For episode Five of Exploring the Smoky Mountains, we embark on a craftsman adventure, hosted by Sinuhe Xavier. The route begins in with the custom knife maker Tom Mohr and continues to Ford’s Signs where classic pin striping and sign making still lives on. Editor’s Note: Shortly after this series was produced, the Asheville area was…
SEMA 2024 Day One: Overlanding Heats Up!
The SEMA Show remains one of the most important events of the year for overlanding, with OEMs and major brands launching new products and developing their prospects for the following season. 2024 is no exception, and the excitement was palpable as I walked the halls for the first day seeing exciting new concepts from companies…
Exploring the Smoky Mountains: Trail Scout
For episode Four of Exploring the Smoky Mountains, we embark on a Trail Scout Episode, hosted by Sinuhe Xavier. The route begins in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and continues to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ultimately the stunning overland route along the Old Buzzards Roost Road. Editor’s Note: Shortly after this series was produced,…
Exploring the Smoky Mountains: Planning Your East Coast Overland Adventure
For episode three of Exploring the Smoky Mountains, we review the process of planning your overland adventure to the East Coast. From mapping applications, to tire selection, and finally equipment and driving recommendations. The Smoky Mountains are filled with overland adventure opportunities. Editor’s Note: Shortly after this series was produced, the Asheville area was devastated…
Exploring the Smoky Mountains: Jeep Gladiator
For episode two of Exploring the Smoky Mountains, we look at Ben Wootten’s 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport with 37-inch Hankook Dynapro XT tires. As an overland and 4WD instructor with over 18 years of teaching experience and operates Classic 4×4 in Asheville North Carolina. Ben also shares his insights into vehicle preparation for the backcountry….
The Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion
It’s a Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion Thing! Each year, thousands of Jeep enthusiasts descend on the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge to meet vendors, stroll the show & shine, and connect with other brand enthusiasts. The event is also fairly priced at only $20 for an adult and $10 for children. Presented by Hankook Dynapro Tire…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 6 :: Overland Vehicle Preparation and Treading Lightly
Join us for episode six of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this sixth episode, we discuss the importance of Overland Vehicle Preparation, including the ABCs and other essential items to make overlanding safe and enjoyable. We also…
Minimalist Wallets :: Best of Breed
Good times—at least of the sort we’re after—come with a downside. The hard truth behind adventure is that you can’t safely peace out beyond the confines of cell service with nothing but a sandwich in one hand and your car keys in the other. For those of us desperate for even a brief escape from…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 5: Recovery Techniques
Join us for episode five of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this fifth episode, we discuss the fundamentals of overlanding recovery techniques, including using traction boards, a vehicle-mounted winch, and conducting a vehicle-to-vehicle recovery using a kinetic…
2025 Grenadier Quartermaster :: Overland Test and Project Part 1
After 25,000 kilometers, we rolled up to the Gulf of Aden. Yemen was just over the horizon and the region as close to all-out war as it had been in a generation. I had driven from Cape Town to Djibouti, crossing the continent of Africa and testing the limits of the Grenadier wagon in the…
Crossing Continents :: Traversing the Cederberg Range to Cape Agulhas
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. – Marcus Aurelius With a crack of lightning, the lodestone is magnetized, becoming one of the most unusual and useful stones on earth, melding magnetic…
Father’s Day Podcast :: Interviewing Larry Brady
On this Father’s Day, we celebrate all of the dads. We are grateful to those with us and honor those who were gone too soon. Dads have an important job, providing protection, love, support, training, and much more. It is a hard job, and it is supposed to be, as honoring those responsibilities helps…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 4: Driving in Sand and the Dunes
Join us for episode four of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this fourth episode, we discuss the fundamentals of driving in sand and the dunes, including tire pressures, leeward and windward side of the dunes, tire selection,…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 3: Airing Down for Backcountry Travel
Join us for episode three of our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this third episode, we discuss the fundamentals of airing down tires for overlanding, including deformation, contact patch, mechanical keying, flotation, and more. We also discuss…
Scout Campers Launches New Lightweight Pop-up
Each day, the overland industry grows in unexpected ways. And for the 3rd of June, Adventure Manufacturing’s Scout Campers announces their new Pop-up. It is no coincidence that the other significant event for the 3rd of June was when Martin Behaim released the first extant globe, the Erdapfel, to the world in 1492. The new…
Stage 1: Project Jeep Wrangler 4Xe for Overland Fun
Each year, we identify one significant international project vehicle and one more modest undertaking. For 2023, it was the Grenadier for crossing Africa and a new Jeep Wrangler 4xe overland project for North America. For this new project, we wanted to try a list of new products and approaches that had not crossed our keyboards….
Tires for Overlanding Episode 2: All-Terrain Tires
Join us for episode two of our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this second episode, we discuss the fundamentals of all-terrain tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and tread features for sand, rock, ice, snow, and…
Jeep Beach 2024
Each year, tens of thousands of Jeep enthusiasts descend on Daytona Beach, Florida for the annual (2024) Jeep Beach event. This is considered one of the largest Jeep gatherings in the world, an evolution over the past 21 years to its current form. The event includes trail rides, beach drives, training, obstacle courses, mud bogs,…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 1: Mud Tires
Join us for our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this first episode, we discuss the fundamentals of mud tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and basic driving techniques. Presented by Hankook Dynapro Tire How to Select…
The Principles of Overlanding :: Insights on Exploring the World by Vehicle
Lessons are often learned the hard way, which, in my case, includes screwing up, getting stuck, carjacked, impounded, detained, delayed, and generally mired in the throes of adventure. Even the worst scenarios had a silver lining (maybe not the carjacking) as my awareness grew, and I adjusted my traveling operating system. During my travels, I…