Cover photo by Chris Cordes In 1997, Russell Harris and Shaun Fenton embarked on a random journey guided only by a pair of green dice. The Diceman series aired on British cable television until 2002, and by then, Harris and Fenton had traveled 18,000 miles from Iceland to Poland, the USA, Greenland, and Germany, rolling…
Embracing Remote Adventures: Life in a Sprinter Van with Kathy and Peter Holcombe
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Matt Scott hosts Peter and Kathy Holcombe from FamaGogo, exploring their 11-year, full-time travel journey. From their early days in a Honda Civic to their current adventures in a Sprinter van, the Holcombes share their experiences traversing the Pan-American Highway, kayaking in Ecuador, facing vehicle breakdowns in…
Overlanding with Purpose: Remote Journeys with TrailRecon
Join Matt Scott and Scott Brady on the Overland Journal Podcast as they sit down with Brad Kowitz from TrailRecon. They discuss his remarkable career transition from the US Navy to creating noteworthy content in the technical four-wheel-drive world. Delve into topics such as expedition planning, vehicle builds, medical preparedness in remote travel, and the…
Iconic Rebelle Rally Locations to Incorporate into Your Next Overland Trip
Lead photo by Nicole Dreon In one week’s time, over 60 teams will gather in Mammoth Lakes, California, to begin the 10th edition of the Rebelle Rally. The rally route—which leads competitors through eight days of off-road navigation using maps, compasses, and roadbooks to locate checkpoints throughout the deserts of Nevada and California—is completely confidential….
Mastering Off-Road Techniques: Throttle, Eyes, and Strategy with Emily Miller
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Matt Scott and Scott Brady welcome Emily Miller, a notable figure in the off-roading community and the founder of the Rebelle Rally. The conversation dives into the details of the Rebelle Rally, discussing its origins, format, and the unique challenges it presents. Miller shares insights from…
Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve | Overland Routes
We first discovered the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve (also known as the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004) in 2011 after returning home to South Africa from a journey to Kilimanjaro in our 2003 Land Rover Defender 130. We fell in love with the untamed beauty of the remote…
The Arctic Beckons – Expedition: Greenland Film Set for Release
Deep in the dog days of summer (in the Northern Hemisphere at least), it’s hard to imagine the brutality of the freezing conditions north of the Arctic Circle. Lying almost entirely above 66 degrees of latitude, Greenland is one of the last frontiers of human exploration. Just a few short years ago, a small team…
Overlanding With Jeep on the Rubicon Trail, 70+ Years After Mark Smith Organized the First Jeep Jamboree
“It’s really gnarly up there,” trail boss Pearse Umlauf of Masor Performance (also president and CEO of Jeep Jamboree USA) tells us, over dinner. We’re high in the High Sierra near Lake Tahoe, a group invited by Jeep to tackle the most brutal stretch of the Rubicon Trail, the crown jewel of off-road routes. Umlauf’s…
The Big Thing :: A Mighty Little Triumph in Montana
Having attended my share of overland events over the years, I half-expected XOverland’s inaugural The Big Thing (July 10–13, 2025) in Montana to feel like a polished production with an established vibe. What I didn’t anticipate was the heart, the attention to detail, and that family-oriented community energy pulsing through the XOverland Ranch like wildfire….
The Big Thing :: Where the Heart of Overlanding Came Home
The Big Thing event began with a simple idea: create something that feels like why we all fell in love with overlanding in the first place. Not for the gear. Not for the builds. But for the belief that adventure makes us better—because it brings people together and changes us along the way. So, we…
The BDR Bros: Nothing’s Thicker than Blood and Bikes
When TJ Brown heard the newly minted NorCal Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) was being opened in the summer of 2024, he immediately called a meeting of his friends, all adventure motorcyclists. The BDR Bros, as he dubs them, assembled on a Tuesday evening with maps, both Google and folding, and began planning for a two-wheeled…
Women’s-Only Off-Road Class Is a Go for XOverland’s Big Thing Event
On Sunday, July 13, 2025, as the featured “Big Thing” overland weekend concludes, the XOverland Ranch is offering a women-only technical training course—a dedicated space designed to build driving confidence, refine recovery techniques, and foster genuine connection among women who share a passion for adventure. Hosted at the picturesque XOverland Ranch near Three Forks, Montana,…
Beyond the Human Context: Protecting the Invisible in Kyrgyzstan
In 2017, my girlfriend, Caroline, and I bought a 1990s ex-ambulance Mercedes-Benz 609D in Berlin. With only 40,000 kilometers on the clock, it was in great shape and ready for adventure. Despite our limited resources, we managed to convert it into our off-grid home under the sweltering southern Spain sun. Without a garage, we did…
Living Legend Kingsley Holgate: The Man, the Beard, the Cause
Photography by Kingsley Holgate Foundation Kingsley Holgate is one of my heroes, having completed 41 expeditions (and counting), all after turning 50 years old. Explorations include reaching the geographic center of Africa, which had never been done before, and circumnavigating Africa, as close to the coastline as they could, which is something that was a…
Mike Pfeiffer of Last Line of Defense on Practical Readiness
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Matt Scott converses with Mike Pfeiffer from the Last Line of Defense about practical readiness and overlanding. Mike shares insights from his life as an “army brat,” his experiences traveling and living in various states, and his journey into off-roading and overlanding. The conversation highlights the…
1966 Land Rover Series 2a Marshall Ambulance :: Feature Vehicle
The namesake of British explorer Ernest Shackleton is suitably the stuff of legends. This wheeled Sir Shackleton, who we’ll call “Shack” for brevity’s sake, is a 1966 Land Rover Series 2a Marshall ambulance. But we’ve already entered a shrouded realm of mythology. Though Shack’s registration papers designate his build year as 1968, the error in…
From Fear to Fascination: Overlanding the United States-Mexico Border
I sat down and took a deep breath, desperately trying to clear my nerves. Our Zoom call gave a soft chime as parents and teachers logged on one by one. It’s not every day that a high school would consider supporting and helping pay for a month-long overland trip, much less an expedition consisting of…
Doug and Stephanie Hackney’s Inspirational Overland Adventures
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady hosts special guests Doug and Stephanie Hackney, who share their incredible journey from high-powered careers to full-time explorers. They dive into their motivations behind choosing travel over material comforts, the challenges and rewards of overland adventures, and the importance of adaptability. The conversation also touches…
Andrew Comrie-Picard on the Power of Self-Belief and the Transglobal Car Expedition
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano is joined by Canadian race car driver, X Games athlete, stuntman, and Baja 1000 champion Andrew Comrie-Picard in this episode, which touches on his childhood in Alberta, Canada, and how his love for driving challenges launched his automotive career. The conversation continues with an in-depth look at Comrie-Picard’s latest…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Greece
Photography by Richard Giordano On the busy streets of Xanthi, I spot a tiny lobster. She’s swinging an air lasso to “Gangnam Style” as bass pumps through a gargantuan roadside speaker. Located in northern Greece, the city of Xanthi hosts some of the most popular Apokries events in the country, which celebrate the festive season…