Four years. That is how long my family and I lived in a roof top tent. The four of us camped almost every day of those long years—cooking outside, living outside, and sleeping between walls of canvas. As the kids grew and our journey evolved from an adventure into a lifestyle, we realized that it…
First Test: The iKamper X-Cover Roof Top Tent
Innovation is a rarity, and quality is even more elusive, but this new roof top tent (RTT) from iKamper has them both in spades. At Expedition Portal, we were given the first access to this new tent and took the opportunity to use it in the field, digging into every feature and fabric looking for…
The British Touring Jacket You’ve Always Wanted
I’ve wanted a Belstaff Tourist Trophy motorcycle jacket for a while. That classic, British, belt-waisted jacket made famous by just about every American actor who’s thrown a leg over a motorcycle. Most notably, Mr. McQueen (see: here). My good friend Andy has one, something he scored from a smelly thrift shop in the Pacific Northwest….
Field Tested: GSI Glacier Stainless Camper Set
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I tend to purchase expensive gear. It’s not because I want to appear fancy or anything, but rather because of the countless hard lessons I learned with cheap gear in my early days of camping. Ever had a pot of hot coffee and grounds fall on your lap…
New Expedition Portal & Overland Journal Shirts are Here!
We’re excited to say that we’ve just received our full stock of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal T-shirts! This latest update features a vintage Power Wagon in the mountains, equipped with a classic slide-in camper for an old-school look we love. The Overland Journal shirt plays off of our previous design with the Defender, but this…
A Look Back at 2018
It seems like yesterday that we were sitting down to write this same story on 2017, and now here we are aggregating our favorite trips and memories from 2018. Holy cow, were there a lot. This past year held some of our biggest adventures to date, from right here at home all the way to…
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…
Gear Scout: PDW Field Kitchen Knife Set
I’m a big believer in the buy once, cry once mentality. After churning through one piece of cheap gear after another, I finally realized that if I purchased a few high-quality products instead of several low-quality products, my camping experience would be infinitely better, and thus far it has been. That’s why I love finding…
Expo East 2018: Cool Trucks and New Gear
Overland Expo is about travel, education, friendship, and experiences, but if we’re honest, it’s also about the amazing trucks and gear. Enormous Unimogs, Earth Cruisers, Global Expedition Vehicles, and Earthroamers that we would rarely spot elsewhere litter the event. There are vintage trucks from every corner of the globe, expertly built 4WDs of various makes…
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Expedition Portal and Overland Journal staff would like to take a moment to wish our readers and their loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving, and to say THANK YOU for your continued support of our publications and this community. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to those men and women serving our country…
CFX65W – The 200-pound gorilla in the truck, or the perfect Thanksgiving accessory?
When we’ve traveled as a family, we’ve always used a cooler, simply because my wife is a minimalist, and her reply has always been “sure a fridge is nice, but we don’t really need one, and it’s one more piece of gear to store when we are not on the road.” My 1988 Range Rover…
Field Tested: ArchiTec’s Travel Clothing
So here’s a little confession for you, I hate “travel clothes” or at least most of them. There are plenty of reasons for this prejudice, but the two pillars on which my distaste stands are generally fit and appearance. That’s because it seems like clothing designers have decided that a travel shirt or pant is…
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…
Eezi-Awn Stealth – Field Tested
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…
Home on the Range
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Winter 2018. Photography by Chris Cordes The trailer listed hard to the side, the 44-inch tire deep into the crevasse, the Hilux’s frame broken, and a tire peeled from the bead. The Expeditions 7 team had just crossed Greenland and was now fighting for every…
SEMA 2018
October has passed, and with it one of the biggest automotive events of the year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA, show. As always, this year’s event was absolutely packed with insane builds of every shape, size, color, and type, with enough accessories to make your head spin. We spent several days running around…
Field Tested: Thermacell Radius and Scout Mosquito Repellent
Whether or not you’d use the word sweet to describe me is still in question, but there is no arguing that there is something about my blood that is more enticing to insects like mosquitoes. It seems like I come home from camping with a dozen bites for every one or two that my friends…
Gear Bag: October
MPOWERD Inc. Luci Solar String Lights I’m a pretty big fan of Luci lights. These solar-powered lamps are affordable, durable, and have served me well in conditions ranging from Arctic snows to scorching Outback heat without failure. They last for hours, charge quite quickly, and most importantly, strike a rare balance of lighting up your…
Gear Scout: Brake Light Antenna Mount
We’re always fans of simple products developed with a little ingenuity, especially when they solve rather annoying problems. Case in point, this flush mount antenna bracket for your rear brake light. It was originally designed by Neal Technologies for the new Ford trucks, as the magnetic mounts wouldn’t stick to their aluminum body panels, and drilling…