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,…
Field Tested :: Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8 x 25 Binoculars
Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8 x 25 Binoculars Fuss and bother are two elements I can live without when it comes to gear, and these binoculars from Nocs Provisions, lovingly conceived in San Francisco’s Citadel of Excitement, fit the bill. First off, they come in a small, recycled cardboard box put together without glue—easy to…
The Pandemic and International Overland Travel
When the pandemic bore down, our family had recently completed a journey across West Africa. Our plan was to remain in South Africa for a few months, recover our finances, and prepare the Land Rover for a trip from Cape Town to Vladivostok. In March 2020, we left Cape Town as news of Covid-19 rang…
Suzuki Samurai – The Perfect Overland Machine
Overlanding the world has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Initially, my dreams started out quite small and humble—biking through Europe. Then they morphed into motorbiking all across the USA. This dream, fed on a steady diet of Instagram feeds, blogs, and various magazines, grew to the point that…
Field Tested: Guzzle H2O Stream Water Filter
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2020 Issue. Sustained remote travel typically requires a means of resupplying water stores, with vehicle-based camping, bathing, cooking, and drinking. Why leave that idyllic mountain stream campsite when all you need is a proper volume filter to supply 2-3 gallons per day, per person?…
BFGoodrich All-terrain KO2s
It’s time I say goodbye to four dear old friends, my faithful BFGoodrich All-terrain K02s. I remember the day I brought the BFGs home—they were so pristine, with an advanced tyre footprint to evenly distribute stress, and crucially, that new tyre smell (just me!?). However, I was told by my doctor (tyre doctor) that years of…
ICON 4x4s ‘Old School Edition’ FJ44
I’ve always struggled between choosing a modern, reliable vehicle and being seduced by the undeniable charm of older models. I find myself wondering, what flaws can I live with? Are the aesthetics worth the heightened risk of mechanical failures? It’s ridiculous, but I can’t help lusting over the boxy dimensions of classic 4WDs. I’m not…
New Moab City Ordinance Disrupts ATV-related Events
Sand Flats Recreation Area. Photo by Matt Swartz. The City of Moab, Utah, which is widely recognized as one of the premier 4WD and off-highway motorized vehicle playgrounds in the world, has recently enacted a moratorium, temporarily putting a hold on issuing new ATV-related business and event permits. This development has quickly grabbed the…
Video of the Week: GFC V2 Platform Camper
If you like going fast and light, you’re probably familiar with GFC, aka Go Fast Campers. GFC is a Montana-based platform truck camper and rooftop tent manufacturer making the “most huckable” equipment out there, and they make it all in-house at their Belgrade warehouse. If you are debating purchasing a lightweight canopy camper that won’t…
Overland News of the Week
Ötzi Adventure Gear Spark Flatpack Portable Grill Bringing the barbecue along on off-road adventures can present a bit of a dilemma if you have limited space. But with Otzi’s flatpack portable grill and 9- by 9-inch footprint (when packed flat), there’s no reason to leave it behind. The Spark is made of precision-cut pieces of…
The Apocatron – 1986 Volkswagen T3 Syncro
I remember six years ago when I initially began the hunt for a Volkswagen (Vanagon) T3 Syncro, a wise man once said, ‘he who seeketh a Syncro will always pay £15,000 ($20,000) regardless of initial purchase price’. As I gazed up from one knee in awe of the stoic, I finally understood. I may have…
Garmin inReach Explorer Satellite Communication
Product Review—Garmin inReach Satellite Communication First off, a disclaimer: my husband and I used Garmin inReach Explorer Satellite Communication during a round-the-world motorcycle trip that lasted 708 days. DeLorme inReach (bought out by Garmin in 2016) gave us two Explorer devices—one we received on loan; the other we paid for at a 50-percent discount. The company…
SDi’s Auto-Adjusting Overland Suspension Test
Technology changes everything and provides the types of innovation that ushers in the future. Not long ago, drivers bemoaned fuel injection, then ABS, and, more recently, traction control, and vehicle stability control. All of that technology has transformed vehicle reliability and safety while also (in most cases) improving performance. With current-generation ABS systems, each wheel…
Featured Truck Camper :: Kimbo Camper
Drawing his inspiration from the USS Alabama (a nuclear submarine), Mark King, founder of Kimbo Camper, designed his first truck camper back in 2016. At that time, there was nothing on the market that perfectly met his needs as an inventor and entrepreneur, so he was motivated to create something new. His goal was simple:…
67 Designs is Fighting to Save Manufacturing Jobs in the US
We’ve all been faced with this dilemma at one time or another: buy the “cheap” product that is made overseas (often from a major online retailer), or pay a small premium for a USA-made version. It’s a tough position to be in, especially if you are facing financial hardship or employment disruption due to any…
Score a Jeep Wrangler JL for Just $5
Editor’s Note: This is an unedited press release. Have you dreamed of cruising down the trail in a decked out off-road machine with a seven-slot grill? If the answer is yes, now is your chance to score one for less than the cost of a foo-foo Frappuccino. For the past 30 years, the California…