(Editor’s Note: Expedition Portal was fortunate to actually see the Defender in person a month ago, sit in it, and explore every corner of the finished vehicle. These are our thoughts having experienced it in the flesh.) Today is a significant moment for North American overland travelers, as Land Rover launches the new Defender to…
UBCO Unveils Their New FRX1 Freeride Trail Bike: Overland News
The popularity of E-Bikes continues to grow It has been interesting to watch the rapid advancement of anything electric over the past several years. E-Bikes are no different, and they actually solve some problems for the overlander, including use as a support-vehicle for larger overland trucks, as transportation around a village while traveling internationally, and now…
Racer, Fabricator, and Role Model Jessi Combs Killed In Land Speed Record Attempt
The automotive industry and the world lost one of its great inspirations yesterday in a tragic jet-car crash on the Alvord Desert in Oregon. The driver, Jessi Combs, was attempting to beat her personal land speed record of 398 miles per hour in the North American Eagle when undisclosed circumstances resulted in the accident. Her…
Long Term Wrap Up: Salsa Mukluk Carbon XO1
The former vanguard of fatbikes gets a much needed, and comprehensive makeover.
Lexus Unveils GXOR Concept
When Lexus launched the GX back in 2003, I doubt that anyone on their team would have guessed it was destined to become one of the overland industry’s most popular platforms. It was comfortable, quiet, and refined, not the sort of vehicle you’d select to kick up dust on an old backroad. Yet enthusiasts all…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: HZJ77 Pop-Top Land Cruiser
Today’s classified is something pretty special. Not only are you looking at one of the few HZJ77s here in the states, but this one is freshly completed with a pop-top and custom camper interior. The seller states that this specific truck was being outfitted for rental service here in the USA, and as you’d expect…
Overland News :: Dream Job in Colorado
Big Bucks for Working in a Western Paradise News Posting: Grand Junction, CO, April 22, 2019-incredible opening in Grand Junction, Colorado for the Executive Position of City Parks and Recreation Director. It does not get much better at $125,000-$140,000 a year for a low stress, time and holiday packed time off executive position with your…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 2006 4Runner
The fourth generation 4Runner is one of my favorite used four-wheel drives. They’re rock-solid vehicles with bulletproof drivetrains, look great when properly built, and the slightly older body style doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention while traveling. The biggest challenge these days is finding a clean one that hasn’t been driven into the ground,…
Field Tested: KLIM Badlands
KLIM updates their classic adventure suit with new armor and a more refined style.
The State of Overlanding: Preservation, Treading Lightly, and the Instagram Influx
In 2018, environmentalism, conservation, and preservation are common terms. Most of us are aware of the damage society has inflicted on the natural treasures we love, and, in turn, we make conscious efforts to save these wonders. But it wasn’t always so. Back in the late sixties, pollution was rampant, lake and rivers were treated…
The Last “New” XV-JP
Some years back EarthRoamer made a small batch of vehicles they called the XV-JP. These Jeep Wrangler based campers included all of the luxuries you’d want for comfortable road living wrapped in a surprisingly compact and capable package. It was an extremely cool concept, but unfortunately the platform never took off, and they were soon…
First Test: New 2018 Gear from MSR, Therm-a-Rest, and Seal Line
My wife likes to chide me for my ability to generate bad ideas. When I told her I was going to squeeze in one last bikepacking trip to the high peaks of Colorado just as winter storms are likely to crush my route—I realized she might have a point. The truth is, I love the…
Happy Holidays
As we round the final bend into 2018, we wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. Wherever you are, whatever you’re celebrating, and whoever you’re celebrating it with, we hope you’re making memories as warm and inviting as a campfire on a…
Bikepacking: Field Repairs, Tools, and Spares
Whether you’re just heading out for a quick fitness ride or traversing a continent, every rider must be ready for the mechanical woes that frequently disrupt an otherwise perfect bike ride. No matter how well maintained your bike is, there’s still a chance something wildly unexpected could happen like having a squirrel dive into your…
Miners and Cannibals: Pedaling the Passes of Southern Colorado.
With a continual torrent of rain and grapple pelting my rainfly I burrowed deeper into my sleeping bag. I had been holed up in my little nylon sanctuary for several hours and the steady assault levied by an early winter storm indicated I had many more hours to go. I didn’t care. I had a…
Dodging Gunboats and Taming Elephants
Deep into the Colombian savanna, a ragtag team of adventurers get caught in a quagmire of mud, sand, piranha, and gunboats.
Trail Tested: Topeak’s Latest Kit for Bikepacking Adventures
As some of you know, I ride my bike nearly every day and have for the last 3 decades. For half of those years, I have pumped up my tires before each ride with a Topeak Joe Blow Pro floor pump. On every ride, I carry a 17-year-old Topeak Alien multi-tool, and my many Race…
Field Tested: Rocky Mounts BackStage Swing-Out Hitch Rack
Hitch-mounted bike rack systems with integrated swing-out pivots are not new, but most of them up to this point have been of the less desirable hang-and-dangle style with the bikes draped over two rack arms. Most riders, myself included, much prefer the tray style racks which clamp only to the front wheel and accommodate a…
I Can. I Will. Women Overlanding the World
Before we left, we were repeatedly discouraged by others and by the media. Everyone said these were not safe countries for women to travel in, that a trip like this would be too physically demanding for women, one person even said we would come home in pine boxes. Despite these messages, we overcame our fears and…
Bikepacking: Maintenance Tips for a Fuss-free Trip
When bikepacking started to gain momentum roughly 10 years ago, concerns over bike reliability were not just overstated, they were wildly overblown. The reality is, most bikepacking trips clock in at well under 500 miles—if not fewer than 200. If your bike can’t survive a week of use without catastrophic failure, you need to rethink…