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…
Airstream REI Basecamp 16X :: Field Tested
Since our overland vehicle is also a daily driver, packing and preparing for spontaneous trips has been cumbersome. My family is forced to choose between comfort, preparedness, and the simple ease of minimalism. In the last decade, a new class of capable overland camp trailers has mitigated this trade-off. We now store all of our…
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…
Behind the Scenes With Alu-Cab
This summer, I visited Alu-Cab’s headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. What struck me the most about the experience was the sheer size of the operation. Whisked from facility to facility, building to building, and introduced to the multi-step manufacturing process that lies behind each Alu-Cab product, I realized just how large the company is….
The Self-Propelled L1 Long Range Lightship is an All-Electric RV Built For Road Tripping
From an overlanding point of view, the Lightship L1 is, in its current form, limited in terms of practical travel unless utilized as a base camp (of the Lightship models available, only the L1 Long Range is self-propelled). However, the technology and design of this self-propelled trailer interest us most, as well as the possibility…
Overland News of the Week
Overland Home Launches Overland International’s co-owner and designer Stephanie Brady has launched a new business called Overland Home. Overland Home aims to provide beautiful, unique, and well-designed products from artisans around the globe with a focus on natural materials and time-honored techniques. All artisans sourced from are paid fair wages, which means when you purchase…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Principles of Overlanding—Overland and Expedition Trailers
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 175 Did you know that Expedition Portal articles about overland, expedition, and off-road trailers are among the most popular on the website? It’s one of the hottest segments in the overland industry—from tiny teardrops to massive multi-axle toy haulers, there have been incredible leaps in technology across the board in the…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Spain
Photography by Richard Giordano It might sound cliché, but Spain is truly a country with something for everyone. An easy jumping-off point to France and Portugal, Northern Africa, the British Isles, or beyond, Spain’s convenient location makes it accessible for most overlanders traveling in Europe. While milder wintertime temperatures provide an escape for those from…
On the Rocks: Outdoor Barware for the Happiest of Happy Hours
Lead photo by Richard Giordano I view cocktail-making as a gesture of love. There’s care involved: slicing citrus, preparing ingredients, sourcing ice cubes, shaking or stirring. Time, a precious commodity, is also required. Your personal preferences are attended to. Two shots or one? Too sweet or not enough? The casual mixologist, often a friend or…
Freedom Campers
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the Freedom Campers Unimog 2.0, and our socials were inundated with likes, loves, and comments. The great news is that Freedom Campers, based in Dubai, have created not only one of the most drool-worthy Unimogs on the planet but also a stable of overland vehicles, which are all…
Soft-shell Rooftop Tent :: Buyers Guide
Soft-shell rooftop tents have a long history, dating back almost as far as the invention of vehicles to which they could be attached. The concept of a canvas roof tent may have been inspired by the covered wagons that played a crucial role in trade and travel for centuries. There’s something undeniably charming about a…
The Tufport Overlander Slide-in is Lightweight and Built with Heritage
When purchasing a camper, you simply cannot underestimate the value of experience. Tufport, based in Delta, British Columbia, has specialized in manufacturing industrial-grade truck slide-in units and van tops for the last 50 years. Their products include custom van interior installations, the Adventure slide-in for pickups, the Medical Mobile Treatment Centre (MTC) slide-in for workplace…
Boxio Portable Sink and Toilet :: Field Tested
Photography by Richard Giordano Boxio Portable Camping Sink Established in Germany, Boxio manufactures stackable toilets and sinks made from recycled plastics. Inspiration struck while founder Arvid was building a tiny house for his family. Composting toilets in Europe were expensive and complicated, so with the help of his co-founders and a couple of engineers, a…
Overland News of the Week
Halite Void Pro Bag First up is overland news from Halite. If you’re not familiar with the Norwegian brand, check out Graeme Bell’s Kraken and Void Bags Field Test. The company recently announced its Void Pro Bag which features intuition foam in shoulder straps for additional comfort, 1000-denier Cordura fabrics, two external zippered pockets (and…
The Innovative SylvanSport Vast Travel Trailer Is a Family-Basecamp
Base camping is the overland equivalent of having your cake and eating it. What better way to get the whole family motivated to get out and explore than offering them a comfortable home on wheels that can be parked at an accessible formal or informal campsite while the star of the show, your overland rig,…
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…
Tesla Launches the Cybertruck Basecamp
Last week, we introduced you to the aftermarket Space Camper for Tesla’s Cybertruck, a $24,000 camping solution. As always, Tesla is ahead of the curve and already has a much more basic and infinitely more affordable camping solution for the Cybertruck. Essentially, the Basecamp is an inflatable, vehicle-specific canvas tent that should take no longer…
Simplicity, An Eclectic Approach :: Feature Vehicle
It all began in 1963 with a 1958 VW panel bus. My journey to find the “perfect” rig has been an interesting quest. I have gone through vans, trailers, and truck campers, and one thing that has become evident is there is no perfect choice, only a continual refining of my requirements. What worked for…
DoDrop Alpha Adventure Trailer :: Field Tested
Adventuresome outdoor enthusiasts set on exploring the more remote parts of North America while keeping their ecological footprint as small as possible, will find the Oregon Trail’R DoDrop Alpha (DDA) off-road teardrop a nice step up from tent camping. The DDA’s small footprint, minimalistic design, robust build, and light weight make it an ideal companion…
25 Holiday Gifts for the Overlander in Your Life
Presented by Küat Racks Have you heard a Mariah Carey song blasting over the speakers at your local grocery store yet? If so, it’s probably time to start thinking about the quickly-approaching holiday gift giving season. From ADV riders to bikepackers, vehicle aficionados, and tent campers, there’s something for everyone in this Expedition Portal gift…