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
Opinel Releases New Grilling Set Fabricated in France, this grill set includes a stainless steel folding knife, a spatula insert, and extra-large tongs with a stonewashed finish. The No. 12B folding knife features a beechwood handle from sustainably managed French forests and is equipped with a bottle opener at the end, while the spatula is…
Tracks4Africa Founder Wouter Brand :: November, 22 1954 – June, 14 2024
Even if you’ve never traveled on the continent, you are likely familiar with Tracks4Africa, the pioneering crowd-sourced GPS mapping software and paper map publisher. Its co-founder, the enigmatic Wouter Brand, died last week at the age of 69. When GPS technology was made available to civilians at the end of the twentieth century, new travel…
Apple Adds Satellite Messaging for iOS 18
Off-grid communication for remote travelers has taken a big step forward with a significant announcement from Apple at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). When iOS 18 for iPhones launches to the general public in September of this year, it will include seamlessly integrated satellite messaging in the iMessage app. Reportedly, both iMessage and SMS…
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…
Redarc Unveils Three Revolutionary Products at Overland Expo West
Redarc, the Australian mobile power solutions company whose products have earned our trust over the years, will unveil three innovative products at the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, AZ, tomorrow, Friday, the 16th. According to the press release, these new offerings have been designed, engineered, and rigorously tested in Australia’s toughest conditions. With these launches, Redarc aims…
DJI Power 1000 :: Field Tested
One of the challenges when overlanding is having a reliable source of sustainable electricity on tap to power lights, charge an array of electronics from cellphones to computers to drones, and run convenience items such as 12-volt fridges, 110-volt grills, and cooktops. Most off-road RV trailers have that covered with a deep-cycle house battery. But…
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…
The reMarkable II and Light Phone II for Distraction-free Travel
Technology can be a blessing and a curse, striking a balance between being glued to our screens and Luddite dreams of a cabin in the woods with no electronics. The reality is that our always-on society has yielded a step function in efficiency, communication, and accessibility. However, it has also ushered in a new level…
e-Bike Buyers Guide
The electric bike, or e-bike as it is commonly called, is a relatively new concept for most consumers; however, a rudimentary design of the electric bike was first patented as early as 1895 by American inventor Ogden Bolton Jr. For many years, there were several attempts to market the electric bike, but only in the…
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…
Overland News of the Week
Super Pacific Announces Integration With Truma VarioHeat Furnace Now available for integration with Super Pacific’s X1 truck camper, the Truma furnace provides a heating solution for year-round comfort. The furnace mounts under the canopy door, while the exterior port allows for an easy propane connection. When paired with the optional ThermaPuff insulation kit, Super Pacific…
Best Remote Communications for Overlanders :: Video
Remote communications technology for overlanders has evolved swiftly in recent years. The democratization of both terrestrial signals via cell networks and GMRS, as well as satellite connectivity, has transformed not only comms within your travel party but also the ability to work and reach out to friends and family from nearly anywhere in the world….
Redarc Battery Management and Voltage Monitor :: Field Tested
I have more fingers and toes than there are fuses in my classic Land Rover. The engine has no electrical components save for the alternator and the glow plugs. Even the fuel delivery is mechanical. So, I take cues from my trusty Defender and try to keep my auxiliary electrical systems as simple as possible….
Talk Among the Stars :: Thuraya Skyphone
Several tech outlets have been reporting about the imminent release of UAE-based Thuraya’s Skyphone—a universal smartphone/satellite phone hybrid. Apple introduced satellite connectivity hardware in much more run-of-the-mill devices with the iPhone 14 but with only limited one-way messaging for emergencies. The Skyphone promises full integration of traditional terrestrial smartphone communication with two-way satellite messaging and…
Full Power: The Wescotts’ Turtle V Gets a Solar and Electrical Upgrade for its Next Adventure
Think back to 1972. Some of you may remember when The Turtle Expedition, Unltd. was exploring the backroads of Mexico and Central America in our trusty 1967 109 Land Rover. At that time, we had one battery, and its functions were to start the 6-cylinder gas engine (that choked on Mexican Pemex Nova regular), turn on…
The Best Remote Communications for Overlanders
The historian Hellanicus recorded the first reference to letter writing, a handwritten note sent in 500 BCE from the Persian Queen Atossa, mother of Xerxes and the Achaemenid Empire (Roberts, 1843). There is little doubt that messages were sent across longer distances in earlier times, but they are lost in the sands. The process changed…
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…
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…