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Field Tested: Batwing Awning

Expletives flowed freely as another gust of wind throttled the canvas, throwing a support leg into the back of my head while I tried to wrestle the awning’s unwieldy form into submission. The now bird’s nest of guylines, stakes, and metal poles of death had me surrounded, and the prospects of surviving the ordeal looked…

Eezi-Awn Drop-down Fridge Buddy

Our Engel MT 45 fridge is built like a battleship. Like most good portable fridges, it weighs as much as one too, especially when loaded. Hoisting it atop the Decked drawer system in the bed of our Tacoma GS overlanding rig can be inconvenient, and in some cases, impossible; especially in light of the overhead…

Off-Road Escalade vs Off-Road S500

Today we bring you something a little different, a battle between frankenride heavyweights, the GAZ Mercedes, and an insane Escalade. Both have been carefully assembled by their owners in their garages, and shockingly came out really well—if not a little odd. After seeing them each floating around online, we were curious which people would like…

The 2019 Toyota TRD Pro Review

Few names garner as much respect in the overland world as Toyota. The brand’s quality, capability, and reliability have made it legendary among travelers and enthusiasts alike, but during the last two years, American auto manufacturers have been turning up the heat on this Japanese giant. Trucks like the ZR2 are coming equipped with better…

Eezi-Awn Releases Two New Hard Shell Tents

If overlanding had a pop-culture magazine, hard shell tents would be plastered all over the front page. These quick to deploy, easy to stow sleep systems are all the rage right now, and we continue to see newer and better models released every day. The latest comes from legendary tent manufacturer Eezi-Awn, and they’re called…

The New and Cool Overland Products of Outdoor Retailer 2018

We’re here in Denver Colorado for the 2018 Outdoor Retailer summer show, and we’re happy to report that there is a flood of new products being unveiled for your next overland adventure! That’s right gear lovers, rejoice, for there are tents, bags, chairs, tables, lights, vans, and four-wheel drives for you to soak in at…

BC Overland Rally

Along with Washington’s NW Overland Rally, Canada’s BC Overland Rally, also known as BCOR, is hosted by Canadian Ray Hyland and his family. Although the NW Overland Rally is in its eighth year of tenure, BCOR just celebrated its second anniversary. Located in the same venue as its inaugural year, BCOR was held at about…

The 2018 Northwest Overland Rally

The NW Overland Rally, held in Plain, Washington, brings in overlanding enthusiasts from all across the Pacific Northwest and parts of Southwestern Canada—and occasionally places much farther away. Celebrating its eighth year, the NW Overland Rally (also known as NWOR) has grown from a small gathering of adventure-seeking attendees to a mid-sized rally that just…

The Ultimate Overlander

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2015. One of the most hotly debated subjects around the campfire these days is what 4WD vehicle deserves the title of “Ultimate Overlander.” The conversation should not be limited to four-wheel drives sold in the United States, but to the best 4WD wagon platform…

Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol

New to the overlanding market last year was Nissan’s Titan XD PRO-4X Project Basecamp. The stock light-duty truck was endowed with an impressive collection of aftermarket add-ons that included a custom exterior body wrap from Rocket West Off-Road, a host of functional exterior accessories, and a full complement of essential camping necessities. Project Basecamp’s success…

In Defense of the New “Blazer”

There seems to be a vehicular renaissance upon us. Iconic names like Defender and Bronco are returning from the golden days of four-wheel drives, and manufacturers are realizing that capability sells. Jeep’s JL has already blown us away on the trail, Chevy’s ZR2 is nothing short of phenomenal, Toyota is offering a range of capable…

Abenteuer and Allrad 2018

Europeans are famously prolific travelers, so it is no surprise then that the largest overland show on the planet is to be found in the town of Bad Kissingen, located in beautiful central Germany. We have had the good fortune of attending the Abenteuer & Allrad (Adventure and All-wheel Drive) in 2017 and again in…

Braking News

“That’s it. That must be it. Thank you, Rocco!”  I almost screamed through the telephone as I concluded my call. Halfway across the globe, in the Netherlands, it wasn’t even dark yet but here, in South Korea, it was close to midnight. I still saw a light in Changwoo’s office, so I ran downstairs to…

Birthday in the Black Rock

A few years back, I decided I’d try for once to get some people together on my birthday. We set a three-day expedition date in February to the high desert in Western Nevada, which was a risky proposal due to the potential conditions. I invited some friends from Prometheus Design Werx, Exploro, and some guides…