In the 30 years I’ve been buying camping gear, from the expensive wool socks I took on my first backpacking trip in Big Bend National Park, I’ve never come across a brand that so marries style and functionality as the Japanese company Snow Peak. I’ve owned a tiny powerhouse of a stove from the brand…
Category Archives: Overland Journal
Jim Oostdyk on the Adventure of Business, Family, and History
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews Jim Oostdyk, founder and president of OK4WD, discussing his nearly 47 years in the four-wheel-drive industry. Jim shares the origins of OK4WD, which began in 1979 after he rebuilt his rolled Jeep, growing from a small garage to one of the country’s most respected off-road shops. The episode…
2024 Toyota 79-Series Land Cruiser :: Feature Vehicle
Australia is a continent of contradictions, with crocodile-filled billabongs, ancient rainforests, and snow-dusted mountains. And it is vast, covering over 7.69 million square kilometers that include approximately 11,000 beaches. It features a desert (Great Victoria) nearly the size of France, and has more wild camels than anywhere else on Earth, along with a decent showing…
Celebration of Life: Coen Wubbels, Landcruising Adventure (1969-2026)
Coen Wubbels lived a life defined by curiosity, creativity, and an unwavering belief that the world was meant to be explored—not rushed through. Best known as Landcruising Adventure, Coen and his partner, Karin-Marijke Vis, left the Netherlands in 2003 in a LWB 45-Series Toyota Land Cruiser, setting out on what was meant to be a…
Eva zu Beck on Overlanding Mauritania
Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano welcomes adventurer, storyteller, author, and National Geographic Host and Director Eva zu Beck to discuss Eva’s recent overland trip to Morocco and Mauritania in her Land Rover Defender 110. In this episode, Eva shares more about the inspiration behind her National Geographic SuperSkilled series, and how, in life and…
Crossing West Africa with XOverland: Final Miles, Fuel Range, Teamwork, and Truck Lessons
The Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady and Clay Croft discuss XOverland’s 40,000-kilometer Africa crossing, recorded with just 300 kilometers remaining to Cape Agulhas. They navigate West Africa’s uncertainties—coups, elections, and border hurdles—while managing sickness and tight schedules. Key practical lessons include maintaining a 1,000-kilometer fuel range due to local shortages. They credit their multi-skilled…
Lilli Mixich Reflects on Nearly Five Decades of Overland Travel
For this week’s episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Ashley Giordano welcomes German overlander Lilli Mixich to discuss her lifelong love affair with the African continent. Currently overlanding solo in a 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 named “Toyo,” Mixich shares what she’s learned from various vehicle platforms, including the Land Rover 109, Magirus Deutz…
Paula and Jeremy Dear on Overlanding West Africa in an Ex-Belgian Military Police Truck
Joining us this week on the Overland Journal Podcast, host Ashley Giordano welcomes Paula and Jeremy Dear, two Brits en route from Belgium to Southern Africa in a 32-year-old ex-Belgian Iveco military police truck. In this episode, Paula and Jeremy dive into why they chose this vehicle for travel in Africa, how a slow pace…
Graeme Esarey on Expedition Sailing
On this episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady and Brian McVickers interview Graham Esarey about his expedition sailing life, focusing on his team’s 2024 Northwest Passage crossing aboard the Dog Bark, a converted 60-foot Open 60. Graham detailed navigating heavy Arctic ice, spotting polar bears, and receiving a rare icebreaker escort that turned…
2008 Toyota Tundra and OEV Alpine Camper :: Feature Vehicle
Our 1990 Toyota Pickup, affectionately named “Little Red,” has been our go-to adventuremobile since 2013. It has seen a couple of continents and a few revisions along the way, but it remains an antiquated, underpowered, 36-year-old minitruck. It does a wonderful job of scoot-ing through moderately sized whoops, narrow trails, and soft sand while the…
Principles of Overlanding 12V Fridges: Choosing the Right Size and Power for Real-World Travel
For this episode of The Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Scott and Matt discuss choosing overland 12-volt fridges over coolers, advocating for the smallest necessary size (25–35 liters for one/two, 45–55 liters for small families) to avoid heavy slides and oversized units (like an 80-liter unit for just drinks). They compare chest/drawer fridges to less-efficient door-opening…
2Up and Overloaded on What You Need to Know About Motorcycle Travel in Southeast Asia
This week on The Overland Journal Podcast, host Ashley Giordano welcomes returning podcast guests Tim and Marisa Notier of 2Up and Overloaded to discuss the adventure motorcycle couple’s travels through Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. In this episode, Tim and Marisa share lessons learned from the past two-and-a-half years, including practical tips on…
Happy Feet: Hiking Socks That’ll Have You Grinning From Toe to Toe
If hiking boots are like the tires on our overland vehicle, then socks are the suspension system. Since you can’t air down your boots to match the terrain, your socks must be ready to absorb every bump on the trail. They’re what protect your feet from friction and pressure, allowing you to go the distance…
John Balsdon on World Records and Crossing Africa
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews John Balsdon of Always Look Twice, a recent world record holder, about his 28-day drive from Nordkapp, Norway, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Balsdon, who largely hugged West Africa’s coast in two INEOS Grenadiers (one towing a Bruder trailer), shares how early travels and his mother, a professional…
Fly and Drive South Africa
For the last few years, my wife, Luisa, and I have been contemplating our future as overland travelers. In the past, we have almost exclusively shipped our vehicle to different continents. However, we have realized that shorter, more intense journeys—where we forego the expense and bureaucracy of shipping and instead use the money saved to…
Juvena Huang on the Ride of a Lifetime: 44,000 Kilometers on a Vespa Scooter
Join Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano as she speaks with Juvena Huang, a Singaporean overlander who embarked on a 44,000-kilometer journey by Vespa scooter. In this episode, Juvena dives into her highest highs, lowest lows, and most powerful lessons learned along the way. Juvena also touches on why she returns regularly to India and…
Adventure Motorcycle Rider Henriette Thiim on Lessons Learned from 200,000 Kilometers of International Travel
Join Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano as she sits down with Danish motorcycle adventure rider Henriette Thiim to discuss Henriette’s latest trip through Algeria, Mauritania, and Morocco. In this episode, Henriette dives into the logistics required to ride through Algeria and her experiences in-country, as well as what she’s learned about managing fear after…
LifeStraw Escape Water Purifier :: Field Tested
The LifeStraw Escape is a hard-wearing, 20-liter water-purification solution designed to pressurize via a built-in hand pump—no electricity required. This system stores raw water in a thick-walled, barrel-shaped tank (18 x 13.75 inches) with a spigot, providing a self-contained water supply setup for contexts where water safety is paramount. At its core is a three-stage…
Beyond the Rif: What to Eat, Do, and Buy in Morocco
Photography by Richard Giordano Meandering over a pathway embedded with mussel shells, I follow Mohamed along the coastal cliffs of the Atlantic. As we pass hand-carved caves hidden behind blue doors, fishermen stand atop the rocks, patiently waiting for the day’s catch. My guide, Mohamed Akhmisse, runs a Moroccan homestay experience from a fishing village…
Used Vehicle Strategies for Overland Travel
Join Matt Scott and Scott Brady on this weeks Overland Journal Podcast episode as they discuss why buying a used overland vehicle can offer huge value as prices and labor rise, highlighting where to shop (Expedition Portal classifieds, Facebook Marketplace, Bring a Trailer, and Europe-focused Expedition Meister) and why many COVID-era builds now sell for…