Entering the Moroccan souk is a firehose to the senses, the smell of cinnamon, cumin, and harissa filling the air, and wood smoke and scooter exhaust burning the eyes. The sounds of Arabic, interrupted by banging steel and honking horns, make the entire scene a wonder. I had arrived in Marrakech early to spend time…
The Best Remote Communications for Overlanders
The historian Hellanicus recorded the first reference to letter writing, a handwritten note sent in 500 BCE from the Persian Queen Atossa, mother of Xerxes and the Achaemenid Empire (Roberts, 1843). There is little doubt that messages were sent across longer distances in earlier times, but they are lost in the sands. The process changed…
AT Overland Habitat Sale as Equipt Lays Down the Holiday Discounts
We all know that the AT Habitat was one of the first of its kind, known for the minimalist and lightweight design, combined with robust durability and reliability. The AT Habitat has also been a challenge to purchase on short notice, so this is a rare opportunity to find Habitats in stock and incentivized with…
Escapod Topo 2 Overland Trailer :: Field Tested
Teardrop trailers are old-school cool, with a lineage that dates back to the DIY plans of the 1930s. The trailer style has remained popular ever since, and for a good reason—they just work. The teardrop perfectly balances compact dimensions, sleep-inside comfort, and timeless style. Most small trailers use a rooftop tent for sleeping, but it…
Stōd Gear Company Woodgaiter :: Field Tested
At Overland Journal, we have a soft spot for small businesses and appreciate the opportunity to review and feature products from aspiring entrepreneurs. Enter Stōd Gear and their budding line of storage solutions for overlanders. Over the past year, I have been using their Woodgaiter, a simple and robust firewood hauler that doubles as a…
The Küat Ibex Elevates the Overland Rack
There are times when products take us completely off guard, our typical vocabulary being reduced to wide eyes and wows. The truck bed racks have been made for a long time, and most of the styling reflects either a dated jungle gym or something best reserved for a 1980s square body. Indeed, there are many…
2023 Nissan Z: Grand Touring an Icon
My first memory of a vehicle was my dad’s Datsun 240Z, childish wonder on eleven as my father adjusted the choke lever and the carbureted straight six roared to life. There are also flashes of the bright orange color and how joyous it felt to be in that moment with the person I admire most….
INEOS Grenadier Production Begins for North America: Deliveries Announced
The Grenadier has already proven popular in North America, with 7,000+ preorders and the US becoming the model’s largest market. . . before a single unit has been delivered. The US and Canada are ideal regions for the Grenadier, which provides a unique combination of capability, capacity (payload and towing), and comfort. Seeing a brand…
Ineos Grenadier Build for Crossing Africa: Detailed Walkaround Video
In May 2023, we took delivery of a stock Ineos Grenadier Fieldmaster in the UK. We conducted off-road tests and break-in miles before putting it on the boat for Durban, South Africa. By late June, we had the Grenadier in Johannesburg and began lightly modifying the vehicle and provisioning for our trip up Africa. Contrary to…
Ineos Grenadier Rack and Storage from Front Runner
The Grenadier is starting to arrive in consumers’ hands in several markets worldwide, including Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Southern Africa (among others). Along with that comes rapid innovation of aftermarket accessories to complement this much-anticipated overland platform. Front Runner was one of the first to bring products to market, including their Slimline…
Introducing: Grand Touring on ExPo
Adventure takes many forms, from climbing mountains to crossing continents to the limits of adhesion through a mountain chicane. On Expedition Portal, we have covered all manner of human and vehicular exploration, which now includes the thrill of grand touring. Grand touring originated from the Italian phrase Gran Turismo, which was subsequently abbreviated to the…
GMC AT4 Sierra 1500 Duramax Overland Build
Editor’s Note: This GMC AT4 Sierra article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2023 Issue. For our first full-size project vehicle, we selected a half-ton GMC with their AT4 (all-terrain 4WD) package. The base Sierra is known for its quality of assembly, overall driver comfort, and 60,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty. In recent years, GM has…
Zero Breeze Portable Overland Air Conditioner
I took two months to explore the West in my AT4 Sierra with a Scout Kenai camper. The goal was to work and live in the slide-in nearly daily, with only occasional nights in other accommodations. For that to work, I needed a way to take a shower, pack out human waste, and to be…
Ineos Debuts the Grenadier Quartermaster Overland Pickup
For the overlander, the top hits keep coming, with OEMs releasing new “made for overlanding” models every month. We even have entire brands, like Ineos, dedicated to the needs of vehicle-based travelers. To confirm Ineos’ commitment to the segment, they have released their newest model, the Grenadier Quartermaster overland pickup. Key Specifications…
Overland Journal Announces Their Trans-Africa Journey with the Grenadier
Few places on the planet resonate with the adventurer like the African continent, from the vibrant cultures to the ancient civilizations, megafauna, and some of the most remote and inspiring landscapes on earth. Over the past two decades, we have been fortunate to circumnavigate the planet three times and cross all seven continents. For our…
Have We Found the Best Electric Vehicle for Overlanding?
Editor’s Note: This electric vehicle article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Electric overlanding is here and represents an exciting new option for vehicle-based travel. We are not suggesting that EVs will work for everyone, but they represent a compelling set of attributes that will target the needs of many adventurers. From the…
The New Overland Ready Lexus GX550 Overtrail
What an exciting time to be an overlander; the 4WD market is burgeoning with impressive offerings and more capability and capacity than ever. Toyota is the world’s largest auto manufacturer (by volume), working hard to retain its dominance as the most prolific and trusted producer of overland-ready models, even extending into their Lexus flagship brand….
Defender 90 Dreams—The Joys of the D90, and the Case For Less
Overlanding needs a diet, a boundary against bloating, fasting from fast, and a menu where minimal is maximal. When Aloha Wanderwell became the first woman to drive around the world, she used a Model T, which was 2WD, made 20hp, and had a top speed of 45mph. Somewhere along the way, everything got big, complicated,…
Grenadier Pricing and Availability Announced for North America, and It Was Worth the Wait
Overlanders have been on the edge of their seats to order the new Ineos Grenadier, with information coming out on availability, packages, options, and pricing. It feels like a dream that the Grenadier even exists at all in 2023, a premium and capable vehicle-based adventure platform made specifically for us. And now we know how…
Will the Overland Ready GMC Canyon AT4x Rule Them All?
Capability matters, and few manufacturers deliver. As most vehicles become more fragile, impossibly complex, and reliant on “appearance packages,” a few brands are bucking the trend and doubling down on authenticity. GMC is one of those brands; their entire culture is focused on trucks and SUVs, with their AT4x line squarely targeted to overlanders. GMC…