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…
Lineup Announced for the 2022 Adventure Travel Film Festival
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…