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….
Tena Overacker Archive
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…
Where Can Your Volvo Go?
Our expedition car is ready—time for a last check on the roof rack. Our Volvo 240 seems to be from another world among the urban cars in Brussels. The car is heavy, and we have some doubts about the rear suspension. Let’s go! It’s too late to change our plans. Direction: Tehran in Iran. Our…
Exploring Madeira
The whine of the engine rose a few octaves as Gonzolo gunned it around the tight corner. On both sides of the road, the faded white tops of the crenelated retaining wall flew by. Each concrete block looked woefully inadequate to even slow the progress of our battered white van should we lose control, much…
A Fine Line
Leaving is hell, especially on dreary, dismal days, which only rush the hemorrhaging of bleeding hearts and heighten the tension of departure. “The traveler’s guilty pleasure is staying home,” wrote Paul Theroux, and those words came to me as I stood looking out at the dripping leaves and grey sky of morning. It had been…
Driving Through China’s Red Tape
Giampiero’s Defender, on the desolate tracks of Xinjiang near Hami. It was early September. After months of organizing, preparation, group calls, and visa applications, it was still an arresting moment to exit Mongolia and drive through the barriers at the Chinese border. To drive from Europe to China still seemed inconceivable, even though we…
Suzuki Samurai – The Perfect Overland Machine
Overlanding the world has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Initially, my dreams started out quite small and humble—biking through Europe. Then they morphed into motorbiking all across the USA. This dream, fed on a steady diet of Instagram feeds, blogs, and various magazines, grew to the point that…
Making a Case for the Wild Places
The wildlands of the Judaean desert are a far cry from the dense complexity of Ramallah. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2020 Issue. A few years ago, I found myself on a long-disused track in the wastelands of Sudan. Over 200 kilometres from real civilisation, my team and I…