Like many travel photographers, I often accrue so much data while on location I need to back it up in the event I lose a camera or card. On longer trips, I also like to share my image assets in real-time, requiring modest editing capabilities. In the last few years, I’ve patched together a few…
The 2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for You
On Monday we published the first of three holiday gift guides for 2017. (You can see it here) It covers some of our favorite outdoor and four-wheel drive products that cost $125 USD or less, making it perfect for things you’d give to family, friends, or yourself. However, it does it feel a little lackluster under…
The Overland Journal Holiday Sale
It’s official, the Overland Journal holiday sale is here! We’re discounting all field sets by 50%, as well as 50% off all back issues! Take a look back at Namibia’s desert with the Winter 2014 issue, or read all about driving through Iran in a London taxi with the Fall 2015 edition. Did you miss…
The 2017 Holiday Gift Guide: $125 or Less
Ah yes, the holiday season is finally upon us. That special time of year where families and friends come together, communities are filled joy, love, and charity, and we eat all the fattening foods we know we shouldn’t. It’s also when most of us are faced with one of the year’s most dreaded tasks: choosing…
Top 10 New Overland Products: SEMA 2017
The annual SEMA Show is the place to find the latest in automotive aftermarket. Each year automotive professionals from around the globe descend on Las Vegas to show, discover, and/or purchase the best new gear for their respective markets. It was great to see a few innovative, quality new products specifically oriented for the overland…
Classic Gear: The Leatherman Multi-Tool
It’s one of the most exceptional inventions of our generation, but its inception could not have been more ordinary. It happened during a European vacation in 1975 when a young mechanical engineer from Oregon named Timothy Leatherman needed to repeatedly fix his cantankerous rental car and leaky hotel plumbing. The only tool he had available…
Head to Head: Hammock vs. Tent
Like many of you, I love the comfy repose and gentle sway of a good hammock. I also think they pair well with a warm beach and a cold cocktail. As much time as I’ve spent relaxing in a hammock, I don’t often think of them as the go-to for backcountry bedding. That’s not to…
Did Google’s Pixel Buds just break the language barrier?
The written and spoken word have been shaping our lives since the dawn of mankind. They’ve built and defined societies, led to a greater understanding of the world around us, and helped to bridge the gap between nations, but they’ve also been a barrier. Even simple differences in dialects can lead to difficulties in communication,…
First Impressions: SEMA 2017
For most people, the end of October and beginning of November is simply a season called fall, but for those of us in the automotive world, it’s something entirely different. It’s that time of year when tens of thousands of enthusiasts and manufacturers descend upon the Las Vegas Convention Center to see the latest and…
Cool New Products from Overland Expo East
In addition to the hordes of cool four-wheel drives, motorcycles, and campers at Overland Expo each year, there are always at least a few new products on display. This year’s show was no exception, and we spotted everything from Overlander bottle openers to electric motorcycles. Here’s a quick peek at a few of the products that we…
News: Feniex Releases AI Lightbars
Up until recently, Feniex has been almost unheard of in the civilian world of lighting. The small, Austin-based company was established in 2010 and has been hard at work trying to brighten the space around our first responders, keeping them safe on duty. Now, after honing their designs and engineering over the last 7 years,…
Gear Classics: Danner Jag Hiking Boots
It’s hard to believe, but many of the most successful names in American business got their start during the worst economic period of the last 100 years. With the Great Depression crushing the nation, companies like Zippo, Ray Ban, and Macy’s entered the market with a simple promise to provide quality goods at affordable prices….
Long Term Review: iOverlander Travel Resource App
In the fall of 2014, I wrote a small review of an upstart web and app-based travel resource called iOverlander. At the time it had equal potential to be a runaway success, or just one of a million great ideas to vanish into the cyber-ether. Three years later, the iOverlander platform is a proven winner…
Field Tested: Filson Ultra-Light Jacket
Of all the gear I own, a lightweight insulated jacket has to be one of the most well-used. Even during summer months in the mountains I almost never leave home without one. Pulled over a t-shirt or tucked under heavy waterproof shell layers, a puffy jacket has year-round utility. If you don’t have one in…
Long Term Test: Therm-a-Rest Altair HD Sleeping Bag
For what seemed like decades, sleeping bag technology languished. There were a few minor innovations with regard to baffle shapes and fabrics improved slightly from year to year, but not until recently has the humble sleeping bag received the engineering advancements it deserved. This is particularly true of bags in the Therm-a-Rest line like the…
Field Tested: La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX
In late 2015, I had the good fortune to visit Nepal and trek deep into the Khumbu Valley. Because I travel light, I only packed two pairs of footwear for the near month-long trip, both from La Sportiva. For rugged hiking days, I used Trango Cube boots. The rest of the trip, including the long…
The Coolest Cooler: Otter Box’s New Venture 45
As a long-time fan of Otter Box phone and pad cases, I was a little surprised to see the Colorado-based company enter the seemingly saturated cooler market. That said, I knew they had the resources and design acumen needed to create a winner capable of standing above the competition. After receiving an early sample of…
Field Tested: Primus Onja
Did you know that a camp stove can help you meet new people? I sure didn’t, but it can if that stove is the Onja. It seems bystanders can miraculously appear from thin air just to say, “What the heck is that” or “Hey, now that’s cool,” when you least expect it. It even happened…
Field Tested: Yeti Panga 50-Liter Duffel
When it comes to product marketing, talk is cheap which is why I respect brands like Yeti. They let their products speak for themselves. If it could talk, their new Panga 50 waterproof duffel would be a loud-mouth braggart. I would argue it is the toughest and most weather-thwarting duffel ever made. If you have…
2017 Fall Boot and Shoe Roundup
The contemporary overlander is not easily defined, nor are their individual gear needs. While some stay sequestered within their vehicles, many enjoy a mix of pursuits beyond the driver’s seat. For years, overlanders only wore heavy-duty leather boots, a trend I always thought was a little strange. Today’s traveler is still keen to wear well-made…