Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2018. What do you envision when you think of California? Shimmering oceans, warm beaches, and a stunning coastline? Perhaps towering redwoods or sparse deserts filled with Joshua trees? You wouldn’t be wrong to think of any of these things, but what if I told…
Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s traffic jams and red lights…
Organizational Alchemy
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2018. “Junk show” were the words used to describe one camper’s vehicle, the back seat and storage area a cascading pile of sagging Rubbermaid containers and crisscrossed bungee cords. While the words were harsh, the Internet, and community forums in particular, often show little…
Beast From The East: 1980 Unimog 416
“What?” I yelled back at Tom Henwood for the third or possibly fourth time since we left the shop. He laughed and handed me a headset to deaden the cacophony swirling around the cab. It helped, but to quote Uncle Lewis, the thing still sounded like “a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant.” Its…
Look Out Mercedes, Ford’s Releasing an AWD Transit Van in 2020
For quite some time now, Mercedes has enjoyed nearly unrivaled sales in the factory all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive van market. In fact, they have been so successful in the space that they have occasionally had trouble keeping up with demand, a problem Ford hopes to help them remedy by throwing their hat into the ring. That’s…
RawHyde Adventure Days 2019
If you haven’t heard of RawHyde’s Adventure Days yet, it is an overland and adventure motorcycle training event planned for February. Their location is about an hour north of Los Angeles in the beautiful Mojave Desert. This location provides easy access for all of our friends in the Southwest, especially SoCal.
Celebrating International Women’s Day
“…as woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.” -Virginia Woolf Six months ago I became the “woman behind the phone” managing the Women Overlanding the World Instagram account. On that site, I share tales and photographs sent from women adventuring all over the…
Treeline Outdoors Tamarack Constellation
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2018. Camping is one of the most enjoyable aspects of overland travel—nothing beats pulling up to a remote lake with no other vehicles or buildings in sight. Certainly, sleeping in the wild can be a simple affair, using a bedroll unfurled beneath the stars….
Expedition Portal Classifieds: Basecamp F550
When I was a kid, I remember seeing a mountain bike that I wanted more than anything in the world. It was green, my favorite color, with knobby tires, big shocks, and a price tag that seemed impossible to an elementary school student. Every time I went to the store with my parents, I would…
How to Prepare for an Overland Journey in the Depth of Winter
A sound made us look up from our screens. “What’s happening? Did you turn the heater off?” Coen asked me, since I was sitting next to the control panel. “No, I didn’t, but it is shutting down, isn’t it?” It was 11:00 p.m and we were quietly camped in a parking lot. To maximize the…
What We Have Learned From European Overlanders
We had the best seat in the house to witness the sunset and for the following day’s hot air balloon show, which was scheduled to arrive as the sun rose, a hundred multicolored balloons competing in an endless Turkish sky. Parked on the rim of a canyon overlooking Cappadocia in central Turkey, we watched bemused…
Overland Routes | New Mexico and the Continental Divide
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2017. When most people envision New Mexico, they picture the outlines of rocky plateaus, desert sunsets, and Native American culture. It’s understandable, as you can certainly find these things in abundance throughout the state, but there is also something more: the Continental Divide. Drivers…
Video of the Week: Bruder Jumps their EXP-4 and 200 Series
Most of us know that trailers don’t handle as well as vehicles off-road. Sure, advanced suspension systems with coil springs, airbags, and A-arms have improved their performance by leaps and bounds over the years, but they still tend to bounce and jar going down the trail. Apparently, Bruder didn’t get that memo though, because they…
ExPo Classifieds: 2013 Nissan NV 4×4
We’ve seen several excellent Nissan NV builds since the platform’s release, but this 2013 has to be one of our favorites. What began as a basic 3500 HD high-top cargo van has slowly been converted into a true overland vehicle, complete with all the niceties you’d want in a home on the road. The owner…
BRUDER EXP-4: A New Breed of Performance Trailer
Nearly three years ago, Expedition Portal took a look at the Bruder EXP-6, a stunning off-road trailer designed and built in Australia. It featured one of the best suspensions in the business, a luxurious interior, and global compatibility for sale anywhere in the world. You could say it made some waves in the industry, but…
Behind The Ice Roads
In our Winter 2018 issue, we ran a story about the new year-round road to Tuktoyaktuk, which replaced what was arguably the most famous ice road in the world. We mentioned how the new road provided a lifeline to the small community of Tuktoyaktuk, in an era of changing climate conditions and uncertain ice conditions….
GMC’s AT4 HD Takes Off-Road Full-Size
Just a few hours ago GMC revealed their all-new HD lineup on the shores of sunny San Diego, and they opened up the event in a big way, a very BIG way. Since towing is one of the main focuses of their HD line, they decided to roll out the 3500 HD Denali with a…
Roof Top Tents Vs Campers: The Pros and Cons
Four years. That is how long my family and I lived in a roof top tent. The four of us camped almost every day of those long years—cooking outside, living outside, and sleeping between walls of canvas. As the kids grew and our journey evolved from an adventure into a lifestyle, we realized that it…
First Test: The iKamper X-Cover Roof Top Tent
Innovation is a rarity, and quality is even more elusive, but this new roof top tent (RTT) from iKamper has them both in spades. At Expedition Portal, we were given the first access to this new tent and took the opportunity to use it in the field, digging into every feature and fabric looking for…
RAM Breaks 1,000 Pound-feet of Torque, but Kills the Last Full-size Manual
Yesterday will undoubtedly be a day remembered in the history books of heavy-duty trucks. For the first time ever, RAM has broken 1,000 pound-feet of torque with a factory full-size, ripping past their previous numbers, their competition’s numbers, and setting a new standard for performance. It’s all thanks to their 6.7-liter Cummins high-output, turbo-diesel, which…