Lead photo by Tim Sutton The scene is a familiar one: a golden desert sunrise, a cup of steaming coffee in hand, and a game of vehicle Tetris to prepare for the day ahead. Cold, stiff fingers are gradually warmed by the sun, eagerly grasping maps, hauling duffel bags, and closing zippers. A sense of…
Category Archives: Adventure
Vancouver Island: A Rover and a Reset in the Best Place on Earth
It was the end of summer, and the sun hung over the far end of Muchalat Lake a bit later than it would in a month from now, but not as late as it had the month before. I was sitting on a log on the beach overlooking the water about 15 kilometers from Gold…
onX 2024 Impact Report Shows Progress Protecting Access, Conserving US Land
Access to public land is a privilege that all Americans and foreign visitors enjoy in most states (yes, we are giving you side eyes, Texas, Connecticut, and Iowa). With this privilege comes the responsibility for all users to engage in the sustainable and respectful use of this land. onX, a leader in digital outdoor navigation,…
Bikepacking Crete :: Top 10 Gear Picks
I grit my teeth and take a few more steps. Sweat drips down my nose as my heart pounds. Progress is measured in feet, not miles, on these ascents. The goats make it look so easy. Occasionally, a shepherd will pass in a beat-up Toyota Hilux; a simple nod is sufficient. It may be December,…
Are Bush Planes Your Next Over Lander?
In this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Scott Brady is joined by Dave Harriton from American Expedition Vehicles, an engineering and product design expert and a passionate backcountry flyer. The discussion delves into the world of bush planes, particularly tandem planes, and the similarities to overlanding. Dave shares his journey into flying, from…
The Explorers Club: Not Just for Scientists
Photography by Chris Collard Housed in a New York City building on East 70th Street lies the headquarters of the Explorers Club. Home to the Kon-Tiki globe, the Apollo 11 moon flag, and thousands of archival volumes, artifacts, and maps gathered since the club’s inception in 1904, the society’s mission remains “to explore by all…
Clay and Rachelle Croft of XOverland on the Adventure of Travel, Life, and Love
Join host Scott Brady on the Overland Journal Podcast as he converses with Clay and Rachelle Croft, the dynamic duo behind the XOverland brand. Known for their extensive global travels and mastery of overlanding, Scott delves into their incredible adventures, the intricacies of their life, marriage, and maintaining family values amidst success. This episode offers…
Jessica Mans on the Past, Present, and Future of iOverlander
Jessica Mans is a co-founder of iOverlander and co-author of several e-books and the Life Remotely blog. In this episode from the field, Jessica and Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano discuss Jessica’s experiences traveling the Pan-American Highway with her husband and brother over a decade ago, how the trip sparked the beginnings of iOverlander,…
Bikepacking Gear That Got Me Through the Wolf’s Lair
I generally plan two longer rides per year in spring and autumn. You avoid the crowds, summer prices, and generally enjoy the best temperatures for cycling (at least here in Europe). In typical Jack fashion, I crammed 2023 to bursting with a February kayaking trip in Bavaria, a March road trip around Slovenia, and then…
Reza Pakravan :: Modern Explorer
Photography by Kevin Merrey and Mark Game It was 70 days into Reza Pakravan’s bicycle expedition from Norway to South Africa before he cracked. His body weak with a recent bout of malaria and severe food poisoning, Reza and his expedition partner, Steven Pawley, slogged through the Kenyan desert in 40°C temperatures, out of water…
Join Naresh Kumar as He Cycles Across America to Combat Human Trafficking
Naresh Kumar has cycled more than 10,000 kilometers through 13 countries on a tandem bicycle to raise awareness and funds to combat human trafficking. Now, you can join him as he travels from Oregon to DC, inviting strangers to join him on project Freedom Seat. Born and raised in a suburb of Chennai in South…
Cross Country on E-Bike via 1903 Motorcycle Route
Riding cross-country on an electric bicycle sounds like quite an adventure, and it would be if you weren’t Jack Smith. After all, he’s done that trip numerous times. His first crossing was in 1976, on a skateboard and accompanied by two friends. “Wow”, you might say, until you hear that he did that three more…
From Biocrust, With Love :: Video of the Week
If living organisms could write a letter to humans, what would they say? I imagine the message from thousand-year-old bristlecone pines, sequoias, and baobabs would be lengthy (and likely not on paper), while a bird’s eye perspective could be enlightening. But what about the areas we’ve long deemed lifeless, the deserts and dry places? After…
On Her Own | Bikepacking from Hamburg to Nordkapp :: Video of the Week
With 30 days off work, Wiebke Lühmann embarked on a 3,500-kilometer solo bike journey from Hamburg, Germany, to Norway’s North Cape. The idea came from her father, who had traveled to the Arctic Circle by bicycle in eighth grade. Filmed by Luhmann’s longtime school friend Fabienne Engel, On Her Own documents the highs and lows…
La Ruta Mala: Trans-Cuba Bikepacking :: Video of the Week
Lead photograph by Jeanne Lepoix In La Ruta Mala, filmmaker Jeanne Lepoix captures the essence of bikepacking across Cuba, from the eastern coastal city of Santiago de Cuba to the tobacco plantations surrounding the picturesque town of Viñales. Lepoix and Xavier Tipa take on the 860-mile (1,384-kilometer) route over 17 days, passing through farming communities, past sugarcane…
The Frozen Road :: Video of the Week
While American novelist Jack London is best known for The Call of the Wild and White Fang, he is also inextricably linked with the Canadian Arctic. So, when British filmmaker Ben Page ventures north, he seeks an adventure of solitude spurred by London’s assertion that “any man who is a man can travel alone.” But the romanticism of the Arctic can…
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…
Video of the Week :: Bicycle Touring the World with Kamran On Bike
“When you are on a bicycle, you feel the wind, the rain, the heat, and the cold. You feel the slightest slope. You feel the smallest bump. You become one with nature,” Kamran Ali narrates in his video, “Why Bicycle Touring to Travel the World?” Currently in Saudi Arabia, Ali has cycled 50,000 kilometers in…
Chasing Singletrack in Utah
The trip began with a bust; a crunch, rather. I’d slung a nifty laundry tube from Radius Outfitters over the headrest of the driver’s seat in my Ram Promaster, wedging it carefully between that and the kitchen wall behind me. But when I hopped in the van for the first leg of an autumn journey…
Interview :: Heike Pirngruber, Solo Overlander
Heike, a German national who considers herself a global citizen, has been traveling solo around the world for the past nine years, first on her bicycle and then, more recently, walking with a pushcart and her adopted Mexican dog, Butch. Heike first found herself cycling from Germany to Australia in 2013 after leaving her job…