Necessity is the mother of invention, and quite often, the best-selling products offer solutions to everyday problems. I’d not heard of Rumpl Blankets before writing this piece, but within 10 minutes, I was sold. Rumpl began their journey “in the back of a van,” where on a surf/ski trip through California, the founders awoke to…
Club Ride Apparel
Club Ride is “mountain lifestyle clothing,” designed from a biking perspective but intentionally made to be multi-functional. Founder Mike Herlinger wanted to “create clothing that spoke to the lifestyle led by the mountain bikers, hikers, raft guides, and ski bums creating their own opportunities in mountain towns.” Ten years later, Club Ride has spearheaded the…
UBCO 2X2 App
As someone obsessed with cycling and overlanding, I’ve watched with interest as more electric bikes have come to market. I’m particularly intrigued by products that bridge the gap between bicycle and motorbike, thus offering comparable speed to a moped, without the weight or emissions. I truly believe that this style of bike will dominate city…
Briter Products: Innovating Solar and Lithium for the RV Industry
In the world of RVs, electricity has historically been produced by onboard generators or delivered from shore power hookups, but both of these options are slowly going the way of the dinosaurs. Thanks to improvements in solar panel efficiency and lithium battery technology, more and more RVers are making the switch to solar and enjoying…
Driving a Solar-powered EV from Alaska to South America with Route Del Sol
Photos by Joel Gregory Hayes & Keegan Taccori, Courtesy RouteDelSol.com In the world of unique camper builds, there is an almost infinite pool of inspiring vehicles out there. Trust me, I’ve done a lot of digging online and across social media, and I’m still surprised on an almost weekly basis by what I come…
Featured Campervan Upfitter :: West Coast Adventure Vehicles
Based in Oroville, California, West Coast Adventure Vehicles believes that their campervan conversions “have the power to save our favorite, wild spaces.” It’s a bold statement, but when you consider the impact that even just a few small groups can have on a campsite, trampling vegetation underfoot or under tents, you can start to see…
Why I Shoot Adventures in Film
I bought my first 35mm film camera from a charity shop on the outskirts of London for £20, a Canon AE-1, along with a note from the previous owner: ‘Take good care of me, I’ve been on many adventures, and hope to see many more’. It came into my life at a time when I…
Lets Go Aero, Nelson Trailer Adapter
Necessity is the mother of invention, and at Let’s Go Aero (LGA), it was all the motivation they required to launch their first product in 1998, the Gearwagon AT ‘Herman’ Sport Performance trailer. It was a light and enclosed trailer that could carry five bicycles, among other gear, and still be pulled by a Volkswagen…
Featured Travel Trailer :: Polydrop P17A
The first Polydrop trailer was designed in 2017 and launched in 2019 with the goal of offering unparalleled thermal efficiency so that users could remain comfortable in both hot and cold environments. The cabin of the first trailer was constructed from a wooden frame, with 8.2 inches of foam insulation encased in an aluminum skin….
ARB Bushranger Exhaust Jack
Up up and away! The latest version of ARB’s Bushranger is the inflatable saviour we all need. This ingenious recovery solution has a long history in Australia, and in the words of ARB, ‘is an essential piece of equipment that should never be far away in case of emergency.’ Well, the company has taken this…
Trasharoo
My first impressions of the Trash-a-roo? Rubbish, it holds lots of it. This ingenious overlanding solution, created by California Tape Products, offers seamless garbage management on the road. Moreover, this is a product with environmental motivations. C.T.P President Dave Druck states: “There isn’t a single one of us who is against the ‘Tread Lightly’ philosophy”,…
KC Hilites Flex Era 4
There are very few vehicle accessory companies with such a long-standing reputation for quality as KC Hilites. Moreover, the designs and performance of their latest products have overlanders like me transfixed, jaw agape, breathless like a deer in Flex Era 4 spots! I remember purchasing my VW Syncro and immediately (childishly) investing in four cheap…
RacksBrax Mounting Brackets Now Available in the US From Adventure Imports
Family-owned Australian company RacksBrax offers an innovative accessory mounting system that allows for the quick removal (10-seconds or less) of roof-rack mounted accessories like recovery boards, jacks, and now awnings too. And the exciting news for US-based customers is that RacksBrax products are now available for the first time in North America from Prescott, Arizona-based…
Featured Off-road Trailer :: Beaver Built Adventure Trailers
Beaver Built Adventure Trailers, based in Airdrie, Alberta, is located just over an hour east of Banff National Park in central Canada’s spectacular Rocky Mountains. Robbie Cunningham, one of the co-founders of Beaver Built, created the company out of necessity. He was looking for an off-road trailer that was comfortable for backcountry adventures and rugged…
Bikepacking Bedtime
On a bikepacking trip or any strenuous human-powered adventure, you depend on a good night’s sleep. I can’t tell you how miserable it is to spend a night unable to rest through discomfort, and then forcing yourself over a mountain range the next day. Lack of sleep, combined with hunger and dehydration, is a first-class…
Episode 36 The Best Overland Gear of 2020
Show notes for episode 36 Summary: Join Matt and Scott as they discuss the overland industry challenges and opportunities of 2020, along with their favorite overlanding equipment, 4WDs, and motorcycles. Host Bios: Scott Brady Scott is the publisher and co-founder of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal, and is often credited with popularizing overlanding in North…
Overland News of the Week
Mac’s Tie Downs Monkey Face Mac’s Tie Downs’ latest offering is a nifty little device called the Monkey Face, designed to make securing cargo even simpler for folks with stake pockets. The .375-inch laser-cut steel tie-down interface is welded to a .1875-inch square steel tube (which secures in stake pockets with an included linchpin), and…
Leatherman Rebar
Prehistoric man required the bare essentials: water, food, shelter, fire, and the latest multi-tool. Humans, like moths to a flame, cannot resist their primitive urge for a pocketable device concealing many tools. In such an instance, Steve, a mid-level IT consultant, happily married, with three kids and a Prius, can be found in the garden,…
Field Tested :: Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8 x 25 Binoculars
Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8 x 25 Binoculars Fuss and bother are two elements I can live without when it comes to gear, and these binoculars from Nocs Provisions, lovingly conceived in San Francisco’s Citadel of Excitement, fit the bill. First off, they come in a small, recycled cardboard box put together without glue—easy to…
Featured Campervan Upfitter :: Boulder Campervans
In the world of upfitters offering fully custom campervan builds, there are a handful of businesses that stand out from the crowd, and Boulder Campervans is one. Founded by Anna and Brian Crider in Boulder, Colorado, this business is the culmination of the couple’s life-changing experience living and traveling full time in a campervan. After…