Cover image: Screen shot of 2022 Nissan Frontier advertisement Quick cuts of rocks tumbling, water splashing, and dirt flying meld together as actress Brie Larson navigates a 2022 Nissan Frontier pickup over rough, off-pavement terrain. A fast, aggressive electric guitar riff screams in the background as the truck enters a brown-hued stream, waves rippling beneath…
Last of the Igu
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2021 Issue. The road wound steeply through the mountains, hugging the forested flanks in a dizzying series of switchbacks. Waterfalls pounded onto the surface, gouging the mud into angry little streams. And all the time, the rain kept falling, falling, falling—slamming into the earth…
Modern Explorer :: Charley Boorman
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. Many of you have seen Charley Boorman in the Long Way series with his friend and fellow traveler, Ewan MacGregor. Since that series started in the early 2000s, Charley has become a motorcycle influencer, professional speaker, and television presenter. To many, he lives…
The Art of Getting Unstuck: Self-Extraction Techniques for Sand
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. It’s 125°F with a sticky 90 percent humidity level in the Al Badayer Desert, and I am seriously stuck. The Range Rover has four dangling wheels from when I’d gotten a little too excited with the throttle. I try to open the driver’s…
Good to the Last Drop :: Instant Coffee Options for the Trail
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. I have a secret to share with you: I’ve been drinking instant coffee for the last few weeks and have been enjoying it. I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, especially after past articles where I have no…
Trampled Under Foot :: Low-top Shoes for Adventure and Overland Travel
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, credited with the oath that guides the ethics of modern physicians, expounded that walking is man’s best medicine. And Marilyn Monroe stated that if you give a girl the right shoes, she can conquer the world. Shoes have…
Western Mountaineering Sycamore MF Sleeping Bag
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. There’s nothing like sliding into a cozy sleeping bag at the end of a long day in the wild. Whether you’re ensconced in a tent, tucked away inside your vehicle, or dirt camping under the stars, a comfortable bag is essential to a…
Field Tested :: Overdue App
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. Many of us don’t leave details of our trips to the backcountry with trusted contacts: Where are we going? When do we plan to return home? Who are we with? What colour and type of outdoor gear will we be wearing? What safety…
Field Tested :: Sans Meal Bars
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. I found Sans Meal Bars when searching for backpacking edibles to munch on while hiking. They had great reviews, a clean ingredient list, and appealing flavors such as Mint Cacao and Coconut Almond Butter. They also have a social mission, “Buy Meals, Give…
Salewa Dropline Mid Men’s Shoe
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. When it comes to running shoes, I’ve found considerable success and comfort with modern zero-drop designs. Because of that, I was a little hesitant to swap out my trusted trail runners for the Salewa Dropline, a neon-green trail option that looks like it…
Kate’s Real Food Meal Bars
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. Kate Schade started her own energy bar company back in 2010 to feed her active lifestyle in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and her Tram Bar became an instant hit on the slopes. Today, tantalizing flavors such as Dark Chocolate Mint, Mango Coconut, Dark Chocolate…
Old Versus New : A Real-World Perspective
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2021 Issue. It’s common wisdom in overlanding circles that older vehicles are the smart choice for exploring remote and seldom-visited corners of the globe. Because they were built without computers, function perfectly fine without the need of fancy gizmos, and are made with virtually…
Modern Explorers :: Chris Burkard
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2021 Issue. Chris Burkard is best known for his work as an adventure photographer. But in more recent years, he’s built a warranted reputation as an ultra-endurance athlete. In the summer of 2019, he set a new solo record on Iceland’s WOW Cyclothon, completing…
Impact Overland :: Ford Transit 250 Cargo Van
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2021 Issue. I wake up to the van swaying in the wind like a gentle nudge from Mother Nature, letting me know it’s time to start the day. I wasn’t surprised; we are in some of the windiest latitudes of our planet, so it…
Destinations: The Faroe Islands
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. Photography by Jason Spafford At the tail end of Hurricane Dorian, a fierce wind battered our ferry as we pitched and rolled through the chop, blown into a white-capped frenzy. Two days of being tossed up and down in the North Atlantic,…
Overland Journal Presents: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a 3-part Video Series by Desk to Glory
I am thrilled to announce that Overland Journal has launched Episode One of a three-part original fly-and-drive video series titled Destinations: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Episodes two and three will be released later this week via the Expedition Portal YouTube channel on Wednesday, March 23, and Friday, March 25, 2022. This series follows the…
IVECO Daily 4×4: Marcus and Julie Tuck’s Overland Vehicle for Softies
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. Photography by Richard Giordano We’re parked in a dry riverbed within the Ghost Public Land Use Area of Alberta, Canada, where Marcus and Julie Tuck have kindly opened their home to us for the evening. A chill autumn wind howls outside, but we’re…
Field Tested :: Planar Diesel Air Heater 2D-HA-PU5-(TR) Truck Kit
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. As the wind howls across a frozen lake, our 1990 Toyota Pickup sways back and forth. It’s winter in the Rocky Mountains, and the snow falling sideways from the dark grey sky is proving it. We hop into our Go Fast Camper, battered…
BioLite Headlamp 200
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. As overlanders, we often think of multi-purpose function, compact size, durability, and comfort when it comes to our rigs. BioLite incorporated each quality into this headlamp, and it has earned a place in my seat-back system. The device is so comfortable that I…
Lizard Skin Insulation
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. Few things are more frustrating than starting a build in the back of your classic vehicle (in my case, a Land Cruiser) and discovering a plethora of rust. It’s even more irksome when you realize the cheap butyl mat installed by the…