Someone I know who has been in the adventure travel industry for many years told me that we are currently in a “creativity crisis.” He thinks we’re stuck in a rut and that very few truly new ideas have been filtering into the overland world lately. I had this claim front and center in my…
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The Rigs of Overland Expo West 2026
I only had one day to cover Overland Expo West this year, so I had to make it count. Luckily, that day was Friday, historically a quieter time on the grounds of Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona, so there was plenty of space and time to wander the parking lots, vendor area, and…
LifeStraw Escape Water Purifier :: Field Tested
The LifeStraw Escape is a hard-wearing, 20-liter water-purification solution designed to pressurize via a built-in hand pump—no electricity required. This system stores raw water in a thick-walled, barrel-shaped tank (18 x 13.75 inches) with a spigot, providing a self-contained water supply setup for contexts where water safety is paramount. At its core is a three-stage…
Easy on the Eyes: The Best Lighting for Every Campsite
The human eye has over 120 million specialized cells dedicated to processing light waves. Called photoreceptors, these cells are commonly known as “rods and cones,” and the shapes determine both how we process color and how we see in dim or bright light. Translating the physical phenomena of light into electrical and chemical signals in…
Featherweight Gifts for Your Over-GVWR Champion
Groaning springs, nose in the air, the struggle to the top of the next hill, always bringing up the rear, thirsty at the pump—we all know that traveler in our lives who could use some gear that lightens the load. Whether on two wheels or four, reducing avoirdupois reaps many benefits, not least safety. As a vehicle’s mass…
First Drive :: 2026 Subaru Outback
Near the summit of 7,800-foot Mingus Mountain in central Arizona is one of the country’s most well-known paragliding launch pads. From a dizzying precipice near a stand of communications towers, pilots from the Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (AZHPA) run for a few very meaningful steps down a grassy slope before launching themselves into…
Aprilia and Backcountry Discovery Routes Team Up for the Lost Coast BDR-X
The name says it all: The Lost Coast. You might think California is played out and too crowded, but America’s third largest state still has plenty of remote terrain to explore, and lots of places to lose yourself—especially on two wheels. The tucked-away corner of the Golden State’s northern shoreline known as the Lost Coast…
Desk to Glory Launches “Why We Overland” 6-Part Film Series
If you cast your mind back a little more than a decade ago, when Instagram had barely come on the scene, TikTok was the sound a clock made, and XOverland had only uploaded a handful of videos to YouTube, you may remember a time when blogs reigned supreme. As my own long-term travel ambitions began…
Field Tested :: Ruroc Eox Rebel Pilot Helmet and Cardo Shockwave Mesh Comms
I don’t presume to be a Jedi Knight, but I confess that every time I swing a leg over my BMW and strap on the Ruroc Eox Rebel Pilot helmet, I channel a little bit of the Force. I usually prefer a helmet with solid, bright colors rather than busy graphics, but when Ruroc offered…
EICMA 2025 Roundup
EICMA 2025 wrapped up last week with a fairly modest roll-out of ADV models and updates. Besides the bombshell from Norton, and BMW and CFMoto’s new offerings for 2026/2027, we saw the launch of the BSA Thunderbolt (likely a UK- and Europe-only model), a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 special edition and Flying Flea EVs (but…
Field Dented :: 2026 Ram 1500 Warlock
Orange and blue are on opposite sides of the color wheel; this is a major reason why photography from the desert Southwest is often so striking. The eye immediately registers the high variance between the two hues—the tangerines and vermillions of sandstone and soil set against the azures and cobalts of a deep and arcing…
BMW, CFMoto, and… Norton? ADV Updates from EICMA
The worst-kept secret for this year’s EICMA show in Milan is the official debut of BMW’s F 450 GS flyweight adventure bike, but some of the particulars raised a few eyebrows. CFMoto has gone bigger rather than smaller with its new 1000 MT-X, and the real head-snapper is the return of the venerable Norton brand…
Moto News Roundup :: Kawasaki Middleweight, KTM Updates, Alpinestars ADV Gear, EICMA
In our Moto News Roundup for October, Bajaj makes some big decisions about KTM production, Kawasaki teases their newest ADV offering in the middleweight class, Alpinestars debuts new riding gear, Suzuki keeps updating the V-Strom range, and EICMA 2025 is on the horizon. Bajaj Mulls Moving KTM Production to India The continuing saga of Austria’s…
Lighter, Faster, More Powerful :: 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally
The update for the 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally that really jumps off the page is 147 pounds. This is Ducati’s claimed weight for the 1,158 cc V4 Granturismo engine that cranks out 170 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 91 pound-feet of torque at 9,000 rpm. For quick context, a 1,200 cc engine from a…
First Drive :: 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness
Subaru is rolling out a raft of updated and refreshed models for the 2026 model year. The Japanese manufacturer took the wraps off a redesigned Outback and Outback Wilderness earlier this year (to mixed reviews of its aggressive styling), and the 2026 Crosstrek gets a hybrid version that addresses nearly all the shortcomings of the…
First Drive :: 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
In southern Washington state near the slopes of the recently dormant (in geological terms, at least) Mt. Adams volcano, there is a seemingly endless network of old logging roads. They criss-cross over the boundaries of the Yakama Indian Reservation to the east and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the west. Logging roads always seem…
2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness :: What Do You Want to Know?
This week we have the opportunity to test drive the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness for the first time. This is an important car for Subaru, as the Forester from year to year usually vies with the Outback for the top sales spot in their lineup. With big changes in both style and price for the…
The View from the Passenger’s Seat :: Taylor Pawley on the Rebelle Rally and the Navigator’s Life
Taylor Pawley has racked up some serious hardware as a navigator in the Rebelle Rally over the years, including a second-place overall in 2020 and first-place overall in 2019 with her driver for the upcoming 2025 event, Rachelle Croft. But co-drivers might be the most unsung people in motorsport—toiling for hours behind the scenes to…
Field Tested :: Bōte Inflatable Camp Furniture
Bōte is a rapidly growing company that specializes in inflatable and portable watercraft, especially stand-up paddle boards and kayaks, as well as other hybrid-style boats and skiffs. In recent years, they’ve expanded their inflatable technology to other gear segments, especially camp furniture. It may seem gimmicky at first glance, but inflatables are coming into their…
Moto News Roundup :: Ural Neo 500, Klim ADV Gear, Mosko Luggage, and BDR Updates
In our Moto News Roundup for September, Klim touts its new ADV riding gear for women, Mosko’s Alpine 60L is its lightest luggage yet, Ural returns to one-wheel-drive, and Backcountry Discovery Routes launches another BDR-X route in the Texas Hill Country and teams up with onX for navigation support. Klim’s ADV Gear Line for Women…