Lead photo by Richard Giordano There are so many parallels between competing in the Rebelle Rally with an older vehicle and overlanding in one. Usually, the vehicle is already parked in our driveway, budget prohibits the purchase of something newer and comfortable, and the vehicle isn’t just a mechanical object transporting us from one place…
The Rover Boys: Bristol Foster and Robert Bateman Reflect on Their Round-the-World Expedition
Photography by Bristol Foster, Robert Bateman, and Erik Thorn It all began with birds. Birds near Toronto’s Forest Hill, to be exact. Back then, the nearby ravine and creek were thick with vegetation and towering willow trees, offering endless opportunities to identify warblers and flycatchers, blue jays, and thrushes. At least, that’s how it was…
Cool Vehicles of the 2024 Rebelle Rally
Photography by Richard Giordano, Regine Trias, Tim Sutton, Paolo Baraldi, and Ernesto Araiza After traversing over 2,600 kilometers of desert terrain, 128 women left California’s Johnson Valley in mid-October, bound for home. Hailing from 114 cities, 27 states and provinces, and six countries, they drove Jeeps and Fords, Toyotas, and Land Rovers. Some chose Subarus,…
Thinking Outside the Box: The Story Behind STEP 22
In this installment of the Expedition Portal series on brands that inspire us, Senior Editor Ashley Giordano profiles adventure travel gear manufacturer STEP 22. I recently found out, thanks to STEP 22 owner and founder Adam Wood, that the company’s name is an acronym for Storage Transportation Exploration Protection. There couldn’t be a more on-point…
Overland News of the Week
Meet the New KC Hilites Solar Charge Hub This compact, plug-and-play charging solution directs solar panel energy to 12- and 24-volt vehicle batteries for easy charging and maintenance. Requiring no permanent installation, the hub features magnetic feet for easy placement and Bluetooth connectivity for monitoring and updates. At the heart of the hub’s weather-sealed aluminum…
Leaders of the Pack: Backpacks for the Overland Traveler
In How to Camp Out, Civil War veteran and avid outdoorsman John Mead Gould cautioned against overpacking, being in a hurry to spend money on new inventions, and generally taking on too much stuff, too many miles, and too much weight. However, one item he deemed indispensable was the haversack—a small bag “furnished with shoulder…
Overland News of the Week
BDR Releases New North Georgia Route In this week’s overland news, Backcountry Discovery Routes has released the trailer for its latest route in North Georgia, the Chattahoochee BDR-X. This is the BDR’s 18th route and the fifth installment of shorter loop routes in the BDR-X. GPS tracks, a waterproof route map, and an accompanying film…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Fall
AMERICAN NORTHWEST Descend on Bend When August 30-September 2, 2024 | Where Yamhill River, Oregon Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Descend on Bend returns with live music, a daily maker’s market, a community potluck, a raffle, and workshops. The inaugural event occurred in 2014 when 15 VW Vanagon Westfalia enthusiasts gathered at Bend’s Hole-in-the-Ground crater and vowed to…
It’s All in the Name: The Story Behind Goose Gear
In this installment of the Expedition Portal series on brands that inspire us, Senior Editor Ashley Giordano profiles overland industry leader and vehicle-based storage solutions manufacturer Goose Gear. It’s easy to notice the quality of a Goose Gear product at a glance. Burly slides hold expertly crafted wood drawers. Marine-grade plywood coated with a proprietary blend of bedliner…
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…
Overland News of the Week
Exped’s Mega Pump Makes Setup and Takedown a Breeze Exped has responded to one of its most frequent customer requests with the new Mega Pump. The 12.3-ounce pump includes a rechargeable battery with a USB-C port and a universal valve adapter that works with Exped and other inflatable products. The Mega features inflate and deflate…
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…
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…
Feralosophy: A Ladies-Only Overlanding Experience is Coming This October
(feral-os-o-phy) (noun): In a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication. Belief or doctrine. The Ozarks regularly appear on Expedition Portal and in Overland Journal for good reason. Overlanders frequent the forested mountains that stretch across five states, taking in springs, rushing waterfalls, lakes, caverns, and other karstic landforms. Add some off-pavement trails,…
Reza Pakravan :: Modern Explorer
Photography by Kevin Merrey and Mark Game It was 70 days into Reza Pakravan’s bicycle expedition from Norway to South Africa before he cracked. His body weak with a recent bout of malaria and severe food poisoning, Reza and his expedition partner, Steven Pawley, slogged through the Kenyan desert in 40°C temperatures, out of water…
Eco-Hack! | Video of the Week
Armed with lasers, terrestrial rovers, drones, and 3D-printed fake tortoises, conservation biologist Tim Shields looks like he belongs on a science fiction film set in the Mojave Desert. Really, though, his target is specific and aligns more with Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Shields is on a mission to save desert tortoises from going extinct by…
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The ABCs of Overland Convoy Etiquette
Photography by Richard Giordano, Eglė Gerulaitytė, and Lila Shaw There’s a kid driving a Corolla at 120 kph, waving a note at me with the words “I love you” scrawled across the paper. Normally, I would be flattered at this declaration of affection, but the teen’s foot is jammed to the floor, sending his beat-up…
Overland News of the Week
Opinel Releases New Grilling Set Fabricated in France, this grill set includes a stainless steel folding knife, a spatula insert, and extra-large tongs with a stonewashed finish. The No. 12B folding knife features a beechwood handle from sustainably managed French forests and is equipped with a bottle opener at the end, while the spatula is…
Join Naresh Kumar as He Cycles Across America to Combat Human Trafficking
Naresh Kumar has cycled more than 10,000 kilometers through 13 countries on a tandem bicycle to raise awareness and funds to combat human trafficking. Now, you can join him as he travels from Oregon to DC, inviting strangers to join him on project Freedom Seat. Born and raised in a suburb of Chennai in South…
Fire-Cooked Chipotle Burrito Bowls from Epic Family Road Trip :: Video of the Week
A simple, staple meal that can be whipped up at camp or home is like gold—especially if the recipe is flexible enough to be cooked over a fire or on a propane stove. In this Video of the Week, Carol van Stralen of Epic Family Road Trip is joined by her daughter, Caroline, who shares…