For 2020, there are several new fridges to hit the market from respected manufacturers, from the classic and reliable Engel, to the efficient and industrial-grade National Luna. For this news update, we cover the best new units to hit the market for the new year. The first 12-volt fridge I ever owned was an Engel,…
Field Tested: Kenda Klever RT
In May of 2019, I purchased a 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Winter Package. I knew I wanted the Montero to be a vehicle that would allow me to tackle many miles of on-road driving, help progress my driving skills off-road, and allow me to conquer my goals of international travel. As I looked to outfit the…
Foxy Lady—Factory Race Series Fox Shocks for a Tundra
We’ve run Old Man Emu suspension on two different trucks, over a total of 150,000 kilometres. Over 50,000 of those kilometres covered roads from Canada to Argentina. It’s really hard to argue against the attributes. Old Man Emu performs better than most factory suspension systems (especially on loaded vehicles), requires almost zero maintenance, costs a…
You Don’t Need Lockers! (Well, I don’t.) Nitro Helical Worm Gear LSD Installation
Our little 1990 Toyota pickup travelled effortlessly from Canada to Argentina and back with factory front and rear open differentials. Yes, we went overlanding without lockers! Could we have gone farther off the beaten track with some sort of traction-aiding differential? Most definitely. Were we willing to spend the money on a locker or two…
RLD Designs Releases Stainless Steel Canopy For Gladiator
Back in May, we named the RLD Designs truck canopy as one of the coolest products you might have missed at Overland Expo, and for good reason. These beefy caps are made in South Africa entirely from stainless steel, pack some seriously cool camp features, and carry a 700-pound dynamic load rating while weighing as…
Sunflare Solar Panels for Your Tent, Car, or Camper
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…
Sena Momentum Bluetooth Helmet
The world’s first active noise control helmet.
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…
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…
Factor 55 Releases New Recovery Straps and Soft Shackles
Overland News :: Factor 55 Press Release (unedited as supplied by the manufacturer) Soft Shackles- The Factor 55 10 inch Standard Duty Soft Shackles are Made in the USA under the uncompromising Factor 55 quality standards. Like all Factor 55 rigging products, these shackles have been lab and field tested to assure consistent repeatable minimum…
Reviewed: Yokohama’s Geolandar X-AT Tire
I’ve been using Yokohama Tire’s on my vehicles for over three years now, and have run both the Geolandar G015 A/T and Geolandar G003 M/T tire. I loved the performance of both tires but always wished for something between the less aggressive G015 A/T and knobby M/T. For me, the perfect tire is one that…
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…
The Do’s and Don’ts of Winching
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to winching. What should you do and what is considered best practice? What are the don’ts or things that can get you into trouble? I sat down with Warn Industries’ Strategic Communications Manager Andy Lilienthal, also my husband, to go over the basics of winching. Editor’s…
Balancing Act: 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
Photography by Sarah and Chris Ramm While the Cherokee XJ is now regarded as an incredibly capable off-road vehicle, it wasn’t always that way. When the XJ first hit the markets in 1984, it was scoffed at for tarnishing the family name. People said things like, “Square headlights?” “That isn’t a real Jeep! It is…
Field Tested: AMP Research PowerStep
The overland community certainly has its debates: Toyota versus Land Rover, wide tires versus tall skinny tires, roof tent versus ground tent and so much more, but there’s one thing that almost all of us can agree on, and that’s the removal of factory running boards. That’s because they significantly reduce the breakover angle and…
Field Tested: Baja Designs LP6 Pro
Whenever I’m lucky enough to spend time with experienced overlanders, I try to glean some knowledge from their travels. I’ve heard tips on packing, tricks to help win favor with border agents, and even recommendations on a leather hat selection for repairing engine gaskets, but there’s one piece of advice that seems to be universal,…
Initial Impressions: The General Grabber A/Tx
Crap was about the only word my brain could process as I felt the rock shift beneath the Excursion’s mass, letting the rear end slip from its precarious perch down into a ditch. The truck stopped with a thud, and I sighed in annoyance at the situation. Just a few hours earlier I had been…
Jeep JL ICON Suspension
It is easy to list the specs of a new product and publish the press release, but what is too often a secondary thought is how will a product perform in a month, four months, 7,000 miles and longer after installation. At Expedition Portal, we prefer to review and report on products after we have…
Lightforce Genesis LED Driving Lights
Australia’s Lightforce has long been known as one of the kings in auxiliary vehicular lighting. They offer up superior LED driving lights, and their round 140W LED Genesis 8.3-inch diameter model is no exception. Our 4×4 needed secondary lights for dedicated off-road use. We’re constantly traversing uneven terrain at night (or in thick forests) and…