To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2009 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It is well to observe the force and virtue and consequences of discoveries; and these are to be…
Category Archives: Overland Journal
OV Conservation: SOTA Convoys Mobile Desert Oases
Burundi is a small country in the heart of Africa. There is a lovely road that runs from the largest city, Bujumbura, into the hills. “These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and [with continued apologies to Alan Paton] they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” Burundi is also the second poorest country in the…
On the Jaguar Trail: The Cats of Arizona’s Borderlands
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2008 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Photography by Roseann Hanson, Jonathan Hanson, Scott Brady, and Brian DeArmon August 31, 1996 – Baboquivari Mountains, southern…
EP328 | Stephanie Brady Celebrates 20 Years of Overland Journal
Overland Journal Podcast Host Ashley Giordano welcomes Director of Design Stephanie Brady to celebrate the magazine’s 20-year anniversary. Brady recounts launching the print publication between 2006 and 2007 with a small team, limited funding, and learning design tools on the job. She reflects on early production challenges, printing the debut issue in Salt Lake City,…
Classic Kit: Tea
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2019 issue, this article is part of that celebration. I’ve had a few travel dramas in my time, but on my latest journey, a serious misfortune occurred….
Field Tested: Gnara x Livsn EcoTrek Overalls
The Gnara x Livsn EcoTrek Overalls are one of those rare pieces of outdoor clothing that feel genuinely designed for women who actually spend time outside. For a pair of technical, utilitarian overalls, they’re surprisingly comfortable, and I wear mine constantly, much to my husband’s disdain. He says I always look comfortable, but also like…
EP327 | Jonathan Hanson on Writing, Overland Conservation, and Land Cruisers
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano interviews writer, ecologist, and Overland Journal Co-founder Jonathan Hanson for the publication’s 20-year anniversary. Hanson discusses his favorite expedition vehicles, including his 1973 FJ40 and a 1993 Land Cruiser Troopy that has traveled across Australia, Africa, and the US. He shares how early field-biology work and outdoor exploration shaped…
Magic Girl of the Pamirs
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2019 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It was another spectacular warm and sunny day in the mountains of Tajikistan, as warm as it gets…
Luminous Flux: Swim, Sink, or Shine; We Test Nine LED Driving Lights to Their Limits
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2013 issue, this article is part of that celebration. I distinctly remember the moment I became aware of auxiliary lights. I was 15 years of age and…
EP326 | From India to Australia (and Beyond) with Moto Trailblazer Candida Louis
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano speaks with Candida Louis, an adventure tourer, motorcycle guide, and the first Indian woman to ride solo across all 28 states of India and from India to Australia. Louis shares how she transitioned from finance to professional riding, leading 57 tours. She discusses completing a 32,000-kilometer solo journey across…
Shopping With Purpose: Practical Tips for Finding Meaningful Travel Mementos
Photos by Richard Giordano All I wanted was a pack of Japanese sheet masks. A seemingly simple task, but as I entered Don Quijote’s brightly lit shopfront, welcomed by the store’s familiar jingle, I was met by the crush of people akin to the nearby Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Shoulder to shoulder with my fellow shoppers,…
EP325 | Principles of Overlanding: App Navigation with Chris Cordes
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady discusses the core principles of overlanding navigation with Chris Cordes, highlighting primary, secondary, contingency, and emergency backups. They compare three main app categories: turn-by-turn tools like Google Maps, reference/layer apps like iOverlander and Tracks4Africa, and hybrid discipline-specific platforms such as onX and Gaia. While Google excels at everyday routing…
Gear Callout: Laundry at Camp
I haven’t owned a washing machine since 2018, when we sold our first house on wheels, a 40-foot diesel motorhome. Through the intervening years, as my family’s movable homes have shrunk in size, my appreciation for modern appliances has deepened. Some days at camp, when I’m playing catch-up, I relate to Mary Lois Walker Morris,…
Classic Kit: The Hi-Lift Jack
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2012 issue, this article is part of that celebration. It is the unsung hero of expedition travel, an essential piece of kit that any mindful backcountry regular…
Classic Kit: The Pith Helmet
To honor the 20-year anniversary of Overland Journal, we are revisiting special heritage content in the upcoming 100th issue of the magazine. Originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2010 issue, this article is part of that celebration. Home, they say, is where you hang your hat. If that hat happened to be the legendary pith…
EP323 | Rugged Destinations: A Family’s Journey
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady chats with Amanda and Patrick from Rugged Destinations. They share highlights from pre-running the Back 400 and skills course at XOverland Ranch in their newly built Mitsubishi Canter JDM firetruck, their passion for JDM imports, and what inspired their outdoor travel. The couple discusses transitioning from traditional careers—Patrick as…
Fall is Colorado’s Best Season
The last twinkling mustard-colored leaves from a small grove of Aspen trees clung to the bone bark at a campsite perched high above Brush Creek, a few miles from Crested Butte, Colorado. It’s a treat to take a hammock nap in a grove like this, because we don’t have many aspens in Oregon, where I’m…
Field Tested: Pelican ATX and Aegis Carry-On Luggage
Airline travel without checking bags is a cheat code that is well worth striving for. Free yourself from the worry of theft, damage, and lost luggage (and the wasted time associated) with either of these two premium carry-on options from Pelican. Both offer organized space for up to a week of travel between laundry cycles…
Field Tested: The Campspotter App
Michiel Pruijssers thought he had planned the perfect camping trip. The weather forecast looked good, the campspot ideal. But when a powerful storm rolled in and ruined the experience, Michiel, a longtime outdoorsperson and SAR volunteer, felt unprepared. Thus, he built Campspotter, an app with a simple mission: to make finding and planning your next…
EP321 | Jack Mac: Wanderlust by Any Wheels Necessary
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady talks with team member Jack Mac about minimalism and life on the road. Jack shares insights from over five years managing Expedition Portal’s classifieds and global travel by bicycle, backpacking, and vehicles like a 70-Series Land Cruiser Troopy. They discuss how a travel mindset lowers consumer spending, why high-end…