One week after Willys revealed its General Purpose vehicle, and in the midst of The Blitz, journalist Sullivan Richardson, mechanic Arnold Whitaker, and Kenneth C. Van Hee drove quietly out of Detroit in a 1941 Plymouth sedan bound for Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego. It was just before midnight on November 18, 1940, and as…
Oregon’s Alvord Desert | Overland Routes
The silence of the Alvord Desert is all-consuming. The column of quiet that descends on the dry lakebed in the evenings reaches through you. Sounds that would be swallowed by the regular cacophony of a workaday wilderness are amplified, like they’ve been plugged into a Marshall stack—the rumble of a pickup truck on the county…
Epic Quest :: The Pan-American Highway in a School Bus
Who hasn’t dreamed of traversing the Pan-American Highway on an epic overland journey? I certainly have, and last year, that dream became a reality when a group of avid adventurers decided it was time to tackle one of the world’s longest road networks. The Backstory: From Dream to Reality In 2022, Max and Joel, the…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Next Meridian Expedition on the Importance of Finding Your Own Rhythm
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 197 Nick Chazee and Mathilde Vougny of Next Meridian Expedition are a French-Italian couple in the midst of a world tour in their Land Rover Defender. In this episode from the field, Nick, Mathilde, and host Ashley Giordano discuss the ins and outs of shipping a vehicle to Australia, top tips…
Rust To Glory – The Ultimate Overland Movie – Is Now Streaming
Rust To Glory redefines the overland adventure documentary genre by capturing the trials and tribulations of three unique teams and their unlikely vehicles as they tackle the world’s largest amateur rally, the Budapest-Bamako. “We wanted to show what it’s like to compete in this grueling overland rally in three junkyard rescues,” said Andrew G. Szabo,…
Feralosophy: A Ladies-Only Overlanding Experience is Coming This October
(feral-os-o-phy) (noun): In a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication. Belief or doctrine. The Ozarks regularly appear on Expedition Portal and in Overland Journal for good reason. Overlanders frequent the forested mountains that stretch across five states, taking in springs, rushing waterfalls, lakes, caverns, and other karstic landforms. Add some off-pavement trails,…
Magic at The Meadow – 2024 Sierra Trek
Back in 1966, a group of Jeepers gathered in the northern Sierra Nevada along the banks of Fordyce Creek. They were in search of a long-forgotten wagon route that led to an 1860s mining camp known as Summit City. Perched on grassy alpine shores above Meadow Lake, in its heyday, Summit City boasted 4,000 residents,…
Reza Pakravan :: Modern Explorer
Photography by Kevin Merrey and Mark Game It was 70 days into Reza Pakravan’s bicycle expedition from Norway to South Africa before he cracked. His body weak with a recent bout of malaria and severe food poisoning, Reza and his expedition partner, Steven Pawley, slogged through the Kenyan desert in 40°C temperatures, out of water…
Ducati DesertX Discovery Adventure Tourer
With the debut of the DesertX Discovery, Ducati acknowledges the difference between adventure riding and adventure touring. The former being a hurried transit through natural surroundings, the latter a measured journey to explore and enjoy nature. Though the heart of the original DesertX beats beneath its red and black livery, the Discovery provides creature comforts,…
BMW GS Trophy 2024 Goes to Namibia
The eighth running of the BMW International GS Trophy event takes place in Namibia this fall, with the riders aboard special R 1300 GS machines. BMW Motorrad is adding a host of extras to their R 1300 Style GS Trophy model, starting with the optional Enduro Package. The competitors will enjoy handguard extensions, handlebar risers,…
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The ABCs of Overland Convoy Etiquette
Photography by Richard Giordano, Eglė Gerulaitytė, and Lila Shaw There’s a kid driving a Corolla at 120 kph, waving a note at me with the words “I love you” scrawled across the paper. Normally, I would be flattered at this declaration of affection, but the teen’s foot is jammed to the floor, sending his beat-up…
Crossing Continents :: Traversing the Cederberg Range to Cape Agulhas
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. – Marcus Aurelius With a crack of lightning, the lodestone is magnetized, becoming one of the most unusual and useful stones on earth, melding magnetic…
The Realities of Solo Motorcycle Travel with Chasing Crystal :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 195 Crystal Fong is currently traveling on her 1990 Honda Dominator NX250 through Europe and beyond. In this podcast from the field, Crystal and host Ashley Giordano touch on the ups and downs of solo travel, how Crystal has created a sense of community by playing badminton around the globe, and…
NEMO Dagger Osmo Lightweight 3P Tent :: Field Tested
After an undulating 14-kilometer hike with 35 pounds on my back, I opened the NEMO Dagger Osmo three-person tent for the very first time under the looming shadow of Mount Assiniboine—motivated by a relentless cloud of thirsty mosquitoes. Perhaps this wasn’t the smartest plan in the world, but it made for a perfect opportunity to…
Crossing Continents Episode Four – Tanzania :: Video
For Crossing Continents episode four, Scott Brady continues his journey up the East of Africa, reconnecting with the Grenadier in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam. In part one of his Tanzanian adventures, Scott is joined by his girlfriend, Tavia, who embarks on her first international journey, learning to drive a right-hand-drive vehicle and navigate…
Lewie and the Rover on the Kemaliye Stone Road in Turkiye :: Video of the Week
Two travelers, their faithful dog, and an old Land Rover Defender, embark on an adventure along the legendary stone road in Turkiye. This journey marks a new chapter in their lives, having recently married and left their jobs to travel eastward, tackling the most challenging off-road tracks they can find. Turkiye’s most notorious and beautiful…
New AdventureTracker Class to Race in Sturgis
There’s a new race in town. The AdventureTracker class from American Flat Track (AFT) debuts at the inaugural Sturgis TT on August 11, 2024. AMA Pro Racing recently announced the governing rules for Adventure machines. Production-based bikes with minimal modifications will be screaming through Sturgis in this first of its kind race. Will Your Bike…
Global Adventures and Overland Journalism with Steve Edwards :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 194 Well, look who it is. Last month, I had the great privilege to chat with Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady at the Overland International headquarters in Arizona in the week running up to Overland Expo West. We covered a wide range of topics, including our overland origin stories, our…
Djibouti Days :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 193 Host Scott Brady returns with Overland Journal Archaeology Senior Editor Bryon Bass to wrap up the African leg of Scott’s journey with the Ineos Grenadier across Africa. In this episode, they cover all the harrowing details of getting stuck at the border for three days between Ethiopia and Djibouti, the…
The Meat Trail: A Pilgrimage Across the Americas
Meat is eaten all over the world. Inuits eat it raw, having little fuel to cook with. In Africa, large strips of beef are grilled straight on the coals with no grate. In the USA, indulging in hamburgers and steaks is practically an institution. My preference is to grill a well-marbled piece of beef over…