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….
Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody and Summit Grid Tunic Hoodie :: Field Tested
Mountain Hardwear has been around since 1993, and is based out of Richmond, California, where they operate out of a former Ford Motor Company assembly plant. Columbia Sportswear took the helm in 2003 when they acquired the brand, but the “focus on the mountain, not the masses” ethos continues to drive the company after 30…
Rebelle Rally Run with Expedition Portal’s Paula Burr
Registration is already open for the 2024 Rebelle Rally competition, an eight-day, 2,500-kilometer slog through the California and Nevada deserts by map and compass. Founded in 2015 by Emily Miller, it’s the first women’s endurance off-road rally and the longest competitive off-road navigation rally in the United States. Self-described as a “movement built on community…
2023 Overlanders of the Year :: Mali Mish
Dan and Marlene, along with their three children, Ava, Mila, and Luka, travel the world in their 170 Mercedes Sprinter van. The journey began 16 years ago when the couple chose to bundle up 10-month-old Ava and hit the road, towing a 25-foot Airstream as their first casa on wheels. Epiphanies came in waves on…
2023 Chevy Colorado 4WD Trail Boss
The revolving door on test vehicles is constantly in motion at our office in Prescott, Arizona. This fall, for the first time that I can recall, we found ourselves with an extra without an editor. I was headed to the mountain town of Bisbee for the weekend, and even though most of my miles would…
SylvanSport Cloud Layer Sleep System—Field Tested
SylvanSport has a diverse lineup of camping products and accessories, ranging from tents and campers to its new Vast travel trailer, as well as camp kitchens and the SylvanSport Cloud Layer Sleep System, all of which have had their fair share of accolades. The company was founded in 2004, fueled by the impetus to create…
Destinations :: Backland—Beyond Glamping
Located 20 minutes outside Williams, Arizona, Backland is an eco-resort nestled amid Kaibab National Forest. Consisting of 160 private acres of heaven on the old Moose homestead, large meadows and marshland are flanked by ponderosa pines, all under the protective eyes of the San Francisco Peaks. Driven by a vision to provide a lodging experience…
Living the Snow Peak Way
Snow Peak is self-described as a gathering brand; its products are designed to facilitate an appreciation and connection with nature for the sake of it—nothing more. Established as a climbing company in Japan in 1958 by Yukio Yamai, Snow Peak’s evolution quickly moved to car camping products, followed by their entry into outdoor apparel. After…
Katadyn BeFree 1.0L
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Swiss maker Katadyn has been producing personal water treatment systems for over 90 years, and the brand is well-known in various outdoor segments. While the BeFree is not new, I recently found myself comparing water filters for an upcoming backpacking trip. In terms…
Field Tested :: Sans Meal Bars
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. I found Sans Meal Bars when searching for backpacking edibles to munch on while hiking. They had great reviews, a clean ingredient list, and appealing flavors such as Mint Cacao and Coconut Almond Butter. They also have a social mission, “Buy Meals, Give…
Kate’s Real Food Meal Bars
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. Kate Schade started her own energy bar company back in 2010 to feed her active lifestyle in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and her Tram Bar became an instant hit on the slopes. Today, tantalizing flavors such as Dark Chocolate Mint, Mango Coconut, Dark Chocolate…
Xero Z-Trail Sandals
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2021 Issue. Xero shoes come from the natural movement school of thought, otherwise referred to as minimalist. The idea is that you need not put your feet in a cast of immobility (i.e., shoes structured with arch support or other orthotic notions) but instead…
New Launch: Erem Xerocole Desert Hiking Boots
Erem is a new brand with a new look, established by a father and son: Jeff Swartz (former CEO of Timberland, the company founded by his grandfather) and Noah Swartz, who developed his MBA muscles at Harvard. As third- and fourth-generation shoemakers, the duo used their passion for the desert to inspire their latest creation,…
2021 Bronco Badlands Edition
I am smitten. But this is no fly-by-night love affair—it’s complicated. It all began nearly 40 years ago when I caught a ride with a friend in her dad’s Bronco. I don’t recall where we were or what we were doing, but it made an impression on me. A two-tone orange and white box on…
Modern Explorers: Justin Coffey & Kyra Sacdalan
Embracing adventure, one day at a time.
Living Legend :: Lois Pryce
Smitten with life, UK adventuress Lois Pryce has always been on the move. At 13 years of age, an unchaperoned, week-long trip on bicycles through Cornwall’s back roads with friends introduced her to the possibilities of travel by design. And also to the idea of minimalist travel, taking shelter where you can find it, and…
Meet Aloha Wanderwell, the first woman to drive around the world
The year was 1922, and the casualties of WWI were still fresh in everyone’s minds, contributing to a nothing more to lose attitude of the public at large. The women’s suffrage movement had just succeeded in 1920 of obtaining the right to vote, and if you were a woman, your job opportunities, aside from motherhood,…