In preparation for our overland journey from Cape Town, South Africa to Vladivostok, Russia we have been accumulating gear that will be employed to make the journey easier, safer, and more secure. The following is a first impression look at four products which will be put to the ultimate test on the world’s longest possible…
Overland News of the Week
Pelican Commemorative First Aid Kit Pelican Founder Dave Parker, who recently passed away April 2020, started the now-global company in his garage in Torrence, California, back in 1976. One of his first products, a first aid kit specifically designed for divers, initially put him on the map after customers began repurposing the waterproof, crushproof housing…
North American Product Launch | RedArc, RedVision and RedVision Kit (with Manager30)
My friend Shayne has a fire-truck-red Defender 130, which was once touted by Outside Magazine as the “greatest overland vehicle ever built by an Australian living in America but still obsessed with Australia.” He and I drive the same old British vehicles but are at different ends of the gizmo/gear spectrum. With one click on…
Sony Alpha 7S III is a Video Powerhouse
Mirrorless cameras are relatively new to the photography scene but have quickly established themselves as legitimate replacements for the beloved DSLR (digital single-lens reflex). Beginning with compact, APS-c, and micro 4/3 format models, there are now full-frame powerhouses that deliver medium-format resolution (we’re up to 60+ megapixels) with wide dynamic range that (almost) fit in…
Field Tested | Webasto Thermo Top Evo Coolant Heater
Recently, my husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I rallied a 1991 Mitsubishi diesel-powered Pajero in the Alcan 5000 Rally. Not only did we pilot this right-hand-drive Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) 4×4 over 5,120 miles of ice, snow, and blizzard conditions, we had to ensure it started every morning after it slept in Arctic temps of -40°…
Go Fast Campers SuperLite Redefines Hardshell RTTs
Montana-based Go Fast Campers has a penchant for producing drool-worthy overlanding gear, and they just did something that is likely to send waves through the rooftop tent (RTT) market. Behold the SuperLite: a sub-100-pound, hard-shell, made-in-the-USA rooftop tent for $1,300. Cue fireworks. EDIT: a SuperLite mattress to go with your SuperLite RTT will add $279,…
Coleman Powerhouse Dual Fuel 414 Stove | Field Tested
There are people who love old Triumph motorcycles and classic Italian sports cars, and for good reason. These machines were design icons in their time, and they force the user to become active and essential participants in the experience. For every thrilling apex, acceleration, wind in your hair corner, there is a greasy oil puddle…
Snomaster CL56D Long Term Review | Field Tested
We have been travelling for a long time now and I am a large man who loves a cold drink, my family consumes more meat than even the most carnivorous Uruguayan. What do cold drinks and meat have in common? Well, they both need to be kept cold, or at the very least cool. Until…
Modern Explorers | Mac Mackenney
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal‘s Summer 2020 issue. All men dream, but not all equally. Those that dream by the dusty recesses of the night, awake to find it was all vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes and make…
Gear Spotlight
We are planning another intercontinental overland journey, and as always, our gear is an essential part of the trip. While we are not always able to get our paws on an actual product, the internet is a wonderful, addictive creature, and a few hours are easily lost to drooling over new gear, gizmos, and essentials….
Field Tested | Garmin Instinct
Originally Published in Overland Journal, Fall 2019 With cellular phones progressing from calling device to personal computer, the humble watch has also morphed from timekeeping caterpillar to fully fledged, personalized smartwatch butterfly. Borrowing heavily from the much-lauded Garmin Fenix, the Instinct cannibalizes the best elements of its expensive cousin, ditching well over 50 percent of…
Overlanders Share Their Favorite Apps
Mobile apps are designed to improve our lives and provide us with readily available information. This is especially helpful while travelling. Hundreds of new apps are popping up left, right, and centre, so we connected with our fellow overlanders to help narrow down the search. Google Maps, iOverlander, and Maps.me were crowd favorites, and nearly…
We Test the New V2 Bivy Stick Blue
Communication is one of the cornerstones of backcountry travel, as the ability to advise family and friends of our progress, call for assistance, or make an SOS during an emergency all helps provide us with confidence to travel further afield. During my travels in Southern Africa, it was helpful to know that the Bivy was…
Peak Design Everyday Backpack (30L)
Essential Background From the outset, this must be crystal clear: the Peak Design Everyday 30-liter backpack is not a dedicated mountaineering or field rucksack. It is a sleek yet unassuming backpack designed for camera gear, laptops, tablets, and daily work/commuter essentials. For these specific reasons, the pack piqued my interest. The company also appeals, as…
Expedition Portal Celebrates 15 Years of Adventure
June 25, 2020 :: Press Release In late June 2005, expeditionportal.com (known as ExPo) went live, serving initially as a community forum, and now as one of the world’s largest online overland resources for the vehicle-based adventure traveler. While the website has grown continually since 2005, growth has accelerated in recent years because of the…
Life on the Road | Moto Proven
This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2020 issue. One of the wonderful things about adventure motorcycle travel is the simplicity, eschewing the complexities and excesses of daily life. As a rider, we can only bring so much, and the more we travel, the more we tend to leave behind. The less we…
New Gear and Firmware Updates from Sena
Sena Technologies has been in operation since 1998 and their communication devices are regarded as some of the best on the market for motorcycling (or any sport requiring a helmet with integrated communication). Perhaps it’s their approach to product design that has grown them such a loyal following. “We boldly lay our visions on the…
Maiden Voyage | Tail Lamp
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2020. I woke up to find my tent in my face. Why had my shelter collapsed, leaving me wrapped up in a lasagna of damp nylon? I lay motionless, listening for any clues that might suggest the cause of my predicament. It was early and quiet,…
Front Runner Outfitters Releases Slim Line II Rack For Jeep Gladiator
South African overlanding gear manufacturer, Front Runner Outfitters, is well-known for its robust selection of vehicle accessories. New for 2020, Front Runner Outfitters has released a 2019-current Jeep Gladiator compatible Slim Line II roof rack system. The Slimline II allows unencumbered removal of the Jeep’s hardtop roof panels, allowing owners to keep their OEM…
Rugged Coffee Press for the Trail: Planetary Designs OVRLNDR
With over three years of R&D and field-testing, we’ve got high hopes for the OVRLNDR press, the newest French press from Montana-based coffee innovator Planetary Designs. But in a world of coffee-making kits, of which there are many high-quality options already available, what makes the OVRLNDR special? CEO of Planetary Design, Jess Nepstad, had this…