SEMA continues to be a bellwether for the overland industry and a venue for new product launches, particularly from larger companies with broad distribution channels. SEMA is also the place to be for multinational companies that need a single destination for their dealers. I love that part of SEMA (SEMA reported attendees from 140 countries),…
Scott Brady Archive
Our Favorite Vehicles from SEMA 2026
SEMA reflects the best of new trends in automotive restyling, along with some seriously questionable taste. We will avoid the garish for this lineup and focus on some of our favorite builds from the show. There was certainly a trend back toward classic vehicles, which makes sense given the overly electrified, complex, bland, and inflation-riddled…
Ram Answers Our Power Wagon Prayers
If there has ever been a full-size truck that best captures the needs of overlanders, it has been the Power Wagon. It was the confluence of capability, comfort, capacity, and durability, all on top of a heavy-duty chassis, solid axles, and posi-traction. The early Dodge units were also used for significant expeditions, most notably Wendell…
El Gran Desierto de Altar: Crossing the Largest Sand Sea in North America
Photography by Sinuhe Xavier, Scott Brady, Ho Chung, and John Lee 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 Winter 2012 issue, this article is part of that celebration. The evening glow of the setting sun…
The New Drive Line Gear from XOverland and FHF
Overlanding has always benefited from adjacent markets, with many attributes and needs shared across backpacking, fly-fishing, military, hunting, fishing, and adventure travel. These categories can introduce solutions from the incubation of fresh perspectives. As Clay Croft and I were driving down the length of West Africa, I took note of the thoughtful features on the…
Trailhunter Reaches the Sequoia: Toyota’s Best Full-Size Overland SUV
Toyota just announced their overland-ready Trailhunter package for the 2027 Sequoia, and it is more than just the badge. Built on the SR5 grade, the package swaps the factory (street-biased valving) for an Old Man Emu suspension, Michelin LTX Trail 265/70R18s, front recovery hooks, and added underbody protection. It is encouraging to see Toyota offering…
We Tested the Best 12-volt Fridge/Freezers. Here’s What We Found.
East Africa is known for many things, and nearly all of them are the stuff of overlanding dreams. But a few could be classified as nightmares, principally the endless dance with roadblocks, police checkpoints, and military convoys. At times, that includes determined efforts to separate the traveler from their cash. As a result, I would…
2026 Ultimate Overland Build: Nissan Frontier Pro-4X + Tune Camper
Each year, the Overland Expo Foundation partners with a manufacturer to build one of their Ultimate Overland projects. Last year was an amazing GMC 2500 AEV with an OEV camper, and this year they focused on a midsize build with Nissan and Tune Campers. Nissan has been doing big things in the space, including launching…
GP Factor Drops the Best Heavy-Duty Grenadier Sliders Yet
The INEOS Grenadier continues to attract serious aftermarket support, and for good reason. Having driven an early-production Grenadier Fieldmaster more than 25,000 kilometers across Africa, from Cape Town to Djibouti, it ran the length of East Africa without a single vehicle failure. That kind of reliability earns trust, and it makes thoughtful, well-engineered accessories all…
Milestones Expedition: The Scale of the Unknown | From Scotland to Nordkapp
Welcome to Scotland! Phase 2 of the 25,000-mile global overland expedition kicks off with some familiar faces as the team heads for the famous John o’ Groats. The team takes part in some unique Scottish cultural activities and learns some valuable lessons along the way. Changing weather, narrow, winding roads, and the reality of the…
BMW 1150 GS Adventure :: Publisher’s Project
It was sometime around 2000 when I walked into the REI store in Phoenix, Arizona, to buy a kayak. What was parked under the entry awning stopped me in my tracks: a bright yellow BMW GS resting on its sidestand, a chunky, knobby tire sticking out onto the sidewalk. I had never seen a big…
The Milestones Expedition: A Three-continent Adventure
Photography by Richard Giordano and Scott Brady The XOverland team has always dreamed big. Their ambitious expeditions and world-class cinematography have resulted in 75 inspiring episodes spanning six continents, telling stories that have changed the lives of countless overlanders. Along the way, they have also changed the lives of their expedition team members by doing…
Milestones: Global Expedition Series Launches Today
Spring, Texas – March 26, 2026: Imagine driving 25,000 miles across three continents on some of the most challenging roads on earth. Now imagine doing it all on a single oil change. That’s the challenge at the heart of Milestones: Global Expedition, a new 10-episode series from XOverland documenting an extraordinary journey from Montana to…
10 Lessons Learned Traveling in an XOVERLAND Toyota
At Expedition Portal, we have been longtime friends with the XOverland crew, and in 2025, we joined forces, which also gave me the opportunity to finally travel in one of their expedition Toyotas. I have always loved how they look, with all the latest cool products and stunning graphics packages. But how would they work…
2026 Overland Expo Southern California Recap
Overland Expo Southern California 2026: Event Highlights and Gear Trends This was my first time at the Southern California Overland Expo, and wow! The crowd was huge, but it was the curiosity and enthusiasm of the attendees that stood out most. A much more youthful crowd (not necessarily in age), and many had kids in…
Storyteller Launches The Grenadier Micro Camper
Storyteller has spent nearly a decade building its reputation as one of the most respected and comprehensive overland vehicle manufacturers on the planet. Their lineup includes the ubiquitous van conversions, massive expedition campers (formerly GXV), and now their first micro camper. For the base vehicle, they chose the INEOS Grenadier, then incorporated their extensive camper…
John Balsdon and Grenadier Take on the West Africa Driving Record
West Africa is one of the great cross-continent challenges for overlanders, combining at least 15 countries, more than 30 border crossings, and an endless sea of bureaucracy. Just the sticker visas and eVisas alone have been enough to cause travelers to tuck tail and drive back north to Europe. Almost two months ago, my phone…
The Golden Age of Overland SUVs Has Arrived
As vehicle-based travelers, we have entered a renaissance for overland vehicles, with capability, capacity (towing in particular), and comfort reaching new heights. The best overland vehicles are constantly morphing with consumer interests and regulatory pressures, but there has never been a better time to choose your next adventure machine. With the growing popularity of overlanding,…
Cape York at Last: Celebrating ARB’s 50-Year Anniversary via the Telegraph Track
Photography by Michael Ellem and Scott Brady Australia looms as an explorer’s sentinel, terra incognita to the mind, with vast expanses stretching across a sea of sand, spinifex, and rock. This most ancient of continents is also replete with contradictions, with Tasmania pressing into the Roaring 40s at the south and Cape York clawing into…
AEV Launches the New Ford Superduty FXL Package
As the overland aftermarket has grown, a clear distinction has emerged between consumer-facing accessory companies and tier 1 component manufacturers supplying original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). What may seem like two different kinds of oranges is actually a gap as wide as the Grand Canyon. Tier one suppliers are held to the highest standards of crash…