While exploring the booths at this year’s Overland Expo West PNW, I realized that the products worth highlighting should not only be ones I would personally use (and those backed by powerful PR firms) but, more importantly, those created by entrepreneurs. As someone who has been an entrepreneur, self-employed, and a freelancer for most of…
Overland News of the Week
Hilleberg Introduces Two New Tent Models for Spring 2024 In this week’s Overland News of the Week, we’re excited to hear that Hilleberg, the well-respected, premium Swedish tent maker, is expanding its range with the Saivo 4 and the Rogen 3. The Saivo 4, part of the all-season Black Label series, is a robust 4-person…
Top Gear Overland Expo West 2024
With every year that passes and the overland lifestyle grows in popularity, it becomes increasingly challenging to find innovative products that are practical and worthy of investment. A few years ago, we proudly discovered the Poolahoop, which we initially mocked and later praised. Was the Poolahoop the zenith of modern American overland innovation? No, it was not. Instead of…
Overland News of the Week
Storyteller Overland Acquires Taxa Outdoors In this week’s overland news, adventure lifestyle and adventure van manufacturer Storyteller Overland has acquired camping habitat and overlanding utility trailer brand Taxa Outdoors. Entrepreneur and former Global Brand President for Harley-Davidson Neil Grimmer will serve as the chief strategy officer of Storyteller Overland and CEO at Taxa. “With the…
Overlanding Storage with Sea to Summit :: Field Tested
For many years, we have been searching for ideal packing solutions for storing various items both inside the camper and on the roof rack of our Land Rover Defender. Since we have traveled as a family of full-time nomads, we need to transport all of our on-the-road essentials and have had to be equipped for…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Spring
Lead photo courtesy of Weird Wild West SOUTHWEST USA Adventure Van Expo When: April 13-24, 2024 Where: Scottsdale, Arizona The Adventure Van Expo series returns for 2024 with a packed schedule of events, including the first of the season in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lively music, food trucks, vendors, and camping converge in this all-ages celebration of…
The Inspiring Arc’teryx Continuum Film Goes Live
If you are in need of some winter inspiration, you have come to the right place. In the film Continuum, produced by Arc’teryx, a group of six professional athletes embark on an extraordinary winter journey. Traveling from Washington through Canada and up to Alaska, they showcase top-tier, jaw-dropping skiing and snowboarding in pristine, virgin winter…
Kelty Camping Gear :: Field Tested
Dick Kelty designed and hand-built external aluminum-framed backpacks along with his wife, Nena, who sold them out of their garage in 1952. In 1966, Dick Kelty’s backpacks were used on the National Geographic Antarctica Expedition. Since then, Kelty has grown into a well-loved and respected legacy outdoor brand. Kelty designers and employees are gear experts…
Overland News of the Week
All-New Toyota Land Cruiser Prado To Land In Australia Mid-2024 As it is marketed in Australia, the all-new Land Cruiser Prado range is set to enhance its appeal with a five-variant lineup that includes 48-volt technology across the board. The range features the GX, GXL, VX, Kakadu grades, and the new Altitude variant, each offering…
Arctix Winter Gear :: Field Tested
Arctix is a ski and outerwear company that has been in operation for the past twenty years. I came across their affordable products when searching for sub-zero outerwear for our trip to the Arctic Circle, and we were not disappointed. Arctix has tailored its designs for all shapes and sizes and is a family favorite…
Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody and Summit Grid Tunic Hoodie :: Field Tested
Mountain Hardwear has been around since 1993, and is based out of Richmond, California, where they operate out of a former Ford Motor Company assembly plant. Columbia Sportswear took the helm in 2003 when they acquired the brand, but the “focus on the mountain, not the masses” ethos continues to drive the company after 30…
The Overlanding Couples’ Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
Husband and wife team Graeme and Luisa Bell have put their heads together to come up with a few Valentine’s gifts for all you lovers out there. As a couple who have been together for close to a squillion years, we do not celebrate Valentine’s Day with roses, expensive meals, and lacy underpants. Instead, as…
Columbia Ready to Roam Collection :: Long-Term Review
Columbia’s Ready to Roam Collection is yet another signpost along overlanding’s winding road to the mainstream. The Portland, Oregon-based sportswear giant launched its adventure-travel-focused layers and outerwear last year, supported by a tire-tracked media campaign featuring lots of Jeeps and overland influencers from the depths of Instagram. The company even waded into the “What is…
Arksen Labs Launches Apparel Line
UK-based Arksen has carved out a unique niche in the adventure travel world. Originally builders of aluminum-hulled ocean-going vessels for patrolling the very ends of the world’s seas, in 2023, they branched out into bespoke overland vehicles based on the original Land Rover Defender and Mercedes Unimog. This lineup even includes an EV version of…
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…
Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Winter Clothing Essentials
We stood beside our small portable barbeque in a campsite outside Whitehorse, in the infamous Yukon territory, watching the coals glow red and thinking about the human relationship with heat and cold in the midst of a journey to the Arctic Ocean in March. According to the weather app on my phone, the temperature was…
Triple Aught Design – Praetorian Hoodie, Overlord Sweater, and Prelude Dolman : Field Tested
Layering is the secret to dressing effectively for extreme cold weather, and being able to regulate your body temperature is key. An overland journey to cold climates means that most of the day will be spent within a vehicle with occasional dashes into the elements for fuel stops or photo opportunities. A good base layer…
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…
Gear of the Year
What a year 2023 has turned out to be! My wife, Luisa, and I kicked it off by camping on a secluded beach in Baja, then traveling to the Arctic Ocean in winter before collecting our Land Rover Defender from the port in Canada, driving down through the US to central Mexico during a heat…
Cozy His and Hers Sweaters from Royal Robbins :: Field Tested
Photography by Richard Giordano Heritage brand Royal Robbins was founded in 1968 by American rock-climbing pioneers Royal and Liz Robbins. Together, they tested unclimbed routes in the Yosemite Valley, Royal specializing in big-wall ascents throughout the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, while Liz was the first woman to climb the face of Half Dome in 1967….