Our Land Rover Defender has taken us to 41 countries over a 6-year period. Not once have we been arrested, none of us (a family of four) have contracted malaria, been robbed, shot at, beaten or…
Field Tested: Primus Onja
Did you know that a camp stove can help you meet new people? I sure didn’t, but it can if that stove is the Onja. It seems bystanders can miraculously appear from thin air just to…
Expeditions 7: Northern Extremes
Prudhoe Bay to Cape Spear—The Expeditions 7 team transects North America on a trek around the world.
Field Tested: Rocky Mounts BackStage Swing-Out Hitch Rack
Hitch-mounted bike rack systems with integrated swing-out pivots are not new, but most of them up to this point have been of the less desirable hang-and-dangle style with the bikes draped over two rack arms. Most…
WestX1000: The Trials & Tribulations of a Millennial Nomad
It had been raining for days, maybe weeks. We were in Seattle where I grew up, where my father still resides. We were parked in front of his apartment on a narrow street, lined with cars…
Jim Ratcliffe and Why You Might Want to Know His Name
When Land Rover ended production of the Defender, the assembly line had not yet come full stop before an eccentric billionaire began making claims he was going to single-handedly bring the vehicle back to life. The…
Field Tested: Held Carese II Jacket, Torno II Pants
Whether you’ve come across Held or not, this German manufacturer has been in its stride for over 70 years, starting out as glove makers. Being one of the first to offer up textile motorcycle apparel back…
The Kawasaki KLX250 Returns for 2018
It was just a few years ago when bigger was better and the hulking 1200cc adventure motorcycle reigned supreme. Not to say the big bike’s day is done, but the wee machine is certainly making a…
Field Tested: Yeti Panga 50-Liter Duffel
When it comes to product marketing, talk is cheap which is why I respect brands like Yeti. They let their products speak for themselves. If it could talk, their new Panga 50 waterproof duffel would be…
2017 Fall Boot and Shoe Roundup
The contemporary overlander is not easily defined, nor are their individual gear needs. While some stay sequestered within their vehicles, many enjoy a mix of pursuits beyond the driver’s seat. For years, overlanders only wore heavy-duty…
Wander Libre: Land Cruiser Troopy Camper Conversion, Part 1
As I write this post, it’s almost a year since we completed our camper conversion of Maggie, the Land Cruiser 78 Series Troop Carrier we’re currently using to explore the world overland. For us, Maggie’s the…
I Can. I Will. Women Overlanding the World
Before we left, we were repeatedly discouraged by others and by the media. Everyone said these were not safe countries for women to travel in, that a trip like this would be too physically demanding for…
Automotive News: September 2017 Edition
This is the time of year in the automotive world when we start to see hopeful teases become official announcements and anticipated concepts reduced to crowd-groaning flubs. September is, of course, the launch of the auto-show…
Adventure Motorcycles
Overland Journal reviews the best “Big Bike” options for exploring the globe on two wheels.
Bikepacking: Maintenance Tips for a Fuss-free Trip
When bikepacking started to gain momentum roughly 10 years ago, concerns over bike reliability were not just overstated, they were wildly overblown. The reality is, most bikepacking trips clock in at well under 500 miles—if not…
Featured Vehicle: Dustin Miller’s 2008 4Runner
Well, there’s certainly no shortage of 5th-generation 4Runners gracing the pages of websites and magazines these days. It seems like everywhere you look there’s a new one being built up with the latest and greatest gear,…
La Aduana: 1991 Turbo Diesel Syncro Doka
Few vehicles are as iconic or sought after as the VW van. Regardless of the year, body style, or drive train, the Bus and Vanagon platforms have been the gleaming symbols of wanderlust for generations, and…
Long Term Review: Falken Wildpeak M/T
Snow whirled out of the darkness, disappearing into the night as quickly as it came. My weary headlights were hardly up to the task, and the mountain roads seemed to curve sharper and harder as the…
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
For this first installment of the Overland Journal G-Wagen project vehicle, Scott Brady installs several subtle modifications to address trail performance and utility for remote travel.
Destinations: Nebraska. Yes, Nebraska.
I consider myself an extremely lucky traveler, having been granted amazing opportunities to visit far-flung corners of the globe. My exploits have given me a unique perspective and it seems the further I go, the more…