip through California, the founders awoke to…
New Expedition Overland SOLO Series Premieres Thursday, March 18
The newest SOLO series from Expedition Overland premiers on YouTube this Thursday, March 18. On this journey, we’ll join Expedition Overland’s very own Clay and Rachelle Croft and their sons, Cyrus, Ryder, and Eli as they explore their wild and rugged home state of Montana, overland style. “It’s an adventure in itself to take the…
“Defender Above & Beyond Service Awards” Honors Community-focused Charitable Orgs
Recognizing seven US-based charitable organizations, Land Rover’s “Defender Above & Beyond Service Awards” will identify and reward these champions of community service with one of seven custom-designed Defenders. Why seven? In recognition of seven decades of Land Rover vehicles helping humanitarian efforts across the globe. “Across seven decades, Land Rover vehicles have earned a unique…
Feature Vehicle: 2002 Suzuki XL-7
Looking at some of the overlanding vehicles roaming the wilds of Instagram, one might think that kind of adventure is financially out of reach. It’s not! If your desire is to get out into the world and you don’t necessarily care how you do it, building a rig to get you there doesn’t have to…
JEEP Wrangler, New Half Doors
The Jeep brand, built on 80 years of heritage, is widely regarded as the authentic SUV. The company’s Wrangler has always been a vehicle synonymous with open-top fun, and the partnership between Jeep Performance Parts and Mopar looks to ‘push the open-air envelope further’ with their new half-door option. First and foremost, it’s important to…
Why I Shoot Adventures in Film
I bought my first 35mm film camera from a charity shop on the outskirts of London for £20, a Canon AE-1, along with a note from the previous owner: ‘Take good care of me, I’ve been on many adventures, and hope to see many more’. It came into my life at a time when I…
Land Rover Defender V8
What has 518 horsepower, 461 pound-feet of torque, can go 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 149 mph? A Defender? Sorry, what?! Well, you heard right, Land Rover has brought back their iconic V8, but this time it’s more than just a soundtrack. Sure, us English folk are pretty used to…
Expedition Exchange Celebrates 20 Years
While it may feel like overlanding is the hot new thing, there have been companies selling quality vehicle-dependent adventure equipment for decades—the godfathers or original gangsters of the industry. There are few organizations as fitting of this title as Expedition Exchange (EE) in Southern California. EE was incorporated in 2001, founded by John Lee and…
Lets Go Aero, Nelson Trailer Adapter
Necessity is the mother of invention, and at Let’s Go Aero (LGA), it was all the motivation they required to launch their first product in 1998, the Gearwagon AT ‘Herman’ Sport Performance trailer. It was a light and enclosed trailer that could carry five bicycles, among other gear, and still be pulled by a Volkswagen…
36-Hours of Adventure :: In Search of Terra Incognita
This 36-Hours of Adventure is presented by Nimbl Vehicles. Nimbl also provided a loan of their Evolution camper, which we used for this journey. Curiously, one of the last significant unexplored regions of North America was the Sierra Pinacate, a vast desert of lava and sand stretching from Southern Arizona to the Sea of Cortez….
BDR Announces Plans for the Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route
Anytime Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) announces another project, I can’t wait to get on my F 800 GS and go there. So far, I’ve ridden four of the BDR’s 10 routes and hope to add more, including Wyoming, which the BDR team has declared their next project for 2022. Highlights of the WYBDR are three…
ARB Bushranger Exhaust Jack
Up up and away! The latest version of ARB’s Bushranger is the inflatable saviour we all need. This ingenious recovery solution has a long history in Australia, and in the words of ARB, ‘is an essential piece of equipment that should never be far away in case of emergency.’ Well, the company has taken this…
Trasharoo
My first impressions of the Trash-a-roo? Rubbish, it holds lots of it. This ingenious overlanding solution, created by California Tape Products, offers seamless garbage management on the road. Moreover, this is a product with environmental motivations. C.T.P President Dave Druck states: “There isn’t a single one of us who is against the ‘Tread Lightly’ philosophy”,…
KC Hilites Flex Era 4
There are very few vehicle accessory companies with such a long-standing reputation for quality as KC Hilites. Moreover, the designs and performance of their latest products have overlanders like me transfixed, jaw agape, breathless like a deer in Flex Era 4 spots! I remember purchasing my VW Syncro and immediately (childishly) investing in four cheap…
RacksBrax Mounting Brackets Now Available in the US From Adventure Imports
Family-owned Australian company RacksBrax offers an innovative accessory mounting system that allows for the quick removal (10-seconds or less) of roof-rack mounted accessories like recovery boards, jacks, and now awnings too. And the exciting news for US-based customers is that RacksBrax products are now available for the first time in North America from Prescott, Arizona-based…
Episode 36 The Best Overland Gear of 2020
Show notes for episode 36 Summary: Join Matt and Scott as they discuss the overland industry challenges and opportunities of 2020, along with their favorite overlanding equipment, 4WDs, and motorcycles. Host Bios: Scott Brady Scott is the publisher and co-founder of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal, and is often credited with popularizing overlanding in North…
Overland News of the Week
Mac’s Tie Downs Monkey Face Mac’s Tie Downs’ latest offering is a nifty little device called the Monkey Face, designed to make securing cargo even simpler for folks with stake pockets. The .375-inch laser-cut steel tie-down interface is welded to a .1875-inch square steel tube (which secures in stake pockets with an included linchpin), and…
Leatherman Rebar
Prehistoric man required the bare essentials: water, food, shelter, fire, and the latest multi-tool. Humans, like moths to a flame, cannot resist their primitive urge for a pocketable device concealing many tools. In such an instance, Steve, a mid-level IT consultant, happily married, with three kids and a Prius, can be found in the garden,…