To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2010 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Home, they say, is where you hang your hat. If that hat happened to be the legendary pith…
Christophe Noel Archive
Classic Kit: The Motorcycle Jacket
From Lucky Lindy to James Dean, the motorcycle jacket is the hallmark of adventure.
Long Term Wrap Up: Salsa Mukluk Carbon XO1
The former vanguard of fatbikes gets a much needed, and comprehensive makeover.
Classic Kit: Tents
From Robert Scott to the sultans of the Sinai, the tent has always been home away from home.
Better Beds for Sleepy Heads
Say goodnight to the traditional sleeping bag with one of these innovative sleep systems.
The Modern Campaign Camp
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2017. In the ever-expanding lexicon of the backcountry traveler, a new word has emerged which, depending on your personal perspective, can register as a compliment or a pejorative. That term, glamping, is a clever portmanteau melding the word glamorous with camping. It is in…
Overlanding Skills: How to Pitch a Tent
Although every tent is slightly different, there are some common techniques for properly pitching a modern portable shelter. Do it poorly and you risk damaging the tent itself, or enduring a less than comfortable night’s sleep. I travel with people with extensive backcountry experience, yet see them making basic mistakes all too often. Most people would…
Classic Kit: The Ural Sidecar
The tri-wheeled motorcycle favored by the Red Army and adventurists alike.
Water Treatment Systems
Filtering solutions for the field.
The Plucky Truck that Conquered the World
In the early hours of April 30, 1948, a tall man, anxious and out of place, stood next to a peculiar little car on the exhibition floor of the Amsterdam Auto Show. Only 27 years old, passersby could not have known, nor would have guessed, that he was largely responsible for its creation. Wearing an…
Great Plains Drifter
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Winter 2017. Like all young boys, my childhood was filled with fanciful tales of soldiers clad in shining armor, new lands explored, and the quest for treasure. As a resident of Glasco, Kansas, I assumed such exploits only unfolded in places distant, if not imagined….
Shelter From the Storm
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2018 For many travelers, a tent is not just a weekend retreat, it is home on the road for weeks if not months on end. For those on extended journeys, spanning all four seasons and on roads prone to destroy delicate gear, finding…
Overland Skills: Make Power or Store Power, Which is Best for You?
If you follow Expedition Portal with any regularity, you know we cover the topic of power management quite often. The business of watts and amps has become inextricably intertwined with the pursuit of overland travel. Even when we’re roughing it, we can’t seem to live without our electronic devices. Over the last many years the…
Buyer’s Guide: Travel, Rescue, and Medical Evacuation Insurance
As we head further into the summer season and our adventures grow in grandeur and danger, we want to make sure safety is top of mind. One crucial aspect of that is medical evacuation insurance, and thus we’re bringing Christophe’s article back to our front page. We hope you find it as informative and helpful…
Head to Head: Multi-tools
From the battlefield to the International Space Station, the pocketable toolbox has infinite uses.
Field Tested: Generac iQ2000
Portable power gets smaller, lighter, and easier to use.
The Traveler’s Tree House
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2016. The mere mention of the word overlanding is often enough to evoke images of sunsets on the Serengeti, the silhouette of a truck marked for adventure by the outline of a roof top tent. Although roof sleeping is not commensurate with overlanding,…
Auto Importers
When only a foreign exotic will do, who do you trust to get it to your garage?
Overland Skills: Going Solo
Whether you go by way of truck, motorcycle, or even on foot, going alone takes careful planning.
First Test: New 2018 Gear from MSR, Therm-a-Rest, and Seal Line
My wife likes to chide me for my ability to generate bad ideas. When I told her I was going to squeeze in one last bikepacking trip to the high peaks of Colorado just as winter storms are likely to crush my route—I realized she might have a point. The truth is, I love the…