I have more fingers and toes than there are fuses in my classic Land Rover. The engine has no electrical components save for the alternator and the glow plugs. Even the fuel delivery is mechanical. So, I take cues from my trusty Defender and try to keep my auxiliary electrical systems as simple as possible….
Kia Sorento X-Pro :: What Do You Want to Know?
This week, we’ll be getting our hands on the 2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro for a first drive. The X-Pro trim is Kia’s version of an off-road and adventure-oriented package for the three-row SUV, and it features 17-inch wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain rubber, a locking center differential, a revised skid plate, and a roof rack….
Overland Journal Podcast :: Melanie Rohr on Solo Travel, Cybersecurity, and Giving Back
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 182 Note: This episode of the Overland Journal Podcast aired on February 8, 2024 In episode 182 of the Overland Journal Podcast Host Scott Brady interviews Melanie Rohr from TerraByte on actionable considerations for solo travel, important adjustments to our cybersecurity posture, and the deep reward of giving back to the…
Will the Ram Rebel 2500 Overland? :: Video
Full-size Ram trucks are due for a big update. While the exterior design is distinctly modern (my favorite among the big pickups), and the interiors are generally top-notch (even if they lack some key features, like wireless charging), the HD models are still saddled with a previous generation 6-speed transmission and generally older mechanical tech….
Ineos Triumphs at the Alcan 5000
Expedition Portal contributors Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal knew they had a huge challenge ahead of them when they entered the 40th Anniversary Alcan 5000 Rally. The Lilienthal team (known also as Crankshaft Culture) are Alcan veterans, but this year would be different. The unpredictable road conditions, the tricky TSD (time-speed-distance) challenges, the brutal Arctic weather,…
Together Outdoors Announces Outdoor Pathway Scholarship Program
The Outdoor Diversity Alliance (ODA) and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s (ORR) Together Outdoors (TO) initiative are partnering to launch a new program designed to connect students from underrepresented communities to outdoor and environmental professions. The Outdoor Pathway Scholarship Program will provide students with $5000 in scholarship funding over two years, mentorship, and assistance with job placement in…
Talk Among the Stars :: Thuraya Skyphone
Several tech outlets have been reporting about the imminent release of UAE-based Thuraya’s Skyphone—a universal smartphone/satellite phone hybrid. Apple introduced satellite connectivity hardware in much more run-of-the-mill devices with the iPhone 14 but with only limited one-way messaging for emergencies. The Skyphone promises full integration of traditional terrestrial smartphone communication with two-way satellite messaging and…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Ultra Overlanders
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 185 Last summer, I had the privilege of enjoying three weeks behind the wheel of a 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor during my long-term review of the Tune M1 camper. As someone who is used to traveling in a Land Rover with a wheezy four-cylinder turbo-diesel, planning all my passes and resigning…
Field Testing the GMC Sierra 2500 AT4x AEV :: Video
There are some key characteristics of GMC’s new Sierra 2500 HD AT4x AEV Edition pickup that are particularly appealing for overlanders. The first is a robust 2,600 pounds of payload capacity. The second is the range of functional and well-thought-out AEV upgrades, like 18-inch AEV-branded Salta wheels wearing 35-inch hybrid tires, GVW-rated tow points on…
Crossing Continents Episode One with Scott Brady :: Video
Since last year, Overland Journal and Expedition Portal Publisher and CEO Scott Brady has been on a monumental multi-part expedition of East and Southern Africa in the new 2024 Ineos Grenadier. You may have been following the journey on Instagram. Currently in Kenya and searching for a way to cross Ethiopia (a sore sport for…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Jay Shapiro on Expedition Campers and Global Philanthropy
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 184 Scott Brady interviews Jay Shapiro, a technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has become a global citizen. Jay and his family have lived in Singapore, the USA, Canada, Mexico, India, and now Kenya on their overland journey of discovery. Jay and his wife Alice also operate numerous not-for-profit organizations providing support…
Harley-Davidson Pan America CVO Debuts for 2024
Harley-Davidson finds itself at yet another crossroads. Riding the first car on a perpetual financial roller coaster, H-D, through its own machinations as well as factors beyond its immediate control, always seems to be scrabbling for cash and grasping at an ever-diminishing market share. There’s no denying that in the abstract, the brand has staying…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Bruce Turner on Land Rovers and Overlanding Africa
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 183 Scott Brady interviews Bruce Turner of Overlanding with Bruce about his recommendations for hiring a Toyota Hilux to explore Southern Africa and his decades-long experiences traveling the African continent by Land Rover. In particular, Scott and Bruce discuss modern Land Rover Defenders and Bruce’s experience using these vehicles in remote…
Budapest-Bamako Rally Toils Toward Sierra Leone
Every two years, a new Budapest-Bamako Rally launches from organizer Andrew Szabo’s home city of Budapest, and the rally has grown by leaps and bounds since the inaugural event in 2005. The first stages of the 2024 Rally left Hungary’s capital on January 26, and theoretically, some percentage of the original 1,100 competitors will reach…
Tackle the Deserts with Driven to Extremes Sahara and Help Veterans with PTSD
The Land Rover Freelander is not exactly the first of the venerable British brand’s 4x4s that leap to mind if you’re planning a long overland journey or competing in a rally raid. However, Solihull’s first stab at a unibody SUV in the late 1990s was relatively advanced compared to its competition, despite lacking a low-range…
XOverland Africa Series Trailer Drops February 1
The release of a new XOverland film series is always a widely anticipated event in the overland world, and their latest adventure promises to be their most ambitious to date. Clay and Rachelle Croft, and the rest of the team dropped a handful of teaser trailers for the new series in the last couple of…
The Best Camp Stoves for Overlanding
People tend to fall into two—if you’ll pardon the expression—camps when it comes to cooking on backcountry adventures. There are those of us who see it as the penultimate drudgery, a distraction from what we really want to be doing on our overland expeditions, and a source of never-ending dishes that must be cleaned. Others…
RealTruck and Matchbox Team Up to Auction One-Off Gladiator for Charity
For those of us who grew up playing most days with die-cast cars and trucks, it’s not unusual to wonder what it would be like to have your own rig immortalized as a Matchbox. Now is your chance to find out—online automotive parts and accessories retailer RealTruck has teamed up with Mattel to build a…
Columbia Ready to Roam Collection :: Long-Term Review
Columbia’s Ready to Roam Collection is yet another signpost along overlanding’s winding road to the mainstream. The Portland, Oregon-based sportswear giant launched its adventure-travel-focused layers and outerwear last year, supported by a tire-tracked media campaign featuring lots of Jeeps and overland influencers from the depths of Instagram. The company even waded into the “What is…
Ford Maverick Tremor :: Review
Worlds are colliding. The ground is shaking. In the past, the spheres of all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive have been separate and very unequal. While capable enough in slippery conditions on regular roads, all-wheel drive has struggled for cred when the going gets really rough. Flimsy axles, part-time operation, and a conspicuous lack of both…