Standing on the frozen Arctic Ocean, clad from head to toe in winter gear, my beard froze as my convoy mate informed me that it was -50°F in Tuktoyaktuk, where my overland vehicle was parked. A grin spread across my face, and I felt a wave of satisfaction and tempered elation course through my warm…
Chattahoochee BDR-X Route Announced
The Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest in Georgia is the location of the latest motorcycle adventure route devised by the folks at Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR). The “Hoochee” is a BDR-X format, taking in just a corner of northern Georgia in its 350-mile circular track. This is the fourth route that BMW Motorrad USA has presented…
This Gear (and Lifestyle Change) Helped me Lose 100 Pounds On the Road
When I arrived back in the US after a multi-year journey across Europe, West, and Southern Africa, I stepped on a scale outside a Publix supermarket in Florida. I was amazed to find that I weighed almost exactly 300 pounds. The pandemic lockdown in South Africa had obviously not been good for my waistline, and…
Double Dutch World Safari on 40 Years of Overlanding
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 206 Join us on this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast as we sit down with Robert Van den Hoeven, an experienced overlander whose extensive travels span across continents like Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Robert shares his profound experiences, from camping trips in Europe during his childhood to maritime adventures…
Crossing Continents: Africa Wrap-Up and Lessons Learned
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 205 Join the Overland Journal Podcast as co-host Matt Scott interviews Scott Brady about his journey across Africa. Discover the valuable lessons learned, the performance of the Ineos Grenadier, and the critical role of teamwork during a challenging long-term expedition. Special thanks to our sponsors this week, Overland Explorer Vehicles. Tune…
SUV, Van and Pick-Up Camping Conversion Kits :: Buyers Guide
In recent years, the trend of converting vans and SUVs into mobile living spaces has grown in popularity, driven by the desire for freedom, adventure, and the convenience of having a home on wheels. This surge in interest has led to the rise of van and SUV camping conversion kits—pre-packaged systems that simplify transforming a…
International Vehicle Shipping with Lithium Batteries—New Regulations
Overland travelers have always pushed the limits of vehicle travel, and in many instances, their hunger for exploration has included shipping expedition vehicles to the far reaches of the globe. Unfortunately, over the past year, there have been numerous fires aboard transport ships, and two vehicle carriers were lost at sea due to fires aboard…
Jan and Leoné Vorster – A Life of Daring and Adventure
To this day, Jan and Leoné Vorster still live in a leafy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, mere miles from where I was born and mostly raised. But, before I was conceived, this Afrikaner couple had already traveled far and wide and achieved what most, even today, consider near impossible. Jan and Leoné traveled overland…
Jessy Muller Takes the Slow Road
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 202 Full-time nomad Jessy Muller has been living on the road for over six years. Over that time, she’s learned a lot of lessons about slow travel, finding peace as a solo adventurer, and coexisting with an old RV—in Jessy’s case, a 1978 Dodge Commander. In this wide-ranging conversation with Overland Journal…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Episode 200
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…