North American adventurers will soon set their GPSs in the direction of New Mexico to watch the sun rise and set in the state’s barren desserts, endless landscapes offering ancient architecture aligned with the winter solstice. A little further south, there is a large labyrinth tucked into the hillside of New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains. The…
What These Toyota Engineers Want You to Know About Women in Motorsports and the 2022 Tundra
Photo by Tim Sutton Since its inception in 2015, the Rebelle Rally has seen fairly solid support from various original equipment manufacturers. From Jeep to Lexus, Rivian, and even Rolls-Royce, the event is touted as a proving ground for off-pavement testing, ideas, and concepts—but there’s one name that, until 2021, had been curiously absent: Toyota. …
Overlanding with Pets :: Roberto Sastre from Viajeros Perrunos
Roberto Sastre, a Spaniard from Madrid, is a well-educated individual who has taken on the significant challenge of walking and hitchhiking around the world with his two dogs for the last eight years. After backpacking Ukraine in 2010, Roberto realized he had found his inherent passion; he returned to University to complete his studies. Three…
2022 Overlanders of the Year :: Lisa Morris and Jason Spafford of Four Wheeled Nomad
Our list of candidates for 2022 included many worthy travelers, all mixing it up in a world that has been decidedly shaken rather than stirred these past few years. Ultimately, we chose long-time travelers Lisa Morris and Jason Spafford for their propensity to embrace change and create adventure no matter their whereabouts. Formerly known as…
Protecting Your Eyes from Snow Blindness
A Norwegian mountaineer successfully summited Mount Everest recently but soon after developed snow blindness and lost vision in both eyes. He was medevaced to safety. The same thing happened to a high climber from Ireland a few weeks earlier. The sun’s UV rays can harm your skin—and your eyes. If you want to avoid photokeratitis…
Modern Explorer :: Baptiste Gissinger
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue. Baptiste Gissinger tells me he grew up on a farm in France, but I’m not so sure. I (not so) secretly think he’s a Viking sent back from Valhalla to teach us overlanders a thing or two. At 15 years old, I spent…
Feature Vehicle :: Eva zu Beck’s 2006 Land Rover Defender 110
Video creator Eva zu Beck admits she began traveling by vehicle for a change of pace. At times, a hectic YouTube travel schedule saw her bouncing from Turkey to Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, and while this was exciting, it was also draining. “I craved the freedom that comes with being able to roam anywhere by…
78 Days in an Indian Ashram
After 20-odd years of journeying together, Jase and I hit a curious crossroads. Our former lives of dive-guiding, motorcycling, and 4WD overlanding continued to amass in a Russian doll. Until, that is, we consciously decided to press pause on seeking stimulus from the physical world, turning inwards to pursue a different kind of journey to…
Overland Routes: The Trail of Kings
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue. Arizona may be known for saguaro cactus, but it is also 26 percent timberland, and Humphreys Peak rises 12,633 feet into the southwest skyline. From the precipitous enclave of Jerome, and the start of this Overland Route, Humphreys Peak looms in the distance….
Chasing Singletrack in Utah
The trip began with a bust; a crunch, rather. I’d slung a nifty laundry tube from Radius Outfitters over the headrest of the driver’s seat in my Ram Promaster, wedging it carefully between that and the kitchen wall behind me. But when I hopped in the van for the first leg of an autumn journey…
Pushkarini and Me: Risky Tracks and Wrong Turns in the Himalayas
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue. I sat on my Bullet at the bottom of the steep slope, eyeing out a potential route. Huge rocks dotted both wheel spoors, and the deep layer of fine, flour-like dust was surely doing a good job of hiding holes beneath it. The…
Stream2Sea Sunscreen And Bodycare Products: Sunscreen, Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion, and Lip Balm That Won’t Harm Waterways
Stream2Sea creates sunscreen and other hair and body care products that are safe for waterways. Many companies claim to make environmentally safe sunscreens, natural shampoos, and more. Stream2Sea also makes this claim but backs up its assertions with testing. Stream2Sea has the only products proven safe for simple nematodes (C. elegans), freshwater fish, saltwater fish,…
Arkady Fiedler – First person to drive an EV down the West Coast of Africa
Overlander is a relatively modern moniker for vehicle-based adventurers exploring new territories while seeking novel experiences or even a new way of life. The reality is that, in 2022, few places have not been explored on this planet. If you’re intent on being the first to lay foot on untouched lands, a trip deep into…
Overland News of the Week
Special Edition Beast28 Helium Ultralight Frame Pack I remember backpacking with my first frame pack 30 years ago. It weighed almost more than the sum of its contents, was extremely cumbersome, and I would almost topple over when hoisting it onto my back. Granted, I may have packed too much stuff, but the Beast28 Helium…
Cool Vehicles of the 2022 Rebelle Rally
Photography by Richard Giordano, Nicole Dreon, Regine Trias, and Tim Sutton There is a special time just before the Rebelle Rally begins, before more than 50 teams take off from the start line, arrive at the first base camp, and prior to the highly anticipated finale in California’s Imperial sand dunes. Competitors gradually trickle into…
Welcome to the Jungle – Preparation is Everything
The jungle has evolved with one purpose alone—consumption and renewal. Of all the terrain on earth, it is the tropical jungle that is most determined to devour you as it devours every living thing in the pursuit of its survival and prosperity. It helps to think of the jungle as an enormous, beautiful predator, an…
Norway, the Country of No Rest
We quickly understood Norway was going to be the country for us. Once the capital, Oslo, passed, the road started winding through the mountains. There is no rest in this country. The roads go up and down at the rhythm of the valleys. Someone told us, “In Norway, the roads were built following the cows.”…
Ride in Luxurious Safety :: Artemis by Klim
Ladies, if you want to fall in love and be loved back, head to Klim for Artemis gear and wrap yourselves in luxury and safety as you ride. I was already impressed upon unpacking the jacket and pant set in peyote/potter’s clay, the beautiful desert colors of where I live. The look at feel of…
Mosko Moto :: The Adventurer Has New Clothes
Mosko Moto never sleeps, or so it seems. Their crew is either at work designing and improving adventure riding garments and gear, or out in the boonies testing it. Heather Lea has reviewed their Woodland luggage, and I recently covered tank bags, packs, and a few bits of clothing. This time, it’s all about dressing…
Destinations :: Backland—Beyond Glamping
Located 20 minutes outside Williams, Arizona, Backland is an eco-resort nestled amid Kaibab National Forest. Consisting of 160 private acres of heaven on the old Moose homestead, large meadows and marshland are flanked by ponderosa pines, all under the protective eyes of the San Francisco Peaks. Driven by a vision to provide a lodging experience…