The silence of the Alvord Desert is all-consuming. The column of quiet that descends on the dry lakebed in the evenings reaches through you. Sounds that would be swallowed by the regular cacophony of a workaday wilderness are amplified, like they’ve been plugged into a Marshall stack—the rumble of a pickup truck on the county…
Rux Essentials Hybrid Storage :: Field Tested
Organization is a key component to enhancing your overland travel experience. From mapping out your route and menus to sorting your gear, having some semblance of a plan goes a long way toward boosting the fun factor. I have found that a little bit of organizing ahead of time even allows for more spontaneity in…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Next Meridian Expedition on the Importance of Finding Your Own Rhythm
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 197 Nick Chazee and Mathilde Vougny of Next Meridian Expedition are a French-Italian couple in the midst of a world tour in their Land Rover Defender. In this episode from the field, Nick, Mathilde, and host Ashley Giordano discuss the ins and outs of shipping a vehicle to Australia, top tips…
Rust To Glory – The Ultimate Overland Movie – Is Now Streaming
Rust To Glory redefines the overland adventure documentary genre by capturing the trials and tribulations of three unique teams and their unlikely vehicles as they tackle the world’s largest amateur rally, the Budapest-Bamako. “We wanted to show what it’s like to compete in this grueling overland rally in three junkyard rescues,” said Andrew G. Szabo,…
Ignik Topside and Flipside Heated Bedding :: Field Tested
Rest is one of the most underrated necessities of overland travel. One of the first pieces of advice I offer to new overlanders is to go all in on their sleep systems. Waking up refreshed with a comfortable eight hours on the pillow makes everything you do during the day that much more vibrant and…
BMW Marks 25 Years of the X5 with Special Off-Road Edition
Ah, BMW, the “ultimate driving machine,” but not necessarily a brand that leaps first to mind for rough-road prowess or as an overland platform. In fact, the BMWs we tend to cover on Expedition Portal have two wheels, not four. However, the Bavarian brand was among the first to stake a claim in the burgeoning…
Portable Fire Pits for Every Season
I learned to explore the outdoors when I was quite young, and one of my early mentors-in-adventure was a scoutmaster who was exceptionally cautious about when and where he built a campfire. “Every campfire needs the right campsite, but not every campsite needs a fire,” he would say. These are wise words to live by….
Overland Journal Podcast :: Clay Croft
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 197 Scott Brady interviews Clay Croft at the 2024 Overland Expo West, discussing his most recent adventure in Africa and travel with his family and team. They also discuss the importance of doing hard things and being gentle with ourselves in pursuing our goals. The conversation also delves into the security…
Tracks4Africa Founder Wouter Brand :: November, 22 1954 – June, 14 2024
Even if you’ve never traveled on the continent, you are likely familiar with Tracks4Africa, the pioneering crowd-sourced GPS mapping software and paper map publisher. Its co-founder, the enigmatic Wouter Brand, died last week at the age of 69. When GPS technology was made available to civilians at the end of the twentieth century, new travel…
Sinuhe Xavier on Adventure and the Meaning of Home and Fatherhood :: Video
Raising a son is like watching a fragment of yourself break free, stepping into the world on its own. With each word and each step he takes, he drifts further from you, molding you into who he’s destined to be. It’s like your heart is out there, navigating the world independently, evolving beyond your grasp….
The Realities of Solo Motorcycle Travel with Chasing Crystal :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 195 Crystal Fong is currently traveling on her 1990 Honda Dominator NX250 through Europe and beyond. In this podcast from the field, Crystal and host Ashley Giordano touch on the ups and downs of solo travel, how Crystal has created a sense of community by playing badminton around the globe, and…
Mitsubishi May Bring New Delica to the US by 2030
The third-generation Mitsubishi Delica is one of the darlings of the JDM import scene. In both diesel and petrol versions, the funky little van from the Land of the Rising Sun offers an arsenal of options that have huge appeal for overlanders around the globe. True 4WD with a low-range transfer case, high ground clearance,…
Apple Adds Satellite Messaging for iOS 18
Off-grid communication for remote travelers has taken a big step forward with a significant announcement from Apple at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). When iOS 18 for iPhones launches to the general public in September of this year, it will include seamlessly integrated satellite messaging in the iMessage app. Reportedly, both iMessage and SMS…
Far Fetched Adventures :: First Aid for Your Furry Friend
When I sat down for a plate of tacos with Overland Expo’s Director of Sales, Anthony Sicola, at Expo’s bustling food oasis in Flagstaff last month, I mentioned I was on the lookout for interesting organizations and people to feature on Expedition Portal. He told me I needed to drop in to see Stacey Thomas…
Crossing Continents Episode Four – Tanzania :: Video
For Crossing Continents episode four, Scott Brady continues his journey up the East of Africa, reconnecting with the Grenadier in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam. In part one of his Tanzanian adventures, Scott is joined by his girlfriend, Tavia, who embarks on her first international journey, learning to drive a right-hand-drive vehicle and navigate…
Global Adventures and Overland Journalism with Steve Edwards :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 194 Well, look who it is. Last month, I had the great privilege to chat with Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady at the Overland International headquarters in Arizona in the week running up to Overland Expo West. We covered a wide range of topics, including our overland origin stories, our…
Ineos Launches Arcane Works to Build Bespoke Grenadiers
In the world of modern luxury cars, customization is key. For example, Porsche offers a bewildering array of over 200 different configurations on their 911 model, and buyers generally spend over $20,000 on options alone when writing a check for one of those legendary sports cars. Porsche even offers entirely custom color options through its…
Djibouti Days :: Overland Journal Podcast
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 193 Host Scott Brady returns with Overland Journal Archaeology Senior Editor Bryon Bass to wrap up the African leg of Scott’s journey with the Ineos Grenadier across Africa. In this episode, they cover all the harrowing details of getting stuck at the border for three days between Ethiopia and Djibouti, the…
Overland Expo West 2024 :: More Gear
There are some subtle shifts happening at Overland Expo. With new owners since the middle of last year (Emerald Expositions, purveyors of huge industry events like Outdoor Retailer), the purpose and scope of the four yearly Expos are slowly moving. This was inevitable, given the sheer scale of Overland Expo now (especially the Flagstaff event)….
Overland Expo West 2024 :: Top Rigs
The 2024 edition of Overland Expo West was a blustery and wind-blown affair, in stark contrast to last year’s event which suffered one deluge after the other and was mired in mud for much of the weekend. Such is the variability of the weather in Arizona’s high country. But uncertainty from the skies does not…