According to the National Park Service, 85 percent of wild-land fires are started by humans, and with each passing year they battle more illegal fire rings and burn scars in the natural places we love. Yet, I’ll be the first to admit that camping just doesn’t feel like camping without a fire, so how do…
Nomad Kitchen Module :: Overland News
(Editor’s Note: Unedited Press Release) Berkeley, CA (February 27, 2020) – Nomad Kitchen Co. is excited to announce the upcoming launch of their first mobile camping kitchen. The small startup, based out of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, hopes to cater to weekend warriors and hardcore adventurers alike with their compact slide-out kitchen…
Editor’s Gear Closet: Danner Crag Rat Boot Review
I imagined that when I saw the awe-inspiring peaks of the Himalayas soaring overhead that I would somehow be changed, enlightened even. Gratitude would overwhelm me, and I would be struck by a revelation that until now had never crossed my mind. But the truth is that when I finally stood in their shadows, I…
The Best Coffee Grinders for Camping
Using a manual coffee grinder as part of your morning java ritual not only gets the blood pumping, it also promotes conversation and fuels campsite camaraderie. Forget noisy electric grinders requiring an inverter, or lowering the bar completely and milling those beans at home before the trip. If you’re a discerning overland javascenti, interested in…
Is The Jackery Explorer 500 The Best Portable Power Station For The Money?
For many of us, camping is an escape from the media and technology that dominates our everyday lives. It’s a way to engage with nature and quiet our minds, but that doesn’t mean we want to shed our electronics entirely while we do so. Whether they’re for navigation, emergency communications, or even running a CPAP…
The Products We Loved At Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2020
Each year the Outdoor Retailer show brings together some of the largest arrays of outdoor products and enthusiasts in the world. You’re undoubtedly familiar with the Summer market show, which we have covered in previous years, but for 2020 we decided to drop into their winter “snow show”, and we’re very glad we did. That’s…
Outdoor Retailer Show Goes Overland
The Outdoor Retailer Show continues to reinforce overlanding as a rapidly growing segment. The Winter Market show in Denver this week included an Overland Experience area, and even broader OEM representation. For our “Day One” coverage of the industry-only event, we will feature the products, innovations, and vehicles showcased at the venue. Our day two coverage…
Tired of Carrying a Dozen Keys? Ditch the Extras With Bolt Locks
It was almost midnight, and the weather couldn’t have been worse. The temperature was just above freezing, rain was pouring down, and the wind was gusting so hard that I thought I might fall over. To make matters worse, the hill my Airstream was parked on had turned to mud, and the trailer was now…
Gazelle T4 Hub Tent
By Ryan Keegan The Gazelle T4 Hub tent is a direct descendent of the Eskimo ice fishing shelter as well as the Barronett hunting blinds, both made by Ardisam. They have been producing seasonal outdoor products since 1960 and have upped their game with the Gazelle line of camping tents and shade awnings. The Gazelle…
The Best Backcountry, Travel, and Overland Communication Devices
We live in an age of constant connectivity. Emails, phone calls, social media, TV, and the internet inundate nearly every moment of our lives. With so much emphasis on modern technology, it’s little wonder we often look to nature for an escape—opportunities to ditch the devices and disconnect. Despite the downsides, technology has also made…
Ford Now Offers a Factory Warn Winch
OEM engineers and product planners continue to embrace overland and backcountry 4WD travel. The newest Ford Tremor is a significant example of that trend, offering a factory full-size diesel truck with a locking differential, 35-inch tires, and a new Warn 12,000-pound winch. Warn has long supported OEMs with winch and hub offerings, including the wildly…
Field Tested: GSI Outdoors Selkirk 460
I can still remember purchasing my first GSI Outdoors kitchen kit. It replaced the hodgepodge of pots, pans, plates, and cups that had been consuming cargo space in a giant box with one sleek set of nesting cookware. The space savings was spectacular, but so was the reasonable price. Ever since then, I have had…
Build Your Skills With These Off-Road & Overland Adventure Books
Over the years, our staff has been asked a lot of questions about overlanding. But there’s one query that almost every enthusiast seems to have in common. No, it’s not “What size tires can I fit with this lift?” but rather “What will improve my vehicle’s capability the most for the least amount of money?”…
Overland News :: Four New Fridges Hit the Market
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,…
Is the Exped Megamat Duo Still the King of Comfort?
There are a lot of ultra-comfortable sleeping pads on the market these days, but ask someone in the overland world what they think is the plushest pad in all the land, and there’s a good chance they’ll say the Exped Megamat. It’s no surprise. Exped was one of the pioneers of car camping pads, and…
Gear of the Decade :: RedOxx Bags
Editor’s Note: This is our first installment of a new series of editorial focusing on the Gear of the Decade (2000-2019). As overlanding continues to expand, there are products and services that stand the test of time—these are our favorites. Red Oxx Bags I still remember the first time I noticed a Red Oxx bag…
The iKamper Skycamp Mini – Because Lighter
As the roof tent market continues to evolve, there has developed a clear differentiation between the companies that innovate, and those that seem to just copy other designs. iKamper is one of the innovators, creating unique, quality roof tents for the overland and camping customer like their new Skycamp Mini. We have several years of…
Yakima Acquires Road Shower
As further evidence of the rapidly growing overland market, we are seeing larger (quality) camping and automotive brands acquire products that were niche just a few years ago. What better to pair with your roof tent and roof rack then a solar shower system? I have used the Road Showers in the field and they…
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…