As I moved through the mist and fog, rocks carved and stacked with impeccable precision began to reveal themselves in the distance. I rounded a dense thicket of trees and stretched out before me was a massive wall of stone, its upper reaches snagging the low clouds overhead. The high elevation slowed my pace as…
Landcruising Adventure: Getting Lost in Digital Advancement
On our arrival in Japan, on the southern island of Kyushu, we needed to plot a general route for the coming months. We skimmed our two guidebooks and marked the possible-of-interest places on our Reise Know-How roadmap. Local information is always a welcome addition and Japan, we quickly learned, has a super-organized system of tourist…
From the ExPo Vault: Yo Hablo Moto
Exploring Colombia’s backroads and villages with Elephant Motorcycle Expeditions
Expeditions 7- The Beginning
Expeditions 7: Publisher Scott Brady and a team of adventurers prepare for a two-year expedition to seven continents.
Adventure Reads: The Disappearances, Scott Thybony
Last fall I was invited to join a friend on a bikepacking trip in Southern Utah along a stretch of high desert I knew well—or so I thought. It turns out just driving by a place does little to tell of its secrets. Like many of you, I have driven through Mexican Hat, Utah, dozens…
From the ExPo Vault: Exploring Patagonia—in a Clown Car
Two guys, plus one tiny car, equaled one big adventure.
Swapping the life conventional for the ride of a lifetime
Many daydream about making a road trip across continents. There may be real or perceived hurdles in the way, so what does it take to actually do it? For anyone whose life’s jigsaw pieces can coalesce around such a dream—and respectfully, not everyone’s can—a commitment to the decision is all it takes. Then comes doing…
36 Hours of Adventure: Pines, Saguaros, and a Russian Motorcycle
I must have a thing for symmetry. As I wiggled and twisted down the road, the Ural beneath me seemed determined to thwart my best efforts to ride a straight line. I started to mentally catalog all the asymmetrical things in the world, most of them annoying to me. There’s the fiddler crab with his…
From the ExPo Vault: To the End of the Earth in a BMW M Coupe
Sure, you could drive to Inuvik in a Unimog, by why not a Bavarian sports coupe?
36 Hours of Adventure: Sand and Seas
Our plan was to make it to the beach before dark, so naturally we arrived well after it. I had expected as much. Something about keeping to a schedule while escaping meetings, emails, and calendars just doesn’t jive with me. Unfortunately, navigating the unfamiliar shores of an island at night doesn’t jive well either, so…
Maggie in Africa: What We Have Learned So Far
Deciding to take a year off to travel through 20+ African countries requires considerable preparation to ensure a smooth journey and to avoid situations that could derail our plans, temporarily or entirely. For those of our readers who may be thinking, “how on earth can you travel through so many countries,” or “you must be completely…
Landcruising Adventure: Showering low-budget style when overlanding
It was a 4-year-old child who asked me the question first. A week before our departure, family and friends came to my house for a farewell party. The Land Cruiser stood on the lawn, proud and ready to be driven to Asia. Its doors and windows were open so everybody could glance or step…
The Canadian Overland Tribe Gathers: BC Overland Rally 2017
So much to learn, see, and do at the first annual BC Overland Rally, which was held at the Sasquatch Mountain Resort June 22-25. Sadly, I didn’t spot any Sasquatches, but did have an amazing long weekend with the Canadian overland tribe. High up in British Columbia’s mountains, but only 2 hours north of the…
Meet Overland Journal at Adventure Southside – Germany
After a hugely successful debut in 2016, Adventure Southside once again opens its gates from July 14-16, 2017, in Eigeltingen, slightly to the west of Lake Constance. With a comprehensive programme of lectures, workshops and events for the whole family, the organizers invite overlanders, off-roaders and survival fans to join them on the Swiss-German border….
Beyond the Truck (Motorcycle): Camping on a Glacier
Where the city ends, Juneau Icefield in Southeast Alaska begins—and keeps going. Undeniably, its centerpiece is Mendenhall Glacier, one of the world’s most accessible. And the one we planned to make a self-guided trip and camp overnight upon in springtime. Just 12 miles from downtown and then a 4.5-mile moderate hike—steep and slippery in part—through…
Maggie in Africa: The Highs and Lows of Life on the Road in Africa
“It’ll be amazing,” they said. “A trip of a lifetime,” they said. Every day, we want to believe that driving through Africa in our ’91 Defender named Maggie is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the truth is that it doesn’t always feel like rainbows and butterflies. At times it can be really, really hard, but…
The Vehicles of NW Overland Rally 2017
With over 1,000 people in attendance at the 7th annual NW Overland Rally in Plain, Washington, there was bound to be a few interesting vehicles, but the sheer diversity was truly impressive. The rally pulls attendees from all over the PNW and has a solid draw from southwestern Canada. The 15-year import laws in Canada…
First Annual Outfound Series
The first annual Outfound Series went down on Hood River at Oregon’s famous event site, the waterfront where much of windsurfing and kiteboarding has developed. Outfound Series is all about truly inspirational speakers talking about everything from business, adventure sports, and moving full time into a van. The thread throughout was outdoor adventure and the…
72 Hours of Adventure in Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego. The very name conjures up images of great 16th-century explorers, precariously navigating their tall ships through the iceberg-filled archipelago. These days, the exploration vehicle of choice is a 4×4, as apart from National Route 3, you will find no paved roads here. It’s wild, rugged, and remote. Just how the end of…
Five Wild Western Overland Destinations for Your Shortlist
Every year our forum section explodes with thousands of posts dedicated to trip planning. If you live in a part of the country where the western half is within striking distance, your options for adventure are genuinely without limit. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains sits a dozen…