When Lexus launched the GX back in 2003, I doubt that anyone on their team would have guessed it was destined to become one of the overland industry’s most popular platforms. It was comfortable, quiet, and refined, not the sort of vehicle you’d select to kick up dust on an old backroad. Yet enthusiasts all…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: HZJ77 Pop-Top Land Cruiser
Today’s classified is something pretty special. Not only are you looking at one of the few HZJ77s here in the states, but this one is freshly completed with a pop-top and custom camper interior. The seller states that this specific truck was being outfitted for rental service here in the USA, and as you’d expect…
Overland News :: Dream Job in Colorado
Big Bucks for Working in a Western Paradise News Posting: Grand Junction, CO, April 22, 2019-incredible opening in Grand Junction, Colorado for the Executive Position of City Parks and Recreation Director. It does not get much better at $125,000-$140,000 a year for a low stress, time and holiday packed time off executive position with your…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 2006 4Runner
The fourth generation 4Runner is one of my favorite used four-wheel drives. They’re rock-solid vehicles with bulletproof drivetrains, look great when properly built, and the slightly older body style doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention while traveling. The biggest challenge these days is finding a clean one that hasn’t been driven into the ground,…
Field Tested: KLIM Badlands
KLIM updates their classic adventure suit with new armor and a more refined style.
The State of Overlanding: Preservation, Treading Lightly, and the Instagram Influx
In 2018, environmentalism, conservation, and preservation are common terms. Most of us are aware of the damage society has inflicted on the natural treasures we love, and, in turn, we make conscious efforts to save these wonders. But it wasn’t always so. Back in the late sixties, pollution was rampant, lake and rivers were treated…
The Last “New” XV-JP
Some years back EarthRoamer made a small batch of vehicles they called the XV-JP. These Jeep Wrangler based campers included all of the luxuries you’d want for comfortable road living wrapped in a surprisingly compact and capable package. It was an extremely cool concept, but unfortunately the platform never took off, and they were soon…
First Test: New 2018 Gear from MSR, Therm-a-Rest, and Seal Line
My wife likes to chide me for my ability to generate bad ideas. When I told her I was going to squeeze in one last bikepacking trip to the high peaks of Colorado just as winter storms are likely to crush my route—I realized she might have a point. The truth is, I love the…
Happy Holidays
As we round the final bend into 2018, we wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. Wherever you are, whatever you’re celebrating, and whoever you’re celebrating it with, we hope you’re making memories as warm and inviting as a campfire on a…
Bikepacking: Field Repairs, Tools, and Spares
Whether you’re just heading out for a quick fitness ride or traversing a continent, every rider must be ready for the mechanical woes that frequently disrupt an otherwise perfect bike ride. No matter how well maintained your bike is, there’s still a chance something wildly unexpected could happen like having a squirrel dive into your…
Miners and Cannibals: Pedaling the Passes of Southern Colorado.
With a continual torrent of rain and grapple pelting my rainfly I burrowed deeper into my sleeping bag. I had been holed up in my little nylon sanctuary for several hours and the steady assault levied by an early winter storm indicated I had many more hours to go. I didn’t care. I had a…
Dodging Gunboats and Taming Elephants
Deep into the Colombian savanna, a ragtag team of adventurers get caught in a quagmire of mud, sand, piranha, and gunboats.
Trail Tested: Topeak’s Latest Kit for Bikepacking Adventures
As some of you know, I ride my bike nearly every day and have for the last 3 decades. For half of those years, I have pumped up my tires before each ride with a Topeak Joe Blow Pro floor pump. On every ride, I carry a 17-year-old Topeak Alien multi-tool, and my many Race…
Field Tested: Rocky Mounts BackStage Swing-Out Hitch Rack
Hitch-mounted bike rack systems with integrated swing-out pivots are not new, but most of them up to this point have been of the less desirable hang-and-dangle style with the bikes draped over two rack arms. Most riders, myself included, much prefer the tray style racks which clamp only to the front wheel and accommodate a…
I Can. I Will. Women Overlanding the World
Before we left, we were repeatedly discouraged by others and by the media. Everyone said these were not safe countries for women to travel in, that a trip like this would be too physically demanding for women, one person even said we would come home in pine boxes. Despite these messages, we overcame our fears and…
Bikepacking: Maintenance Tips for a Fuss-free Trip
When bikepacking started to gain momentum roughly 10 years ago, concerns over bike reliability were not just overstated, they were wildly overblown. The reality is, most bikepacking trips clock in at well under 500 miles—if not fewer than 200. If your bike can’t survive a week of use without catastrophic failure, you need to rethink…
First Ride: REI Co-Op DRT 2.1 Mountain Bike
Although it had been around for ages, it was high time for REI to retire the Novara bicycle line. Discerning cyclists never really warmed to the label, quick to dismiss it as an entry-level house brand. To be fair, that is essentially what it was. For 2017, REI made the decision to give their bike department…
Bikepacking: The What, Why, and How to Pack
I break down my gear list from soup to nuts.
Field Tested: Rocky Mounts SwitchHitter
With the proliferation of wagons, crossovers, and SUVs, the hitch rack has become the most ubiquitous type of bike hauler, but there are still occasions when a roof-mounted bike rack is preferred. For long road trips I tend to portage my bikes aloft as it frees up the back of my car providing unfettered access…
White Rim in a Day
The word “epic” gets thrown around way too much these days in the adventure realm – and rarely is it used accurately. But there are quite a few truly epic one-day mountain bike rides in this country for which the word is spot on, and the White Rim Trail (WRT) in Moab Utah is a…