Our friends Chris and Erin Ratay have been traveling for decades. They hold a Guinness World Record for the longest motorcycle journey as a team and, a few years ago, bought a Defender in South Africa and drove it to Europe. Chris has a no-nonsense approach to dealing with vehicle maintenance and breakdowns, and he…
Category Archives: Gear
Lessons Learned from Global Expeditions with Clay Croft
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Scott Brady and his travel partner Clay Croft record from the field in the Central Republic of Congo. They discuss some of their most memorable adventures, including travels through South America and Alaska, and the unique lessons learned from their worldwide expeditions. Clay shares insights on vehicle…
2026 Overland Expo Southern California Recap
Overland Expo Southern California 2026: Event Highlights and Gear Trends This was my first time at the Southern California Overland Expo, and wow! The crowd was huge, but it was the curiosity and enthusiasm of the attendees that stood out most. A much more youthful crowd (not necessarily in age), and many had kids in…
Storyteller Launches The Grenadier Micro Camper
Storyteller has spent nearly a decade building its reputation as one of the most respected and comprehensive overland vehicle manufacturers on the planet. Their lineup includes the ubiquitous van conversions, massive expedition campers (formerly GXV), and now their first micro camper. For the base vehicle, they chose the INEOS Grenadier, then incorporated their extensive camper…
Overland News of the Week, March 13th, 2026
Jetboil’s New TrailCook Systems Help Deliver the Perfect Flame The TrailCook 1.2- and 2-liter stove systems are engineered with a new, integrated self-centering pot support and advanced regulator valves, delivering precise simmer control, fast ignition, and incremental heat adjustment crucial for elevated camp cooking. The TrailCook systems feature Jetboil’s re-engineered ignition, which is now integrated…
Mohab to Sponsor Overland Expo SoCal 2026 Ahead of Spring Launch
A relatively new overland adventure gear and mobile habitat company, Mohab (formerly imCamper), has announced it will sponsor Overland Expo SoCal 2026, scheduled to take place on March 14-15, 2026, at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. The sponsorship comes ahead of the company’s planned North American launch later in the…
Technology and Innovation in Overlanding
On this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Matt Scott and Scott Brady explore the future of overlanding, focusing on new technologies and trends. They highlight portable fridges with hot-swappable batteries (like EcoFlow/Bluetti) that offer extended runtime, device charging, and solar input, potentially eliminating complex dual-battery setups. They also discuss the rise of simpler…
Optics for Overlanding
Over time, I’ve come to view optics as a quiet force multiplier. They stretch human vision beyond its factory settings. They help you see farther down the trail, closer at what your aging eyes can’t quite see, and deeper into the dark when your imagination is running wild. In remote travel, where recovery trucks do…
MDC USA Introduces XT9 Off-Grid Extreme Compact Trailer
We get to see a lot of camping trailers here at Expedition Portal (see here, our Off-Grid, Off-Road Trailers Buyer’s Guide), and by far our favorite camper trailers are those designed primarily for exploration (rather than pure comfort). After all, for most of us, the goal of overland travel is to get out there and get…
Light It Up
It was a hot, muggy night in early 2019. We had driven most of the day on terrible, muddy tracks and arrived in a small Gabonese town just before sunset. The air was thick with smoke, as much of the local economy seemed dedicated to turning healthy trees into charcoal, alongside the extraction of palm…
Easy on the Eyes: The Best Lighting for Every Campsite
The human eye has over 120 million specialized cells dedicated to processing light waves. Called photoreceptors, these cells are commonly known as “rods and cones,” and the shapes determine both how we process color and how we see in dim or bright light. Translating the physical phenomena of light into electrical and chemical signals in…
Overland News of The Week, February 13th, 2026
Warn Industries Introduces Compact, Low-Profile Zeon XC Winches for Trucks and SUVs Warn Industries has expanded its Zeon winch lineup with the new Zeon XC, a low-profile, compact version designed for trucks and SUVs. Built in Clackamas, Oregon, the Zeon XC delivers the same core performance as the Zeon XD while offering easier fitment in…
Buyers Guide :: Pop-top and Expandable Living
For close to a year, whenever my mind was free to wander as we trundled along on our North American journey, it kept returning to one persistent question: how could I design and build a camper on my Defender that would accommodate four adult-size people, preserve the vehicle’s off-road capability and on-road nimbleness, and still…
Elspeth Beard: One of the First British Women to Motorcycle Around the World
Join Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano as she sits down with adventure motorcyclist, author, and traveler Elspeth Beard, who was one of the first women to ride around the world by motorcycle. Elspeth dives into the details of her two-year round-the-world trip, from 1982 to 1984 on a 1974 BMW R60 bike, and how…
The Blackcamp Freeda Camping Trailer Is Turning Heads and Going Viral
True innovation has become increasingly difficult to find, with many new products amounting to variations on existing ideas, differentiated only by incremental—if occasionally meaningful—design changes. The Blackcamp Freeda trailer stands apart from this pattern, combining a genuinely fresh approach to compact trailer design with a marketing strategy that is clearly as well considered as the…
Overland News of the Week, January 30th, 2026
Midland Releases the MAV60 Magnetic Mount Holder A handheld radio mount should be low-profile, strong, and easily accessible. Compatible with Midland FRS and GMRS walkie-talkies and the MicroMobile MXT115, MXT275, and MXT575, Midland’s latest offering features the world’s strongest magnet thanks to stainless steel N50 neodymium construction. The MAV60 mount base is affixed with 3M…
Jetboil Flash 1.0L Fast Boil System :: Field Tested
As a full-time overlander, I love to cook outside. But when preparing coffee in the morning or an afternoon cup of tea, I don’t always want to set up the propane stove just to boil water. Instead of a kettle, I’ve been using the newly updated Jetboil Flash. The Flash boils water fast (approximately two…
Off Highway Van Unveils Significant Upgrades and a 3D Van Configurator
Off Highway Van, the Salt Lake City–based adventure vehicle builder known for its bespoke, high-end, off-grid camper vans, has unveiled its most comprehensive set of updates yet for the 2026 model year, alongside a new interactive 3D configurator designed to give prospective buyers a clearer and more intuitive way to plan and visualize their custom…
Sea To Summit’s Detour Collection :: Field Tested
Two years ago, I was on the hunt for a cookset that would work well in our Overland Explorer Vehicles pop-up camper. Finding something lightweight, not too bulky, and compatible with induction cooktops was a non-starter. In 2022, I could only find pots and pans designed for home use. Fast forward to today, and we…
Tune Outdoor Expands Pop-Up Truck Camper Lineup with New M1Lite
For many overlanders, less truly is more—especially when a vehicle is used primarily to explore remote trails and carry essential outdoor gear. Yet for too long, the industry has prioritized comfort and luxury to the point where many now expect a camper to cost nearly as much as the truck carrying it, if not more….