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…
Dometic GO Soft Storage With PAC Insulated Insert: Stay Organized with 10- and 20-Liter Storage Cubes That Convert to Coolers.
Dometic was once a small operation that specialized in making refrigerators for RVs and hotels. Fast forward 20 years, and they have expanded into every aspect of mobile living. With the Dometic GO collection, Dometic is making moves to make car camping more comfortable and easy. I’ve been using the Dometic GO 10- and 20-liter…
Down For Adventure Blankets
We received two blankets to assess while visiting a group of overlanders in Florida. Yes, Florida the state in least need of blankets. We have since used the blankets—one down and the other synthetic—for almost a year as we traveled entirely by vehicle to Maine in fall, across to the Pacific Northwest in the middle…
2022 OLAF OctoberFest
Camping, wheeling, beer tasting, e-bikes, food, friends, and gear sounds like a decent weekend getaway recipe. This year Olaf OktoberFest will be held between 14-16 October, due east of Los Angeles at the Big Bear’s Holcomb Valley Ranch, a 400-acre oasis which is encircled by thousands of acres of San Bernardino National Forest, rolling hills,…
Interview :: Heike Pirngruber, Solo Overlander
Heike, a German national who considers herself a global citizen, has been traveling solo around the world for the past nine years, first on her bicycle and then, more recently, walking with a pushcart and her adopted Mexican dog, Butch. Heike first found herself cycling from Germany to Australia in 2013 after leaving her job…
UBCO EAV 2X2 — An Electric ADV Bike for Everyone
The UBCO 2X2 Adventure Bike combines high tech with high torque via front- and rear-wheel drive. Perfect for beginners and fun for experienced riders, it’s easy to handle, simple to own. UBCO calls the bike an Electric Adventure Vehicle, or EAV 2X2. EAV 2×2: Built to Last UBCO’s EAV features a 7027 aluminum alloy X-frame…
Over-The-Counter :: Medicine for Travelers
As travelers prepare to return to international travel, many will likely forget to pack their over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Many more will forget to check the international rules and regulations for common medicines easily obtained in their home countries—but possibly not allowed overseas. Trip-takers consistently list “forgetting to pack prescription and over-the-counter medicine” as one…
The Great Gravel Boom :: 4,000 riders expected at Garmin UNBOUND Gravel 2023
unbound adjective un·bound | \ən-ˈbau̇nd\ 1: having no limit The gravel race that began with 34 participants in 2006 will boom through the scenic rolling hills of Kansas’ Tallgrass Prairie in 2023, with thousands of cyclists clamoring for a lottery ticket to ride. Although participants will hit blacktop roads in smaller sections, the vast…
Weekends with the Family :: How to successfully plan small vacations
I really have no quarrel with the way I live. I am a day-job dreamer and a weekender, meaning I define my relationship to travel and the outdoors by breaks in a five-day workweek and amid limited vacation time. I live for the weekend, you might say. It’s time spent with my wife in middle…
The 43rd Annual Mojave Road Rendezvous takes place this weekend
The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA) is holding its annual Mojave Road Rendezvous. It is set to be a cracker of an event this year, bigger than ever before and with more to offer all desert lovers. The event features a lineup of world-class speakers, corporate-sponsored workshops, a huge offering of historical presentations,…
Finding Order in the Chaos of World Travel
“It is not an adventure until something goes wrong” Yvon Chouinard. Life on the road can be chaotic as very few things are within your control. Over the years, we have learned to manage our fears and concerns, the same fears and concerns that we all share when heading deep into the unknown. Before setting…