Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady and co-host Matt Scott discuss the “10 Commandments” of modifying an overland (travel-focused) vehicle, emphasizing that overlanding differs from recreational four-wheeling and that simplicity, reliability, and intentional upgrades matter most. They argue complexity and weight are major enemies, and recommend starting with the right platform, limiting suspension lift, keeping…
Category Archives: Outdoor
The Overlander’s 2019 Gift Guide: Outdoor & Camp Gear Over $200
If you’re feeling like someone in your life deserves something big this holiday season, and $200 just isn’t going to cut it, then this is the list for you. You can see all of our outdoor gear under $200 here, and check back for our four-wheel-drive parts and accessories list coming soon. Renogy 200-watt Solar Starter…
The Best of SEMA Overland 2019
SEMA was quite the surprise this year, with overlanding taking center stage in the South Hall, and the Overland Experience presentations often having standing room only. And it wasn’t just about roof tents, there were also some genuinely interesting and innovative products on display, and more than a few thoughtful and functional project vehicles. Here…
UBCO Announces Five New Products for 2020
Overland News We have been using 4th-generation UBCO electric adventure bikes in the field for several months, having fun (er, testing), using them for everything from commuting to backcountry scouting trips. What we originally thought would be a compliment to an overland trailer or expedition camper for scouting forays and trips to the market has…
XOverland Hits Amazon Prime Video
We have known the Crofts and the team at XOverland personally for nearly a decade, and have always found them to be honest, credible, and quality adventurers. In the world of Instagram “Fauxverlanding”, there are few media outlets that truly inspire us, but Expedition Overland is most certainly one. In an exciting development, their documentary…
TReK’s Triumphant Return
That’s right, after 16 long years, the TReK competition is back! In honor of the reintroduction of the Defender to Land Rover’s lineup, the brand has revived the legendary event which followed the Camel Trophy in 1996. Like the original TReK, the 2020 event will pit Land Rover retail staff and technicians across the US…
Building a Hilux to Travel From Norway to South Africa
Making the jump from two wheels to four was not a decision we entered upon lightly. We purchased a Toyota 4WD, guiding it through its transformation for our current expedition from Northern Norway to South Africa. I’m hoping all our efforts and choices will reap the rewards from Cape to Cape, and that the gear…
Feature Vehicle: RAM 1500 EcoDiesel
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2019. Regular readers may recall that I have spent a great deal of my flexible time as an amateur poisonous snake wrangler and own a Ford F250 that was purpose-built for this task. I know this will come as a shock to many, but I’m considering…
The Last Manual Transmission 4x4s
Is this the beginning of the end for the manual transmission in North America? Some of us just enjoy rowing our own gears. Others may call the manual transmission legacy technology, or even more accurately, a millennial anti-theft device. The reality is that automatic transmissions have surpassed the manual in not only sales, but in…
The New Defender Takes On the World
(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…