When we’ve traveled as a family, we’ve always used a cooler, simply because my wife is a minimalist, and her reply has always been “sure a fridge is nice, but we don’t really need one, and it’s one more piece of gear to store when we are not on the road”. My 1988 Range Rover…
Field Tested: ArchiTec’s Travel Clothing
So here’s a little confession for you, I hate “travel clothes” or at least most of them. There are plenty of reasons for this prejudice, but the two pillars on which my distaste stands are generally fit and appearance. That’s because it seems like clothing designers have decided that a travel shirt or pant is…
Eezi-Awn Stealth – Field Tested
Enabling the joy of sleep.
Home on the Range
We evaluate the latest crop of overland trailers.
SEMA 2018
October has passed, and with it one of the biggest automotive events of the year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA, show. As always, this year’s event was absolutely packed with insane builds of every shape, size, color, and type, with enough accessories to make your head spin. We spent several days running around…
Field Tested: Thermacell Radius and Scout Mosquito Repellent
Whether or not you’d use the word sweet to describe me is still in question, but there is no arguing that there is something about my blood that is more enticing to insects like mosquitoes. It seems like I come home from camping with a dozen bites for every one or two that my friends…
Gear Bag: October
MPOWERD Inc. Luci Solar String Lights I’m a pretty big fan of Luci lights. These solar-powered lamps are affordable, durable, and have served me well in conditions ranging from Arctic snows to scorching Outback heat without failure. They last for hours, charge quite quickly, and most importantly, strike a rare balance of lighting up your…
Gear Scout: Brake Light Antenna Mount
We’re always fans of simple products developed with a little ingenuity, especially when they solve rather annoying problems. Case in point, this flush mount antenna bracket for your rear brake light. It was originally designed by Neal Technologies for the new Ford trucks, as the magnetic mounts wouldn’t stick to their aluminum body panels, and drilling…
Field Tested: ARB Aluminum Awning 2500MM
Since our 1989 Mitsubishi Delica is turning into a campervan, we wanted a large awning that would provide ample water and UV resistance, be durable in harsh conditions, and be compatible with accessories like an awning room. Weighing in at 35 pounds, the hard-cased ARB 2500MM awning (part number 814102A) has an aluminum flip-top case, is…
Field Tested: WeBoost Drive 4G-X
The Ford’s diesel whistled a sweet tune as I cruised across a remote section of the Southern California landscape. I watched as the shaggy hides of Joshua trees flitted by, while swirling clouds of dust rolled behind me, the road disappearing beneath their form. I took a deep breath and relaxed back into my seat….
Shelter From the Storm
These five portable abodes have enough brawn to thwart weather’s worst.
The Gear Goody Bag
Anyone that has ever walked into an REI or Cabelas will know that there’s basically an endless supply of widgets and gadgets available for camping. Do you want an outdoor oven? Sure, they make that. How about a 12-volt blender? You can have it. Need a rolling cooler with an integrated sound system and charging…
The Outpost Trade Retreat
I’d like you to take a moment to close your eyes and envision a trade show. What do you see? Images of little white booths, plastic folding tables, and long conversations might drift through your mind. Your feet probably ache at the memory of convention center floors, while your soul pales at the endless line…
Old Dogs, New Tricks: Testing Cummins R2.8 Turbo Diesel Crate Engine
I settle into the driver’s seat of a clean 1996 Toyota FZJ80 and ask Stephen Sanders, program leader for the Cummins Repower Crate Engine Program if I should keep the RPMs below a certain mark, stick to predetermined highway speeds, or mind some shift points on the hills. A heavy black data wire exits from…
Win a Dometic Fridge! UPDATE
The dates of this contest have been extended due to the unfortunate fire season. The contest will now run until October 31st, and the winner will be selected at their SEMA booth! Big news floated down the pipeline from Dometic and Tread Lightly earlier this month. It turns out that the two organizations have teamed…
Field Tested: Batwing Awning
Expletives flowed freely as another gust of wind throttled the canvas, throwing a support leg into the back of my head while I tried to wrestle the awning’s unwieldy form into submission. The now bird’s nest of guylines, stakes, and metal poles of death had me surrounded, and the prospects of surviving the ordeal looked…
Eezi-Awn Drop-down Fridge Buddy
Our Engel MT 45 fridge is built like a battleship. Like most good portable fridges, it weighs as much as one too, especially when loaded. Hoisting it atop the Decked drawer system in the bed of our Tacoma GS overlanding rig can be inconvenient, and in some cases, impossible; especially in light of the overhead…
Get a Grip
We test the latest traction devices and bridging ladders.
Field Tested: HydraPak Expedition 8L
There’s no shortage of ways to haul water, but most water carriers do only that: they hold H2O, and their sole feature is the handle you use to tote it around. HydraPak’s Expedition, however, promises to be more of a multitasker. Its cleverly-designed cap and an assortment of attachment options turn this jug into a…
The New and Cool Overland Products of Outdoor Retailer 2018
We’re here in Denver Colorado for the 2018 Outdoor Retailer summer show, and we’re happy to report that there is a flood of new products being unveiled for your next overland adventure! That’s right gear lovers, rejoice, for there are tents, bags, chairs, tables, lights, vans, and four-wheel drives for you to soak in at…