When VSSL released its Nest Pour-over kit in early 2024, promising a bombproof, go-anywhere all-in-one solution to coffee on the go, it faced long odds as a substitute for my evolved camp kit: the Lardera Chestnut C2 Max hand grinder, Hario V60 metal dripper and stainless Able Kone filter. This durable and lightweight combination has…
Yakima EXO System :: Field Tested
When I first laid eyes (digitally) on Yakima’s new EXO system, I was a skeptic. The modular setup certainly seemed groundbreaking, a dual-platform design that could carry all sorts of gear configurations, hauling bicycles, a camp kitchen, and a storage box on two levels mounted to a hitch rack. The company has, of course, run…
Thule Approach Rooftop Tent :: Field Tested
I was sure I’d never have to pay any attention to rooftop tents. Why devote precious cargo-hauling space to a place to sleep when ground tents take up such a small footprint inside of a car and can be set up in minutes? Plus, I had a built-out camper van with a comfortable bed in…
Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro :: Field Tested
It’s a rare product that changes everything about the way you travel. The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro did just that in ways that continually surprise me. I spent six months building out (well, overseeing the build of) my 2018 Ram Promaster, which is outfitted with three stellar 100ah batteries from the Utah Company Lion…
Camper Van Essentials
Editor’s Note: This camper van essentials article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2023 Issue. Eight years ago, I overstuffed the biggest suitcase I owned and lugged way too much clothing, shoes, and gear to Vienna. I’d landed a journalism fellowship and a portal to Europe and spent much of the coming year exploring,…
Chasing Singletrack in Utah
The trip began with a bust; a crunch, rather. I’d slung a nifty laundry tube from Radius Outfitters over the headrest of the driver’s seat in my Ram Promaster, wedging it carefully between that and the kitchen wall behind me. But when I hopped in the van for the first leg of an autumn journey…