Editor’s Note: This border crossing article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Words by Chris Simon, in collaboration with Richie and Abigail Gubler. Overland border crossings are exciting, unpredictable, and stressful. No matter where you are in the world, things can go unexpectedly wrong at official border checkpoints. This article tells the story…
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Category Archives: Overland Journal
South Dakota’s Black Hills: A Land of History and Heartache
Editor’s Note: This South Dakota article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Small and isolated, South Dakota’s Black Hills seemed the ideal place for a self-imposed writing retreat. I’ve been working on a book for years and hadn’t so much as typed a single letter in the manuscript for over four months. I…
Halite Kraken and Void Bags :: Field Tested
Editor’s Note: This Halite Field Tested article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. We received two Halite bags in mid-2019 as we were planning a journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Vladivostok, Russia. We were looking for waterproof bags to store on the roof of the Defender to contain soft goods: the…
Have We Found the Best Electric Vehicle for Overlanding?
Editor’s Note: This electric vehicle article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Electric overlanding is here and represents an exciting new option for vehicle-based travel. We are not suggesting that EVs will work for everyone, but they represent a compelling set of attributes that will target the needs of many adventurers. From the…
Worldschooling and Overland Travel
Editor’s Note: This Worldschooling article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Lead photo by Korey and Anna Hart Worldschooling is a style of education that recognizes the value of children traveling to international destinations where they can be immersed in other cultures, acquiring knowledge through a hands-on approach. Proponents believe engaging all five…
Made in the USA : Quality Gear to Last a Lifetime
Editor’s Note: This Made in the USA article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. American industriousness has set the stage for modern society since the Industrial Revolution, and the country’s creativity is enjoying a rebirth as entrepreneurs and creators seek to provide local solutions to local needs. The pandemic has exposed the…
Field Tested :: Fieldsheer Mobile Cooling Garments
Editor’s Note: This Fieldsheer article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. With your head in a helmet, your body wrapped in protective gear, and heavy boots on your feet, staying cool on a motorcycle in triple-digit temperatures can be a challenge. Add the exertion of piloting a heavy bike over rough ground, and you…
Feature Vehicle :: 1985 Toyota FJ62 Land Cruiser Fit for the Saudi Arabian Desert
Editor’s Note: This Toyota FJ62 article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Photography by Richard Giordano Few can say they’ve purchased a vehicle from the Saudi royal family; even fewer own a Land Cruiser as meticulously spotless as off-road and automotive shop owner Luai Alsheheli’s. “This 60-Series Land Cruiser was one of many that…
Field Tested :: Renogy DCC30S Solar Charge Controller
Editor’s Note: This Fieldsheer article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Dual-isolated batteries have been a fixture of overland vehicles for decades, and in recent years, the price of solar and lithium batteries has dropped enough to become the go-to choice. Correctly isolating batteries is essential to preserve the vehicle starting battery, and keeping batteries…
Dunlop Trailmax Missions versus Shinko E804/E805 Adventure Trail Tires
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. I was never so excited to wear a set of tires down. My 2020 BMW F 750 GS had come with a set of 80/20s, Michelin Anakee 3s. For that 80 percent of paved road, those Anakees clung to the tarmac, snug…
Sinuhe Xavier to Present at GTFOverland This Saturday, April 1st
Award-winning director, photographer, and professional adventurer Sinuhe Xavier will be welcomed to GTFOverland on Saturday, April 1st, to celebrate his recent cover of Overland Journal and showcase his photo essay found within. The event will kick off at 11:00 AM and include a captivating slideshow presentation of his stunning photographs along with a Q&A session…
Feature Vehicle :: A 1984 Mercedes-Benz 508D Named Beelzebus
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2023 Issue. Photography by Katja Smurakova When Björn and Katja sealed the deal on their 1984 Mercedes-Benz 508D bus in 2018, the interior was empty, the exterior was painted fuchsia and cobalt blue, and proper insulation was non-existent. But it lacked the extensive rust…
What You Need to Know About Water Sourcing, Filtration, and Storage
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2023 Issue. Camped beside a road in Ivory Coast, I filtered soupy rainwater from an old plastic barrel. I trusted my system but had to wonder—was the hard-working filter up to the task of removing chemicals, bacteria, and viruses? Was I hydrating my family with…
Touratech-USA Presents: Riding Solo AZ to BC
Touratech-USA Announces a New Sterling Noren Film Grab some popcorn, get comfortable, and enjoy the ride. Sterling Noren is about to take you to Canada as no one else has. The noted filmmaker and adventure traveler has teamed with Touratech-USA on another off-pavement motorcycle travel film. Riding Solo AZ to BC follows the 2020 release…
A Place in the Sun :: Comparing Eight Solar Panels for Overlanding
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2023 Issue. Long-term overland travel requires self-sustained living, and part of that living demands electricity. At the very least, most travelers are using those charged particles to power 12-volt fridges and LED camp lights. More often than not, overlanders are now including induction cooktops, freezers,…
Overland Journal Put Synthetic Rope Winches to the Test. Here are the Results.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2023 Issue. The year 2009 was a memorable year for many reasons: US Airways Flight 1549 hit a large flock of geese shortly after takeoff and successfully landed in the Hudson River, the swine flu ravaged the world, and Overland Journal printed their 12-volt winch…
Lost and Found in Alaska
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2023 Issue. The road has been our home for the last six years. During that time, we’ve relished getting to know the intimate details of North America through its winding dirt roads and small towns. Like any travelers, we have goals and bucket list…
The Snowball Effect :: The Progression of Over-the-Snow Transportation
Lead photograph courtesy of Tucker Sno-Cat Archives. Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. After decades of deliberation, I bought a snowcat a couple of years ago—a Kristi, manufactured in Denver about 1963. Powered by a 36-horsepower VW air-cooled motor, it had sat idle outdoors for over a decade. Perhaps the…
Overland Medicine: Over-the-Counter Field Pharmacy
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. Travel by four-wheel-drive vehicle affords rapid access to the middle of nowhere, which is a potential mecca of peace and tranquility until said vehicle breaks down, or its jockey becomes ill. As an emergency and wilderness medicine physician, I’ve been trained to identify…
Overland Driving 101
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. One of the most misunderstood aspects of overlanding is how it differs from off-roading in general. While the two are related, they are far from the same discipline of the genre. This misconception is often seen in the grocery store parking lot when…