Brian McVickers is the Overland International CBDO (Chief Business Development Officer), partner, contributor, highly experienced overlander, and one of the most genuine guys you will ever meet (brownie points, please, boss!). Brian took to the fields of hard carpet at the SEMA event held in Las Vegas last week and returned with sore feet and…
Overland News of the Week
Born Outdoor Badger Bed 25 Kicking off this week’s overland news is Born Outdoor. The company is now supplying a narrower version of its original Badger Bed 30. Expedition Portal’s Garrett Mead reviewed the latter and concluded: “I could not find a single thing to dislike about this bed system.” High praise, indeed. So, what…
Overland News of the Week
Space Acacia Camping System In this week’s overland news is the Space Acacia camping system; a unique glamping tent that gives you a cozy interior while camping out in the wild. The tent is made with ultra-durable 300D Oxford cloth with a waterproof coating and can withstand wind speeds up to 45 miles per hour….
Overland News of the Week
Princeton Tec Snap 450 RW A quality headtorch is essential for life on the road and the Snap 450 RW is a great option. Princeton Tec adopted a modular design that allows users to seamlessly switch from headlamp, bike light, flashlight, and lantern. Additional features include a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, IPX7 waterproof rating, and a…
Gear Round Up Overland Expo PNW 2023
There are three main reasons to visit any of the Overland Expos including the PNW and other nationally, and those are (in order) the people, the vehicles, and the gear. While the people and the vehicles are generally easy to spot, even if some do insist on being clad in camouflage, finding the newest, best…
Overland Expo PNW—July 7-9, 2023
I’ve always considered Oregon—especially the Eastern desert regions—to be an overlooked and underrated overlanding destination. Like all Western states, Oregon contains a huge variety of landscapes, and they belie the rain- and IPA-soaked Portlandia stereotypes. Nearly 53% of the state is public land, and there are many miles of dirt to explore, from Arch Rock…
Overland News of the Week
The Overland Embassy, Transportation for Motorcycles over the Darién Gap The Overland Embassy (located in Parque Lefevre, Panama City) is offering shipping and airfreight transportation for motorcycles. The airfreight option takes just three days from “drop off to drive off” in Bogotá, Colombia. Alternatively, you can opt for the shared container option, which is significantly…
Overland News of the Week
Boreas Campers Teams up With Garmin Boreas Campers have teamed up with Garmin on the EOS-12, an off-road, off-grid, four-season camper trailer. The EOS-12 comes standard with the Garmin ONE system, which connects and controls all onboard systems at the touch of a button. The system is accessed via the Garmin tablet, which can be…
Great American Rail-Trail Aims to Link Both Coasts
Rail lines offer a unique opportunity for building trail networks since they bridge urban, rural, and wilderness landscapes in ways other infrastructures don’t. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been converting disused and abandoned rail lines in the United States into footpaths and bicycle trails since 1986. There is likely a Rails-to-Trails project near you as…
EarthCruiser Expands Into EV Market
EarthCruiser, purveyor of go-anywhere, no expense spared luxury overland vehicles, has announced its expansion into the EV market with a pre-order deposit program for a slide-in camper specifically engineered for EV trucks. The company explains that they’ve kept a close eye on the growing popularity of electric vehicles within the overlanding sphere and that “industry…
Overland News of the Week
The Polydrop Trailer The Polydrop trailer is designed primarily with EVs in mind and is not strictly a camping trailer; it is a personal travel space you can take with you wherever you go. This distinction is important as you will notice that the trailer does not come equipped with the gear and accessories one…
Overland News of the Week
Wolf Tooth Components B-RAD System Over the last 10 years, bikepacking has grown in popularity exponentially and this has generated a huge array of purpose-built bikes, parts, and accessories. In fact, there has been so much innovation over the past decade that it’s hard to believe the industry can produce something original. Wolf Tooth has…
Outdoor Adventure X Festival
During the pandemic, air travel came to a grinding halt and more people than ever turned to overlanding and camping as an escape. Despite restrictions gradually being lifted, this trend shows no signs of slowing down and has spawned some exciting new events. One such example is the Outdoor Adventure X festival, which will debut…
Over-The-Counter :: Medicine for Travelers
As travelers prepare to return to international travel, many will likely forget to pack their over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Many more will forget to check the international rules and regulations for common medicines easily obtained in their home countries—but possibly not allowed overseas. Trip-takers consistently list “forgetting to pack prescription and over-the-counter medicine” as one…
The Great Gravel Boom :: 4,000 riders expected at Garmin UNBOUND Gravel 2023
unbound adjective un·bound | \ən-ˈbau̇nd\ 1: having no limit The gravel race that began with 34 participants in 2006 will boom through the scenic rolling hills of Kansas’ Tallgrass Prairie in 2023, with thousands of cyclists clamoring for a lottery ticket to ride. Although participants will hit blacktop roads in smaller sections, the vast…
Brat Class 2 E-bike Coming from Volcon
Volcon ePowersports, the first company to make all-electric off-road powersports machines, announces a new Class 2 electric bicycle they call the Brat. The single-syllable moniker follows the lead of their Stag UTV, and the fat-tired, two-wheeled, go-most-anywhere Volcon Grunt, reviewed by Scott Brady. Volcon states the Brat is built “for any adventure, on or off…
Off-Road Cycling Endurance, The RAD Dirt Festival
Rad adjective slang Extremely exciting or good. Excellent; wonderful. Radical. The terrain They call it an “untouched plethora of gravel unlike any other,” that southern Colorado plateau laden with impressive mesas, paths that will bear the churning of hundreds of bike wheels on October 8 as riders compete for the top finisher in the RAD…
Overland News of the Week
Volcon Off-Road UTVs to be Powered by General Motors’ Electric Propulsion System Off-road powersports company Volcon Inc. has announced it will power all of its off-road utility terrain vehicles with General Motors’ electric propulsion system, including its all-electric UTV, the Volcon Stag, which will come to market in 2023. The GM system will provide instant…
Bikepacking News :: Kokopelli Will Launch All-New Bikepacking Bags for Spring 2023
Industry-leading packraft and kayak company Kokopelli has announced its ultra-durable Durango bike bag collection designed to revolutionize the bikerafting experience. Bikepackers will already be familiar with “bikerafting,” which, as the name suggests, refers to a trip that merges adventure cycling with packrafting. This style of human-powered exploration has exploded in popularity in recent years, as…
There’s Something for Everyone at This Year’s Northwest Overland Rally
Photography by Richard Giordano Nestled in the Beaver Valley and surrounded by the pine trees of the Wenatchee National Forest and the Cascade Mountains lies a field that, once a year, fills with trucks, vans, and cars, old and new, tents of all shapes and sizes, and overland fanatics, young and old(er). The brainchild of…