We had the best seat in the house to witness the sunset and for the following day’s hot air balloon show, which was scheduled to arrive as the sun rose, a hundred multicolored balloons competing in an endless Turkish sky. Parked on the rim of a canyon overlooking Cappadocia in central Turkey, we watched bemused…
Roof Top Tents Vs Campers: The Pros and Cons
Four years. That is how long my family and I lived in a roof top tent. The four of us camped almost every day of those long years—cooking outside, living outside, and sleeping between walls of canvas. As the kids grew and our journey evolved from an adventure into a lifestyle, we realized that it…
Remote Breakdown Strategy
The trail rating was “moderate to difficult” but the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and the track we were driving on that cold afternoon was anything but moderate. It was tough going. Tough enough that the Defender 130 needed low range and diff lock to conquer some of the steeper, muddy switchbacks…
Overlanding With Purpose
When you first start overlanding, the journey itself is the goal, but we have found that having a purpose behind your travels can enhance the experience even more. Your hobbies reflect who you are, so weaving those passions and interests into your journey will ensure that you enrich your life and take your skills to…
GrizzlyNbear Overland
In the Czech town of Český Krumlov, I piloted my Defender 130 down a cobbled village road, heading towards the Vltava River. There, parked on the lawn next to a gigantic teepee, stood a spectacular Land Rover Defender 130. Leigh, a tattooed, muscular, and energetic Australian mountaineer and oil rigger stood beside the Landy with…
Abenteuer and Allrad 2018
Europeans are famously prolific travelers, so it is no surprise then that the largest overland show on the planet is to be found in the town of Bad Kissingen, located in beautiful central Germany. We have had the good fortune of attending the Abenteuer & Allrad (Adventure and All-wheel Drive) in 2017 and again in…
The Overland Minimalist
You are overlanding to the remote reaches of the planet, so who do you choose as a companion? Bear Grylls or Ray Mears? Sure, Bear would be a constant source of action and excitement, and dinner will always be interesting, if not always palatable, but I would choose the chubby guy as a companion. He…
You Know You’re An Overlander When…
We all dream of being that guy (or gal). Suntanned, sinewy and wise, a world traveller with a million stories to tell and the scars to prove it. The life of a long-term international overlander is far from glamorous though; in fact, the closest he gets to glamour is drinking wine from a glass. That…
25 Things We “Learnt” Overlanding the USA
American people say, “That’s funny,” when they are amused, which makes you doubt whether all the other funny crap you said was not funny. You can return any item bought, in any state of use, at any time and you will either receive a full credit, your money back, or a new item (OK, not…
Tail Lamp: Camp Fear
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2017. Anxiety is not a word often associated with overlanding, but if you are adventurous enough to test the limit of your courage, you will experience your fair share of this symptom. I am not merely referring to the pre-departure turmoil (particularly the intercontinental let’s sell it…
A2A Expedition: Give Me Inconvenience Or Give Me Death
Our Land Rover Defender has taken us to 41 countries over a 6-year period. Not once have we been arrested, none of us (a family of four) have contracted malaria, been robbed, shot at, beaten or deported. How utterly depressing. I want to write the story about how, that one time in Tanzania, I had…
A2A Expedition: To Drag or Drop a Trailer, that is the Question.
I was once almost in love with an Afrikaans girl. She lived in a posh house on top of a hill and bore a German surname. Her father, Loot, hated the thought of me but begrudgingly liked me and one day asked for my help to build an overland trailer which he planned to use…
A2A Expedition: The Bulk Buy Overlander
How much stuff can you fit in a Defender?
A2A Expedition: Overlander Off-Road Driving Techniques – Water Crossings.
You better know before you go.
A2A EXPEDITION: Memories of Africa
Home is where the heart is for the Bell clan.
Left Hand Drive (LHD) or Right Hand Drive (RHD)
In the world of overlanding, is it better to drive on the left, or the right?
A2A Expedition: Traveling the Planet with Children
How one family of four makes it possible.
A2A Expedition: How can you afford to travel the world overland?
It is the number one question we are asked as full time overlanders.
A2A Expedition: Staying Safe on your International Overland Journey
The road to adventure is often lined with corrupt border guards, potential thieves and other hazards.
A2A Expedition: Offroader vs. Overland Traveller
Graeme Bell illuminates the differences between a toy for the dirt and a rolling off-piste abode for extended travel.