Offering several opportunities for fun-filled weekends this summer, the Adventure Travel Film Festival has returned with two locations for 2022: Perthshire, Scotland (July 8 to 10, 2022) and Cotswolds, UK (August 12 to 14, 2022). The Festival’s lineup includes a tantalizing array of independent adventure travel stories. Filmgoers will join Naresh Kumar’s tandem bike journey…
Looking for Firewood? Stacked.camp Knows Where It’s At
These days there’s a website or app for just about anything, and you can now add firewood to that list. Stacked.camp is a new “community-focused project” (website database) that was created to help campers find firewood, quickly and easily. Stacked was specifically built as a “lite-weight” webapp to facilitate quick loading of information, even when…
Kalk& and Ösa E-Bikes by Cake
Every so often, a solution arrives at exactly the right time. Long-distance overland travelers have for decades sought an answer to the problem of lightweight, portable mobility. A bicycle strapped to the back of a rig makes perfect sense until you need to get somewhere quickly. A gasoline-powered motorcycle mounted far behind the rear axle…
Engwe Engine Pro 750W High Performance Electric Bike
As a committed cyclist, I struggled to understand the appeal of electric bikes, but as the years have passed, I’ve grown to appreciate them. Furthermore, they’ve become an increasingly popular accessory for overlanders, who store or rack them as a convenient secondary mode of transport when parked at camp. This is particularly useful for larger…
Cake Drops the Perfect Scooter for Your Overland Camper
Cake impressed the outdoor world with the launch of their first electric motorcycle, a dirt bike with an elegant and austere design. Now, they address the opposite end of the spectrum with a utility-minded model designed to be lightweight, multi-functional, and easy to ride. The Makka electric moped touts the ability to haul surfboards, mount…
ACR Electronics Bivy Stick Satellite Communication Device and App
If you’re someone who enjoys venturing into the backcountry, then your safety should be a primary consideration, and the ability to share your location and alert emergency services in the event of an accident is crucial. In the past, I’ve been a fan of SPOT Satellite Communication Devices (generally alongside a second “burner” mobile phone,…
Leatherman, The Bond
I’ll be refraining from gratuitously quoting Bond movies throughout this piece; that would be immature. Leatherman, akin to a much-loved secret agent, “likes to do some things the old-fashioned way” (definitely not taken from Skyfall), and their latest offering is inspired by the company’s very first multi-tool, the PST. Those of you who’ve read my…
MSR Guardian Gravity Purifier
MSR is a company synonymous with quality backcountry gear, and their latest offering, the Guardian Gravity purifier (GGP), is no different. I actually shared my friend’s older MSR water purifier during my bikepacking ride through the Spanish Sierra Nevada, and I was really impressed. On the bike, hiking or overlanding, it’s remarkable how quickly you…
Salsa 2021 Cutthroat
The Cutthroat is Salsa’s Tour Divide inspired drop-bar bike, and the latest model brings to market a more compliant fork, a wide range of drivetrain compatibility, a direct-mount frame pack, and more accessory mounts than ever. This is a bike focused on covering big distances with speed and comfort. So, what are the highlights? The…
Diamondback Amplifies Spring 2021 Lineup with New Ebike Collection
Diamondback Bicycles has unveiled a new electric bike category to their Spring 2021 collection. The four new pavement ebikes incorporate “reliable components, commuter-ready details, and Bosch high-performance motors to efficiently get riders to their destinations.” The new models will be accompanied by the brand’s “Get Amped” campaign, which pays homage to the electric guitar and…
Nemo Spoon Bags
One key issue with most ultra-lightweight sleeping bags is they’re super snug and, if you’re a larger build or broad-shouldered, they don’t allow for much movement besides lying on your back. Well, Nemo has come to the rescue with a range of Spoon bags that provide enough space for side sleepers! According to Nemo, “Seventy…
Osprey New Bike Lumbar Packs
I have a confession, for I have sinned. Only when I got my hands on the Car Sick Designs “The Time Traveller” in 2019 did I realise hip packs are the ultimate cycling accessory, whether for weekend trails, extended bikepacking trips, or general life. It makes perfect sense: resting conveniently on your hips for all-day…
Front Runner Load Bed Rack Side Mount for Bike Carrier
Try saying that product name quickly. Front Runner (FR) continues to be a market leader when it comes to overlanding accessories. Legend has it that the company was conceived between a 1988 Land Cruiser 70 and a 1992 Mercedes G-Wagen in Botswana. A handful of friends with backgrounds in engineering, design, manufacturing, and off-road racing decided…
Nemo 2021 Collection
Nemo was born after its founder, Cam Brensinger, spent a sleepless night on Mount Washington in a poorly designed bivy. He realised that evening how much opportunity there was in creating quality functional gear that enhanced the outdoor experience. As a result, just three days after graduation, he founded Nemo (New England Mountain Equipment). Seventeen…
Nitecore NPB4 Power Bank
There’s no shortage of portable power banks on the market, but there are fewer focused on the Great Outdoors. The new Nitecore NPB4 is packed with features designed to embrace rough treatment in the field whilst still integrating all the latest technical specifications and functionality. This 20,000 mAh Li-ion battery pack showcases multiple fast charge…
Lizard Skins Grips and Handlebar Tape
Lizard Skins, founded in 1993, has been manufacturing quality cycling accessories for almost three decades. They initially designed products to protect the bike and rider but have since expanded to gloves and grips. The company’s continued research meant that in 2008 they created their most innovative grip and flagship product, Durasoft Polymer (DSP). DSP provides…
Club Ride Apparel
Club Ride is “mountain lifestyle clothing,” designed from a biking perspective but intentionally made to be multi-functional. Founder Mike Herlinger wanted to “create clothing that spoke to the lifestyle led by the mountain bikers, hikers, raft guides, and ski bums creating their own opportunities in mountain towns.” Ten years later, Club Ride has spearheaded the…
UBCO 2X2 App
As someone obsessed with cycling and overlanding, I’ve watched with interest as more electric bikes have come to market. I’m particularly intrigued by products that bridge the gap between bicycle and motorbike, thus offering comparable speed to a moped, without the weight or emissions. I truly believe that this style of bike will dominate city…
A-Squared Bikes
I generally share stories from bikepacking adventures on mountainous dirt roads. Thus, one could be misled into thinking that I don’t particularly enjoy road riding or the thrill of a lightweight aero bike, which isn’t the case. I love shredding my mountain bike on muddy single-track, yet there’s something equally rewarding about the effortless speed…
Salsa 2021 Timberjack
The Salsa Timberjack is an aggressive hardtail designed around the trifecta of ‘fast, fearless, and fun’. This bike is well equipped for playful riding, integrates progressive trail geometry, multiple set-up options, and exciting features that give you the confidence to nail lines with speed and control. I love hardtails and agree with Salsa that in…