Burundi is a small country in the heart of Africa. There is a lovely road that runs from the largest city, Bujumbura, into the hills. “These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and [with continued apologies to Alan Paton] they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” Burundi is also the second poorest country in the…
Category Archives: Adventure
On the Jaguar Trail: The Cats of Arizona’s Borderlands
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2008 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Photography by Roseann Hanson, Jonathan Hanson, Scott Brady, and Brian DeArmon August 31, 1996 – Baboquivari Mountains, southern…
Classic Kit: Tea
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2019 issue, this article is part of that celebration. I’ve had a few travel dramas in my time, but on my latest journey, a serious misfortune occurred….
Magic Girl of the Pamirs
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2019 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It was another spectacular warm and sunny day in the mountains of Tajikistan, as warm as it gets…
EP326 | From India to Australia (and Beyond) with Moto Trailblazer Candida Louis
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano speaks with Candida Louis, an adventure tourer, motorcycle guide, and the first Indian woman to ride solo across all 28 states of India and from India to Australia. Louis shares how she transitioned from finance to professional riding, leading 57 tours. She discusses completing a 32,000-kilometer solo journey across…
Shopping With Purpose: Practical Tips for Finding Meaningful Travel Mementos
Photos by Richard Giordano All I wanted was a pack of Japanese sheet masks. A seemingly simple task, but as I entered Don Quijote’s brightly lit shopfront, welcomed by the store’s familiar jingle, I was met by the crush of people akin to the nearby Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Shoulder to shoulder with my fellow shoppers,…
EP325 | Principles of Overlanding: App Navigation with Chris Cordes
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady discusses the core principles of overlanding navigation with Chris Cordes, highlighting primary, secondary, contingency, and emergency backups. They compare three main app categories: turn-by-turn tools like Google Maps, reference/layer apps like iOverlander and Tracks4Africa, and hybrid discipline-specific platforms such as onX and Gaia. While Google excels at everyday routing…
Deep Breaths at 10,000 Feet
There’s a corner of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that, until recently, I had only known in winter, except for a few summer trips to ski glaciers and couloirs when the snow had gone soft and gray, and little rivers of meltwater ran beneath your skis. I had passed through Cooke City plenty of times, but…
Classic Kit: The Hi-Lift Jack
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2012 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It is the unsung hero of expedition travel, an essential piece of kit that any mindful backcountry regular…
EP324 | Get Out Go: Bridging Cultures Through Overland Adventures
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady speaks with Christoff and Vanessa Ailert of Get Out Go! about overlanding across Southern Africa and the US. They compare community culture, gear needs, and why items like rooftop tents or extra fuel are less essential in North America. Sharing insights from full-time vehicle travel, they emphasize weight management,…
The UK Isn’t Coming to Defender Trophy. That Has Precedent.
The Defender Trophy is getting closer, with two-person teams selected from around the world to compete in Africa this October on a three-week adventure that hasn’t been paralleled since 2006’s G4 Challenge. Over 70 countries were invited to participate, from the USA and Canada to Brunei to Northern Cyprus. The one glaring exception: the United…
Classic Kit: The Pith Helmet
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2010 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Home, they say, is where you hang your hat. If that hat happened to be the legendary pith…
EP323 | Rugged Destinations: A Family’s Journey
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady chats with Amanda and Patrick from Rugged Destinations. They share highlights from pre-running the Back 400 and skills course at XOverland Ranch in their newly built Mitsubishi Canter JDM firetruck, their passion for JDM imports, and what inspired their outdoor travel. The couple discusses transitioning from traditional careers—Patrick as…
Fall is Colorado’s Best Season
The last twinkling mustard-colored leaves from a small grove of Aspen trees clung to the bone bark at a campsite perched high above Brush Creek, a few miles from Crested Butte, Colorado. It’s a treat to take a hammock nap in a grove like this, because we don’t have many aspens in Oregon, where I’m…
EP322 | Ant Austin: From Japan to AI
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews Ant Austin of We Will Roam in Montana about balancing a tech career with long-term overland travel using remote work and contracting. They explore storytelling as the connection between tech, AI, and adventure, highlighting practical AI applications for creative organization while noting concerns over disclosure, scams, and Overland Collective’s…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Mongolia
Photography by Richard Giordano Summer is an exciting time in Mongolia. City dwellers flock to the countryside to enjoy the annual Naadam Festival, a celebration centered around wrestling, horse racing, and archery competitions. Nomads move to their summer gers (yurts), where green grass and warmer temperatures are enjoyed by multi-generational families and their meandering livestock….
Inside Bronco Stampede 2026 in Pigeon Forge
Bronco Stampede 2026: Pigeon Forge Goes All-in on the Bronco You know pretty quickly when the Bronco Stampede arrives in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Broncos fill hotel parking lots, stack up along the Parkway, and keep cruising through town long after the show closes. The fourth annual Smoky Mountain Bronco Stampede returned to the LeConte Center…
Field Tested: The Campspotter App
Michiel Pruijssers thought he had planned the perfect camping trip. The weather forecast looked good, the campspot ideal. But when a powerful storm rolled in and ruined the experience, Michiel, a longtime outdoorsperson and SAR volunteer, felt unprepared. Thus, he built Campspotter, an app with a simple mission: to make finding and planning your next…
36 Hours Exploring Montana’s Gravelly Range
This article is presented by Montana. If there’s one sound in the off-road world that guarantees fun times ahead, it’s the hiss of tires dropping air pressure. This comforting realization hit me as I admired the rugged peaks surrounding us and listened to my all-terrain tires drop from 36 PSI to 20. My three friends…
EP321 | Jack Mac: Wanderlust by Any Wheels Necessary
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady talks with team member Jack Mac about minimalism and life on the road. Jack shares insights from over five years managing Expedition Portal’s classifieds and global travel by bicycle, backpacking, and vehicles like a 70-Series Land Cruiser Troopy. They discuss how a travel mindset lowers consumer spending, why high-end…