It seems that monthly boxes have become all the rage lately. Whether you’re looking for healthy meal ingredients, a collection of fine shaving products, or a gift pack of fair-trade toys and organic, high-end treats for your pet poodle Froo-froo, there’s a subscription plan for you. Truthfully, I have never been into the idea, but…
Field Tested: Rally Armor Mud Flaps
Let’s take a moment to talk about mud flaps. No, not the kind with chrome women or the words “Back Off” written on them, but the simple yet effective ones available from a range of manufacturers. These inexpensive products can do much more than keep your door handles clean on the trail. They help to…
Outdoor Retailer Winter Market
Last week one of the largest outdoor shows in North America got underway, the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. There were some major changes this year, the largest of which was a shift in venue from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Denver, Colorado, but there was also plenty that stayed the same. Everywhere you looked people…
First Test: New 2018 Gear from MSR, Therm-a-Rest, and Seal Line
My wife likes to chide me for my ability to generate bad ideas. When I told her I was going to squeeze in one last bikepacking trip to the high peaks of Colorado just as winter storms are likely to crush my route—I realized she might have a point. The truth is, I love the…
Field Tested: Think Tank Camera Bag
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2017. One of the quandaries photographers face is how to transport an assortment of expensive equipment in different environments. When on field assignments my camera gear is toted around in a daypack, with additional lenses, bodies, and strobes stowed in a Pelican case. However,…
How To Build an Inexpensive Rear-door Awning
“Gosh, how I love that small awning,” Karin-Marijke exclaimed, raising her voice above the noise from the rain pelting on the canvas. She stood cooking outside but stayed dry. “How come it took us this long to build one?” I had pondered that question myself and reflected on the start of our trip. The first…
Happy Holidays
As we round the final bend into 2018, we wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. Wherever you are, whatever you’re celebrating, and whoever you’re celebrating it with, we hope you’re making memories as warm and inviting as a campfire on a…
Head to Head: Nemo Star Gaze vs. Blue Ridge Chairworks Outer Banks
I think we can all agree nothing beats a warm fire on a cool night with a tasty beverage and a comfortable place to sit. I’ve tried all manner of camp chairs over the years, some good, many not worth the materials they’re made of. In the last few months I’ve come to love two…
Field Tested: TrekPak Custom Dividers for Alu-Box 42
My name is Christophe, and I’m a compulsive organizer. Some of you might find that humorous, but I know many of you are shaking your heads in affirmation because you too just can’t stand having one tiny thing out of place. Fortunately for us, we have a support system—TrekPak. I first started using TrekPak organizers…
ComeUp UW 5000si
We love to talk about vehicle-mounted winches here in the four-wheel drive world, but not every job calls for a 9,000-pound pull. Sometimes a lighter and more portable winch is needed, and that’s where the utility winch comes in. These products are perfect for hauling trucks and UTVs onto trailers, lifting and moving heavy objects…
The Ultimate Adventure Gift List
If you’ve seen our home page in the last month, you may have noticed that we published our holiday gift guide a little differently this year. Instead of lumping gifts of every size and shape into one article, we separated them into three distinct categories, one for every budget. Our first guide covered cool gear…
Sneak Peek: MSR Hubba Tour 2
When foul weather forces me within the safe haven of a tent, nothing is more precious than a cavernous vestibule. With the passing of every wet minute, each inch of dry space is called upon to stash gear and makes for the ideal place to prepare meals or just stretch out. As useful as a…
Field Tested: Midland PPG100 Portable Power Station
If you read my most recent skills piece on the nuances of power management for overland travel, you know I was a bit dismissive of solar. This is not to say it lacks usefulness, but for most people the tools used to store power are more convenient. Solar can be slow, require constant alignment of…
From the ExPo Vault: The Best of the Best – Sporks
We answer the question few dare to even ask: Which spork reigns supreme?
Adventure Photographer: The GNARBOX Backup Drive and Editor
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…