Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps (ESCC) Founder and Executive Director Agnes Vianzon asks a simple question: How did you first access the outdoors? Through family camping trips? School outings? Friends and local programs? Where you grew up—urban or rural, in Florida, California, Nebraska, or Idaho—can also shape your access to nature. While wild spaces should belong…
Category Archives: Adventure
Watch Desk to Glory’s Why We Overland Season 2 Today
When Season 1 of Why We Overland driven by Mobil 1 wrapped last year, Desk to Glory’s Ashley and Richard Giordano were traveling deep into the Moroccan Sahara in search of shifting dunes and elusive solitude. As ever, the globe-trotting Canadians found a little bit of both with some big surprises along the way. At the…
2027 Ram ProMaster Adds Vanlife Trim
The camper van market has grown from a niche corner of the outdoor industry into a major force shaping vehicle development, and Ram is now embracing that reality with the introduction of a dedicated Vanlife trim level for the 2027 ProMaster. Designed specifically for adventure travelers, digital nomads, and weekend explorers, the new package aims to…
The Rogue Wanderers on 100 Countries in a Toyota Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano welcomes American overlanders Dawn and Andy Elsbree, the Rogue Wanderers, to dive into their 2019 Toyota Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper build, why they chose it as their global overland platform, and how it’s held up after six years of travel and 100 countries later. Dawn and Andy share…
Snow Peak’s Bomb-proof Camping Gear
In the 30 years I’ve been buying camping gear, from the expensive wool socks I took on my first backpacking trip in Big Bend National Park, I’ve never come across a brand that so marries style and functionality as the Japanese company Snow Peak. I’ve owned a tiny powerhouse of a stove from the brand…
Eva zu Beck on Overlanding Mauritania
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano welcomes adventurer, storyteller, author, and National Geographic Host and Director Eva zu Beck to discuss Eva’s recent overland trip to Morocco and Mauritania in her Land Rover Defender 110. In this episode, Eva shares more about the inspiration behind her National Geographic SuperSkilled series, and how, in life and…
2026 Summer Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss
AMERICAN WEST Backcountry Offroad Expo When: June 13–14, 2026 | Where: Castle Rock, Colorado “A weekend built for the people who live outside, however they do it” is the motto of the Backcountry Offroad Expo. Attendees will find a variety of adventure vehicles, educational talks, and outdoor gear from over 100 exhibitors, along with community…
Defender Service Awards Winners Hold Training Weekend
Sarah Hall had never driven off-road before, and now she was sitting in the driver’s seat of a brand-new Defender 130, facing an icy hill climb in the mountains of Vermont. The Defender, wrapped in the livery of Jacksonville-area non-profit Feeding Northeast Florida, was a hard-won prize: the result of the organization’s winning entry in…
American and Canadian Defender Trophy Finalists Announced
Last month, Land Rover sent 120 American and Canadian adventure enthusiasts to British Columbia to compete for spots in the Defender Trophy, the modern answer to the revered Camel Trophy. These competitors took part in trials of physical strength, off-roading acumen, and teamwork to decide who would get a chance at the final event, to…
Lilli Mixich Reflects on Nearly Five Decades of Overland Travel
For this week’s episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Ashley Giordano welcomes German overlander Lilli Mixich to discuss her lifelong love affair with the African continent. Currently overlanding solo in a 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 named “Toyo,” Mixich shares what she’s learned from various vehicle platforms, including the Land Rover 109, Magirus Deutz…
Top Gear :: Overland Expo West 2026
Someone I know who has been in the adventure travel industry for many years told me that we are currently in a “creativity crisis.” He thinks we’re stuck in a rut and that very few truly new ideas have been filtering into the overland world lately. I had this claim front and center in my…
Graeme Esarey on Expedition Sailing
On this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady and Brian McVickers interview Graham Esarey about his expedition sailing life, focusing on his team’s 2024 Northwest Passage crossing aboard the Dog Bark, a converted 60-foot Open 60. Graham detailed navigating heavy Arctic ice, spotting polar bears, and receiving a rare icebreaker escort that turned…
2008 Toyota Tundra and OEV Alpine Camper :: Feature Vehicle
Our 1990 Toyota Pickup, affectionately named “Little Red,” has been our go-to adventuremobile since 2013. It has seen a couple of continents and a few revisions along the way, but it remains an antiquated, underpowered, 36-year-old minitruck. It does a wonderful job of scoot-ing through moderately sized whoops, narrow trails, and soft sand while the…
AEV Confirms Summer Production for Ford FXL Upfit Package
American Expedition Vehicles has confirmed that production of its Ford FXL upfit package will begin in summer 2026, marking a notable expansion of the company’s long-standing collaboration with Ford Motor Company. The announcement signals AEV’s continued focus on delivering turnkey overland-ready vehicles that combine factory-backed engineering with aftermarket capability, a formula that has previously proven…
2Up and Overloaded on What You Need to Know About Motorcycle Travel in Southeast Asia
This week on The Overland Journal Podcast, host Ashley Giordano welcomes returning podcast guests Tim and Marisa Notier of 2Up and Overloaded to discuss the adventure motorcycle couple’s travels through Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. In this episode, Tim and Marisa share lessons learned from the past two-and-a-half years, including practical tips on…
Happy Feet: Hiking Socks That’ll Have You Grinning From Toe to Toe
If hiking boots are like the tires on our overland vehicle, then socks are the suspension system. Since you can’t air down your boots to match the terrain, your socks must be ready to absorb every bump on the trail. They’re what protect your feet from friction and pressure, allowing you to go the distance…
John Balsdon on World Records and Crossing Africa
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews John Balsdon of Always Look Twice, a recent world record holder, about his 28-day drive from Nordkapp, Norway, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Balsdon, who largely hugged West Africa’s coast in two INEOS Grenadiers (one towing a Bruder trailer), shares how early travels and his mother, a professional…
Fly and Drive South Africa
For the last few years, my wife, Luisa, and I have been contemplating our future as overland travelers. In the past, we have almost exclusively shipped our vehicle to different continents. However, we have realized that shorter, more intense journeys—where we forego the expense and bureaucracy of shipping and instead use the money saved to…
Defender Trophy 2026: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Adventure as brand strategy. Is Land Rover merely selling a vehicle, or is it rebuilding the mythology of the Defender for a new generation? At its core, the Defender Trophy is a global, multi-stage adventure competition designed to reinforce the Defender’s identity—not just as a machine, but as a cultural icon rooted in decades of…
Juvena Huang on the Ride of a Lifetime: 44,000 Kilometers on a Vespa Scooter
Join Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano as she speaks with Juvena Huang, a Singaporean overlander who embarked on a 44,000-kilometer journey by Vespa scooter. In this episode, Juvena dives into her highest highs, lowest lows, and most powerful lessons learned along the way. Juvena also touches on why she returns regularly to India and…