For all of their advantages, rooftop tents do have one obvious downside and this is the real estate that you must sacrifice on top of your rig to mount them. Sure, some RTTs offer the ability to mount load bars for cargo, but that often comes with significant weight limitations. But the folks at Thule…
Category Archives: Gear
Exploring with the Hasselblad X1D
The Hasselblad is a compact, durable, and exceedingly elegant travel camera. The dust in the Namib is extreme, a vast expanse of the oldest erg system in the world. We had stopped the diesel 2020 Defender 110 for a moment to investigate a roadside stand of Himba, their handcrafted wares besting anything from Etsy. There…
Max Adventure Tyre Sealant Stops Flats in Their Tracks
Used by British Special Forces to prevent flats when you can’t afford to have your vehicle disabled, Max Adventure Tyre Sealant immediately plugs punctures up to 25mm in diameter when installed pre-emptively. The water-soluble formula is non-corrosive, won’t damage your tires or rims, is shelf-stable, and can be reused between tires. Plan Ahead for…
Assembling a Cold Weather Vehicle Emergency Kit
Here in the Rocky Mountains (I live in Colorado), we have plenty of winter hazards that can slow you down on the road. Whiteout conditions due to high winds, avalanches, and, of course, heavy snow are all possibilities that could disable your vehicle or force you to spend an unplanned night in your rig, waiting…
Overland News of the Week, October 23rd, 2020
Kahtoola EXOspikes If you’re one of those people who don’t like to let snow and ice slow you down, having traction devices for your footwear is a simple, low-cost investment that will go a long way. Kahtoola makes many high-quality devices, but their new EXOspikes seek to improve on previous designs with better traction and…
Pelican Cargo Cases have Landed
Pelican got its start in 1976, designing and manufacturing lighting and other waterproof items for the SCUBA diving industry. But when customers began repurposing their waterproof Pelican first aid kits to protect a wide range of delicate items, founder Dave Parker saw the future of his company. Over the years, a range of strategic business…
Overland News of the Week, October 2nd, 2020
Berkey Water Filters Finding potable water on extended road trips is fairly easy if you pass through developed areas. But just because water is safe to drink doesn’t mean that it tastes good. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve filled the tank in our RV only to be overwhelmed by the taste of…
The Overlander’s Every Day Carry (EDC)
Host Scott Brady and co-host Matt Scott discuss the Principles of Overlanding for practical everyday carry (EDC) and travel gear for overland travel, emphasizing minimizing items, avoiding overtly tactical-looking clothing abroad, and complying with local knife laws. They describe preferred clothing (durable, understated jackets), sunglasses, and how smartphones have replaced many pocket items, especially for…
The Combar Adventurer Tool
Simplicity affords adventure, as the more we reduce complexity, the greater the opportunity for discovery. This is true of most things in our lives, but it is even more significant with the gear we use. Any opportunity to reduce, combine, consolidate, or simplify will typically reward us with more time to enjoy the moment. It…
Sony Alpha 7C is the Worlds Smallest Full-Frame Camera
The phrase “the best camera is the one you have with you” is attributed to photographer Chase Jarvis who wrote a book about smartphone photography. Basically, he’s saying that even if you own the highest-resolution camera with the best-quality lenses, it won’t do you any good if you don’t take it along on your trips….
Overland News of the Week: Photography Edition
With fall approaching, this is the perfect opportunity to dust off your photography gear in anticipation of changing leaves, dynamic golden-hour light, and scenic overland adventures. To help you prepare for spectacular photo opportunities, this week’s Overland News of the week is all about photography gear. Breakthrough Photography Filters Based in San Francisco, Breakthrough…
Field Tested: Warn Epic Bags
Photography by Scott Brady Warn has been adding to its vast array of products over the past 72 years. Though best known for manual and automatic hubs, winches, and mounting systems, Warn now offers a series of Epic Bags that help any overlander organize for their next journey. So, let’s review their lineup of…
Into the Field: Terrain 365 Introduces New Terravantium Knives
Header Photo: Terrain 365 knives with Terravantium blades are heading out to the field for testing. Top to bottom: The new STS-AT framelock folder with black G-10 scale (framelock side is titanium); the new Mako Flipper-AT with titanium handles; and already in their collection, the Otter Slipjoint with Marine Gray G-10 scales. Terrain 365…
Overland News of the Week, September 4th, 2020
HyperJuice GaN 100W USB-C Charger Even those of us that bring a minimal amount of tech on the road need to keep our devices charged. But not every charger is created equal. With the higher density batteries in modern smartphones, tablets, and computers comes the need for higher output charging solutions. The HyperJuice GaN charger…
Behind the Builds: Overland Journal’s Latest Projects and Tech
Scott Brady and Matt Scott discuss Overland Journal Podcast project vehicle updates, including a deep dive on Scott’s 2007 Lexus GX 470 (Prado 120-based) build with ARB Old Man Emu BP-51 suspension, AEV Crestone DOT-legal beadlock wheels, plans for an ARB bumper, Warn winch, possible roof rack, ARB LINX, and an effort to retain the…
Goodbye, Transmission
In my mind, destroying a manual transmission is an act of violence. It is something that involves loud grinding, clunking, maybe even a stalled engine. I believed it was something that would leave you stranded on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck. It turns out, it wasn’t anything like that. Olivia…
Overland News of the Week, August 21st, 2020
Tuffy Flip-up License Plate Holder for Roller Fairlead Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring us pleasure, and if you happen to live in a state that requires a front-mounted license plate, then this flip-up license plate holder from Tuffy should put a smile on your face. Constructed from 16-gauge steel with a…
Gear Spotlight :: Spot, Halite, Sawyer, and RedArc
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, August 7th, 2020
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…