Overland Journal Podcast Episode 200 Five years and 200 episodes. Scrolling through the history of the Overland Journal Podcast, going back all the way to the first time Scott and Matt sat down to chat with Dan Grec at Overland Expo in 2019, it’s remarkable how much literal and metaphorical ground we’ve covered. The wealth…
Overlanding North Africa with Kids in the 1970s
Editor’s Note – Valentina Vallinotto’s father, Angelo, was an ambitious explorer. Piling his young family into a series of Land Rovers, IVECOs, and Toyotas, he tackled uncharted routes across North Africa and the Sahara Desert throughout the 1960s all the way until the early 1990s. The 1970s was a particularly exciting decade for overland adventurers…
Bogged on the Old Telegraph Track – Video of the Week
Embarking on an adventure through one of Australia’s most iconic overland routes, the Old Telegraph Track, this new video from Overland Travellers (two L’s!) captures the essence of true off-road exploration. From Gunshot to Cockatoo Creek, the journey is laden with challenges, adrenaline, and stunning landscapes, providing a visceral experience for both seasoned overlanders and…
The Perseids Are Here with a Message from Outer Space
Comet Swift-Tuttle rockets around the solar system at a mind-bending speed of 134,000 mph (slightly faster than my Land Rover, but not by much). It needs just 133 years to make a round trip of the sun, and it is a truly big boy, by far the largest near-Earth object in our neighborhood—nearly 16 miles…
The Overlanding Code to Happiness
Lead photograph by Joanie Pépin Despite becoming more materially affluent over the past four decades, those living in developed countries have not experienced the happiness boost expected from modern materialism. Since the 1940s, we’ve upgraded significantly, installing showers and bathtubs, microwaves, dishwashers, and big-screen color televisions—purchasing twice as many vehicles per person, and adding boats and…
Chasing the Mexican 1000 with the Chevy Colorado AEV Bison
This review of the 2023 Project Truck, a 2022 AEV Bison, comes from a very specific point of view. I built it and outfitted it with simplicity in mind. It needed to be able to drive most technical 4WD trails and cruise at highway speeds for long durations—comfortably. Notably, it would serve as a chase…
The Goliath G-47 is a Stylish and Robust Off-Road Camper
Australian off-road campers are generally highly regarded for their tough-as-nails construction and practicality, which they have earned from experience in the challenging conditions of the Outback. Goliath Campers, based in Queensland, Australia, is recognized for its high-quality off-road campers; the G-47, part of their G-Series, is a prime example of their craftsmanship, blending durability, functionality,…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 199 Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal are the dynamic, bespectacled duo behind Crankshaft Culture, one of the most creative automotive and adventure travel media outlets going. Globetrotters, award-winning journalists, denizens of road rallies around the world, and connoisseurs of JDM trucks (particularly Mitsubishis), Mercedes and Andy have an undeniable enthusiasm for the…
Royal Geographical Society | Classic Kit
Even if we aren’t aware of it, overland travel provides countless immersive lessons in geography. Mobility allows us to observe how cities and towns are connected, whether by fields of cheerful canola flowers, hills punctuated by wind turbines, or riverways choked with litter. We notice how environments change from one place to the next and…
2025 Royal Enfield Himalayan Pricing
“Royal Enfield calling Honda. We thought you should know that we’ve just released U.S. pricing for the 2025 Himalayan 450. Our new ABS-equipped single will retail for $5799, $700 less than your CRF300L Rally with ABS. How do you feel about that?” “Hello, Enfield. Honda here. Sure, our 286cc single doesn’t have the horsepower or…
This 1941 Plymouth Sedan Took on the Pan-American Highway (And Won) :: Video of the Week
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 198 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,…