Between powering refrigerators, running lights at night, and charging phones, tablets, and cameras, we burn a lot of power as overlanders. Solar panels have become the go-to solution for keeping up with these draws, but understanding what components you’ll need, and then choosing high-quality ones among the sea of options these days is no small…
The Best Camp Axe :: Comparison Test
The best classic compact hatchets for overland and expedition use.
The Best Backpacking (Shelf Stable) Camp Meals
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2019. I can still remember the smell of the horse shashlik, a tub of meat and indecipherable seasonings that we pulled from a freezer in the remote Russian village of Kosh-Agach. The only way I knew it was horse meat was from the line-art drawing of…
Solar BugOut Kit for the Overland Camp
One of the cornerstones of overland travel is self-reliance, a trait inspired by the remote locations we visit and the unpredictability of vehicle-based backcountry exploration. We may be parked for days on a secluded beach in Baja, needing to keep both the fresh fish and the Coronas cold. Or we might have accidentally left the…
Reviewed: Roofnest Sparrow Eye Roof Tent
From a not too distant past, the definition of “home” was as concrete as its foundation. It was a solidly built place with four walls, a roof, and was permanently placed onto a chosen piece of land. Fast forward to more recent times, and that definition has completely changed, taking on a much more metaphysical…
Roof Top Tent Comparison Test :: Who Takes the Prize?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2019. I still remember how -57°F felt, a cold beyond description, as if all life had escaped along with my body heat. I recall fighting against the cover of the roof tent, the vinyl becoming hard as stone in the frigid temperatures of the northern Canadian…
Reviewed: The Omnia Oven We Never Knew We Needed
Cooking meals on the road is often defined by a “keep it simple” attitude. We gravitate toward dishes easily prepared on a camp stove like fajitas, tacos, brats, grilled meats, and vegetables, but sometimes we find ourselves craving more. That’s where the Omnia comes in. This lightweight stove-top oven has brought a variety of meals…
Why COBB Might Be The Best Overland Grill
Food is a universal language shared around the world. It’s a way to experience each other’s cultures, broaden one another’s horizons, and break down barriers between strangers, so it should come as no surprise that cooking and overlanding go together like chimichurri and steak. Of course, preparing that steak on a camp stove would be…
Reviewed: LifeSaver Jerrycan Water Purifier
Every so often, we find a product that wildly exceeds our expectations. This is the case with the LifeSaver 18.5 liter water purifying jerrycan, a robust and easy to use solution for removing 99.9% of protozoa, 99.99% of viruses, and 99.9999% of bacteria from water, while also improving turbidity from silted sources like glacial rivers…
Reviewed: Kinsmen Hardware 270 Awning
I must’ve used my traditional-style car awning only a handful of times over the year or so that I owned it, mostly because of the difficulty it took to set it up. Whenever I wanted to use my awning while I was by myself, it was almost always a quick “Nope” as I laughed at…
Reviewed: Nemo Roamer Sleeping Pad
It’s amazing just how much of overlanding revolves around sleep. People are willing to spend thousands of dollars on rooftop tents, install campers, and even convert the interiors of their vehicles for a good night’s rest, but who can blame them? When you’re fatigued your patience dwindles, enthusiasm burns low, and you wind up finding…
Field Tested: Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe S.I. Sleeping Pad
It’s surprising how persistent our bad associations with air mattresses are. I can tell someone I’ve been living on the road for a year and a half, sleeping in my truck during rain and snow and they won’t even bat an eye. But add in that I’ve slept on an inflatable pad for most of…
Classic Kit: Tents
From Robert Scott to the sultans of the Sinai, the tent has always been home away from home.
Helinox Table Review
In the eternal march to find the gear that best fits our travel style and tastes, a table is a simultaneously easy and complicated piece of equipment. Size is one of the biggest limiting factors when deciding on how we will keep our plates, notebooks, stoves, and all other manner of gear from crashing to…
Made in the Shade – Overland Journal’s 270 Awning Head To Head Test
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2019. As I tightened the last bolt of the awning’s mounting bracket, I smiled, envisioning how the scene would unfold. Soon I would be sitting on some remote sandy beach, the waves lapping on the shore while I sipped a cold drink beneath the unfurled…
Outdoor Retailer Show Adopts Overlanding
Expedition Portal and Overland Journal first attended the Outdoor Retailer show in 2006, over 13 years ago. Initially, we were met with reserved curiosity, the outdoor industry unsure about its relationship with vehicle-based adventuring. However, in the subsequent years, we have received more and more attention and adoption from the community, and the outdoor industry…
Outpost :: Los Angeles
Among the sea of events that dot the adventure travel landscape, there are few that are truly unique and worthwhile attending. One of those events is the Outpost series, which is held in locations like the redwoods of Northern California, and now in downtown Los Angeles. This was the first year of the LA event,…
James Baroud Tents Now Come in 250 Colors
The stereotypical overlander is supposed to be utilitarian, never choosing form over function, and always prioritizing the adventure, but I’d be lying if I said looks didn’t matter. We’re automotive enthusiasts after all, and each of us wants to build a vehicle that not only performs well on the trail, but represents our personal style…
Yeti Hondo Base Camp Chair Review
Yeti is an impressive company, based on a simple ethos: “Build the cooler (i.e., product) you’d use every day if it existed.” They certainly made their name constructing extremely robust coolers that endure full-tilt adventure travel, but they have also extended their product line to include soft coolers, drinkware, bags, and now chairs. Pulling the…
Field Tested: DMOS Stealth Shovel
Jackson, Wyoming-based DMOS is a force to be reckoned with. Since their Kickstarter debut in the fall of 2015, this woman-owned company has taken the bull by its horns. DMOS exists to build tools that are purpose-built, portable, and engineered to outlast its customers. They make shovels. They make highly durable shovels. The Stealth is…