Over two years and 40,000 miles, I conducted an in-depth and long-term review of BFGoodrich’s KO2 all terrain during New Mexico Backroads’ normal scouting, training, and guiding fieldwork. The KO2 unseated the KM2 mud terrain as my tire of choice for midsized trucks and SUVs. My professional clients often ask for recommendations and information on…
Category Archives: 4WD
Understanding Gearing And Why You Want To Re-gear
Have you ever noticed that on most phones and computers, overlanding auto-corrects to overloading? Call it a fun coincidence, but it’s also appropriate given our tendency to weigh down our vehicles with bumpers, winches, armor, tents, and other equipment. Any of these upgrades can add comfort or capability, but they also make the engine work…
Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s traffic jams and red lights…
Organizational Alchemy
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2018. “Junk show” were the words used to describe one camper’s vehicle, the back seat and storage area a cascading pile of sagging Rubbermaid containers and crisscrossed bungee cords. While the words were harsh, the Internet, and community forums in particular, often show little…
Look Out Mercedes, Ford’s Releasing an AWD Transit Van in 2020
For quite some time now, Mercedes has enjoyed nearly unrivaled sales in the factory all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive van market. In fact, they have been so successful in the space that they have occasionally had trouble keeping up with demand, a problem Ford hopes to help them remedy by throwing their hat into the ring. That’s…
Form Meets Function
This will probably come as a surprise to exactly none of you, but I love Land Rover Defenders. I’m not sure if it’s their character, heritage, or looks that get me most, but I’ve often found myself dreaming of selling all my belongings and hitting the road behind the wheel of one of these classics….
Celebrating International Women’s Day
“…as woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.” -Virginia Woolf Six months ago I became the “woman behind the phone” managing the Women Overlanding the World Instagram account. On that site, I share tales and photographs sent from women adventuring all over the…
Quicksand Dreams
The Tacoma has long been a favorite among overlanders for its reliability, capability, and compact size, but the latest generation seems to be most popular yet. Sure, there are some mixed reviews, but there’s no denying that the internet is flooded with more third-gen Tacomas than it knows what to do with. That is a…
How to Prepare for an Overland Journey in the Depth of Winter
A sound made us look up from our screens. “What’s happening? Did you turn the heater off?” Coen asked me, since I was sitting next to the control panel. “No, I didn’t, but it is shutting down, isn’t it?” It was 11:00 p.m and we were quietly camped in a parking lot. To maximize the…
Overland Routes | New Mexico and the Continental Divide
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2017. When most people envision New Mexico, they picture the outlines of rocky plateaus, desert sunsets, and Native American culture. It’s understandable, as you can certainly find these things in abundance throughout the state, but there is also something more: the Continental Divide. Drivers…
GMC’s AT4 Brings Competition to TRD Pro Tundra, RAM Rebel, and Titan Pro-4X
GM hasn’t always been the first name that comes to mind when you think about an overland vehicle. However, this is quickly changing with the introduction of the Bison and now the newly introduced AT4. To find out about this newest offering, I hopped on a flight to San Diego, California, to put their new…
Chasing the light
Do you ever stare at an advertisement and think, “I wonder what adventure led to that photo?” On the surface, it’s a girl standing atop a mountain, but how did she reach the summit, and what else did she see along the way? I used to stare at images and contemplate these questions all the…
Field Tested: Pull Pal RW6,000
If you’re looking for a lighter and more compact alternative to the full-size Pull Pal, you might want to check out the redesigned RW6,000. It shaved 2 pounds off its predecessor and has an improved soft shackle connection while still retaining compatibility with metal D-rings. Although the RW6,000 is designed for smaller rigs like UTVs,…
Sonora Rally Introduces Adventure Raid
Held deep in the expansive deserts of Sonora, Mexico, the Yokohama Sonora Rally is a five-day off-road navigation rally and a true Dakar-style adventure. Created by Dakar veterans Darren Skilton and Scott Whitney in 2014, the venue has brought rally raid, a mainstream attraction in Europe and Africa, to the forefront of the North American…
Behind The Ice Roads
In our Winter 2018 issue, we ran a story about the new year-round road to Tuktoyaktuk, which replaced what was arguably the most famous ice road in the world. We mentioned how the new road provided a lifeline to the small community of Tuktoyaktuk, in an era of changing climate conditions and uncertain ice conditions….
ExPo Classifieds: 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser
There’s a little-discussed and often feared portion of overland travel, and it’s not what you might expect. Unlike armed robberies, corrupt officials, or remote breakdowns, this thing cannot be avoided, which for many people makes it all the more terrifying. I’m talking of course, about the realization that there will be an end to your…
GMC’s AT4 HD Takes Off-Road Full-Size
Just a few hours ago GMC revealed their all-new HD lineup on the shores of sunny San Diego, and they opened up the event in a big way, a very BIG way. Since towing is one of the main focuses of their HD line, they decided to roll out the 3500 HD Denali with a…
Field Tested: Land Rover Discovery 5
I still remember falling in love with the first generation Discovery. Its boxy yet elegant lines, stadium seating, and alpine windows seemed to beckon me towards the driver’s seat with a promise of adventure, and there was no question of whether or not it had the capability to deliver on it. After all, this was…
MaxTrax Extreme :: First Field Test
“Expedition Portal gets a first look at the newest, and most durable MaxTrax yet.” I remember the first time we really, really, really needed Maxtrax. The Expeditions 7 team was deep into the Canning Stock Route in Australia and encountered a half-mile long, water-logged track. We had already been stuck many times that day, but…
RAM’s 2019 Heavy-Duty Line Is Better Than Ever
With synthetic winch lines, lower crawl ratios, more articulation, more payload and even more power, the new Heavy-Duty line of RAM trucks is a force to be reckoned with.