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…
Fuel for the Fire: Tips to Keep Your Water Boiling and Food Hot
Parked in a construction quarry beside a quiet, muddy road between the villages of Loebetsi and Kibangou in the Democratic Republic of Congo, my son, Keelan, struggled to cook a meal as we dealt with a debilitating mechanical issue and the sunset. We had recently run out of propane, and now the price was being…
NEMO Equipment Camping Gear :: Field Tested
They say new ideas come from past experiences, and that’s how NEMO was born. Founder Cam Brensinger’s trip to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 2002 left him with the idea to create better gear for adventurers. Cam founded NEMO, short for “New England Mountain Equipment,” three days after he graduated from the Rhode Island School…
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…
The Best Camp Stoves for Overlanding
People tend to fall into two—if you’ll pardon the expression—camps when it comes to cooking on backcountry adventures. There are those of us who see it as the penultimate drudgery, a distraction from what we really want to be doing on our overland expeditions, and a source of never-ending dishes that must be cleaned. Others…
Hard-Shell Rooftop Tents :: Buyers Guide
In recent years, hard-shell rooftop tents (RTTs) have gained significant popularity, and there are compelling reasons for this despite their generally higher cost compared to soft-shell models. While both have their respective pros and cons, hard-shell tents are generally more durable, streamlined, and practical for specific applications. The practicality of a rooftop tent is evident…
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….
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…
Thule Approach Rooftop Tent :: Field Tested
I was sure I’d never have to pay any attention to rooftop tents. Why devote precious cargo-hauling space to a place to sleep when ground tents take up such a small footprint inside of a car and can be set up in minutes? Plus, I had a built-out camper van with a comfortable bed in…
Feathered Friends Down :: Field Tested
Overland travel can impose an array of demands on equipment, making it challenging to find gear that is both versatile and excels across conditions. As a traveler who journeys from the tropics to the Arctic and coasts to mountains, a sleep system that is comfortable in most of those environments is my Holy Grail, and…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Escapod Topo 2 Overland Trailer :: Field Tested
Teardrop trailers are old-school cool, with a lineage that dates back to the DIY plans of the 1930s. The trailer style has remained popular ever since, and for a good reason—they just work. The teardrop perfectly balances compact dimensions, sleep-inside comfort, and timeless style. Most small trailers use a rooftop tent for sleeping, but it…
Field Tested :: Giant Loop Adventure Gear
Giant Loop has been creating innovative motorcycle luggage since 2008 when they hit the trail with their original horseshoe-shaped bag. Beginning with the Great Basin model, GL has used Rugged Bomb Shell vinyl-coated polyester with great success. The 8-liter Fandango tank bag and Pannier Pockets reviewed here are both constructed from it. As you’ll see,…
25 Black Friday Gifts for the Overlander in Your Life
Presented by Nitto Tire Now that Halloween ghosts have been replaced by twinkling reds, greens, and golds, it’s time to start thinking about the fast-approaching holiday season. Luckily, the Expedition Portal team has been busy amalgamating our favorite gear picks just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While Associate Editor Steve Edwards has…