I sat down and took a deep breath, desperately trying to clear my nerves. Our Zoom call gave a soft chime as parents and teachers logged on one by one. It’s not every day that a high school would consider supporting and helping pay for a month-long overland trip, much less an expedition consisting of…
The Scout Yoho Pop-up, One Happy Customer’s Tale
I still remember when the Scout camper was first announced, revealed to the world as a composite tan slide-in camper with minimal systems, and sold at an impressive value. I knew I wanted one. Then they announced the Kenai eight-foot model, and I was sold, placing an order and writing a check for the camper…
Doug and Stephanie Hackney’s Inspirational Overland Adventures
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady hosts special guests Doug and Stephanie Hackney, who share their incredible journey from high-powered careers to full-time explorers. They dive into their motivations behind choosing travel over material comforts, the challenges and rewards of overland adventures, and the importance of adaptability. The conversation also touches…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Leave No Trace and Winnebago on Reducing Travel Impact
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady engages with Mark Nevils from Winnebago and Brice Esplin from Leave No Trace to discuss the importance of responsible outdoor ethics, sustainable travel, and the impact of vehicle-based camping. They explore the principles of Leave No Trace, the significance of durable surfaces, and the role…
Max Adventure Announces Driven to Extremes Sahara 2025
“Going on a difficult expedition without Max Adventure is not a very good idea!” –Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE Explorer Max Adventure has announced its Driven to Extremes Sahara Expedition 2025 along the original Dakar Rally route. “Neither a race nor a rally,” the two-week, two-wheel drive desert trek is set for September 16 -25,…
Johan de Villiers on Overlanding the Board Room
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 219 Join Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady as he welcomes Johan de Villiers, an experienced traveler and CEO who has adventured across over 50 countries, climbed four of the seven summits, and explored most of Southern Africa by overland vehicle. Johan shares invaluable insights linking his overlanding experiences to business perspectives. In…
The Old Telegraph Track
Photography by Dan Grec and Katie Harris While technically in the driver’s seat, what I’m doing can’t reasonably be called sitting. With the Jeep nearly vertical, the steering wheel is directly below me, and I’m pushing back hard to keep my body off the dashboard and my back against the seat. I can barely see…
Chasing Hot Springs and Trout: An Overland Route Through Idaho
“You got your suit, right?” I asked my wife, Louise. “Yep. What about the fly rods?” she responded. We pack many necessities and equipment for an overlanding adventure, and a fly rod and swimsuit are required for any adventure in the “Potato State.” Idaho is an overlanding paradise, offering countless miles of forest roads, remote…
There’s No Place Like Home
Feature image by Kurt Windisch I am gazing upward at morning sunlight filtering through a canopy of moss-covered Douglas Fir and western red cedar trees, towering over a soft bed of needles and fuzzy pine cones they’ve strewn about, inviting me to abandon my sandals and walk from cooler to camp kitchen to tent, barefoot….
Southeastern Kazakhstan | Overland Routes
Photography by Coen Wubbels Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world as well as the largest Stan country of Central Asia, sharing borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Vast and empty, it’s possible to traverse more than 1,200 miles of continuous steppes, home to the traditional nomads who, until the Soviet…
Amongst Predators: Camp Safely in Unfenced Campsites Around Africa
Camping and self-driving in Africa’s national parks is one of the best ways to get to know the rhythm of the ecosystem. Each park on the safari circuit from South Africa to Kenya is different and unique in some way. What they mostly do have in common are the predators. Africa’s big cats stand at…
Van Conversion Companies :: Buyers Guide
Let’s be honest. Building your own camper interior is a real pain in the neck unless you are a qualified carpenter or a next-level ninja DIY’er with a full workshop of tools. An interior build is never as easy as it looks online, the costs are always double your budget, and the build is never,…
Lexus Announces Upgrades to the LH 700h, LX 600, and the Overtrail Grades
Since the redesigned Lexus GX launch in 2023, the premium off-roader has been making waves and turning heads. For 2025, Lexus is elevating its flagship SUV lineup by introducing the LX 700h and the new Overtrail grade, along with updates to the LX 600. This expansion showcases Lexus’ commitment to diverse customer preferences, especially with…
How I Fell In Love With Winter Overland Travel
Standing on the frozen Arctic Ocean, clad from head to toe in winter gear, my beard froze as my convoy mate informed me that it was -50°F in Tuktoyaktuk, where my overland vehicle was parked. A grin spread across my face, and I felt a wave of satisfaction and tempered elation course through my warm…
Jan and Leoné Vorster – A Life of Daring and Adventure
To this day, Jan and Leoné Vorster still live in a leafy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, mere miles from where I was born and mostly raised. But, before I was conceived, this Afrikaner couple had already traveled far and wide and achieved what most, even today, consider near impossible. Jan and Leoné traveled overland…
All Wheel Drive (AWD) vs. Four Wheel Drive (4WD), What’s the Difference, Really?
We’ve all been there: navigating your heavily modified 4WD along a twisting, mildly challenging trail or remote track, feeling like a modern-day Camel Trophy adventurer, maybe even in low range (because, why not?). Then, you round a corner and, to your dismay, find yourself face to face with an AWD Subaru Outback, a Honda CR-V,…
Five Tips to Help Plan Your Next Overland Trip
Photography by Richard Giordano Being on the road full-time means I’m in a constant state of trip planning. The process has become so natural it runs on autopilot in the background, between fuel station visits, grocery shopping trips, and scrolling the Park4Night app for some creature comforts and facilities. I love gathering tidbits about everything…
Potjie2Pint’s Land Rover Defender 130 : Feature Vehicle
In 2012, Marjan (a skilled Dutch chef) and her partner, Patricia (an astute Belgian financial business analyst), embarked on a transformative journey. They relocated from Europe to the sublime coastal town of Hermanus, South Africa, with a dream to infuse a touch of Belgium into their new surroundings. Their entrepreneurial spirit led to establishing a…
Peak Evolution Sets Solar EV Altitude World Record
The Swiss Peak Evolution team recently set a new world record for the highest elevation achieved in a solar-powered electric vehicle by driving up to 21,325 feet (6,500 meters). The current land vehicle altitude record is held by French race driver Romain Dumas (three-time 24-hour Le Mans winner), driving an off-road adapted Porsche 911 powered…
Rooftop Tent Skills — Buy, Bolt-on, and Bug Out
In this age of hyperbuilt and overcomplicated overland vehicle builds, it is all too easy to forget that, above all else, your build should be affordable, practical, and straightforward. The rooftop tent (RTT) is not a new invention; we have all seen the images of overland vehicles built in the early 20th century equipped with…