Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. With her cherry-hued hair, goggle-adorned helmet, and lightweight Yamaha motorbike, you are likely already well-acquainted with this British solo female adventure motorcycle rider, journalist, and author. She praised vulnerable travel in her TEDx Talk, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, and…
Land Cruisers of the Drug War
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. First synthesized in the late 1850s, Sigmund Freud was an early advocate of cocaine in addition to being an addict, prescribing it for depression and other conditions. In the late 1800s, coca leaves found themselves on the ingredient list for Coca-cola, and in…
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Backpacking Tent
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Few brands in the world of bikepacking have an equal reputation for quality, innovation, and functionality as Big Agnes. The Colorado company was established 20 years ago with a mission to “build better gear for sleeping in the backcountry” by a team who…
How To Become an Adventure Rider
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Photography by Susan Dragoo Few motorsports employ such a diverse array of skills as adventure riding. Adventure riders are those enviable souls who ride big-bore motorcycles, some approaching 600 pounds before adding luggage, over terrain befitting a world traveler lost in the wilderness….
Treeline Outdoors Tamarack Plus Rooftop Tent
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Many tents are coated in flame retardants to meet regulatory standards in North America, and these chemicals can easily transfer from fabric to skin to the hands (and ultimately, to your mouth). This is where Treeline Outdoors is making progress toward a safer…
Full-size Revolution: Overland Full-size Truck of the Year
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. Times change. What was old is new, what was smaller is now bigger, and the lines blur within every automotive category. Travelers are finding the benefits of a slightly larger vehicle that is designed to carry heavy loads day in and day out….
Searching for Nothing
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2022 Issue. I was excited like a schoolboy in late June on the verge of a wild summer. It was a feeling I’ve had so many times, on so many big adventures, but oddly, different. For most of my adult life, my outdoor aspirations have…
Katadyn BeFree 1.0L
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Swiss maker Katadyn has been producing personal water treatment systems for over 90 years, and the brand is well-known in various outdoor segments. While the BeFree is not new, I recently found myself comparing water filters for an upcoming backpacking trip. In terms…
The Pace of Change in Outback Queensland
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Within the hour, paradise would fade into the distance. Every kilometre we put between us and the coast would melt into the afternoon sun. Once the rainforest canopy crumbled into open plains, a trail of dust would leave months of an unplanned pause…
How to Ship an Overland Vehicle
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Photography by Coen Wubbels The alarm clock sounded at 3:00 a.m. For the fifth morning in a row, Coen yawned as he threw his legs out of bed to once more get on the phone. We were in the Netherlands, visiting family while…
Now Streaming
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…