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…
Locked and Loaded
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. I still remember my very first overland trip, a 4-day journey across El Camino Del Diablo, the infamous border road with Mexico that crosses the most remote region of the Sonoran Desert. The track has been in use for over 1,000 years, including…
Treeline Outdoors Tamarack Constellation
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2018. Camping is one of the most enjoyable aspects of overland travel—nothing beats pulling up to a remote lake with no other vehicles or buildings in sight. Certainly, sleeping in the wild can be a simple affair, using a bedroll unfurled beneath the stars….
MaxTrax Extreme :: First Field Test
“Expedition Portal gets a first look at the newest, and most durable MaxTrax yet.” I remember the first time we really, really, really needed Maxtrax. The Expeditions 7 team was deep into the Canning Stock Route in Australia and encountered a half-mile long, water-logged track. We had already been stuck many times that day, but…
2018 Holiday Gift Guide $300+
It’s hard to believe that December is already halfway gone, meaning there is precious little time left before the holidays. Of course, by this time you’ve probably got most of your gifts for friends and family sorted out, but if you haven’t, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with two lists of great outdoor ideas….
Last Minute Holiday Gifts For Your Overlander
You’re sitting in your office, counting down the days until the holiday break when all of a sudden it hits you, you’re almost out of time for gifts! Frantically, you try to figure out what to buy. Well, fret not, as we have two giant lists of last-minute products for the outdoor enthusiast in your…
Letting the Air Out
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2017. There’s no debating the advantages of matching tire pressure to terrain. Decreasing psi is the most effective way to extract that last measure of traction from your tires. Doing so not only increases deformation and flotation, but also improves comfort over rough surfaces…
Field Tested: Eezi-Awn Stealth
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2017. Everyone loves the idea of a tree house, and for the overlander, few things resonate as much with this concept as the rooftop tent (RTT), a comfortable and elevated retreat from the creepy crawlies and uneven terrain below. I ordered my very first…