Back in the Saddle (continued from Part 1) A locally sourced breakfast at the Cuyama Buckhorn prepped us for a long day in the saddle. Back on 166, we made tracks for Cerro Noroeste Road to start a 2,000-foot climb to the enclave of Pine Mountain Club. The small bikes were willing, but taxed. With throttles pegged, the TW’s extra…

Small bike adventure touring may sound cringeworthy to some riders, but that’s how I began exploring the backcountry while in high school. Schlepping my camping gear in a Kelty frame pack was an adventure in itself. Many years and miles later, and with Honda’s XR150L test bike in my garage, I was curious to see if I could relive the…

This week, we’ll be getting our hands on the 2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro for a first drive. The X-Pro trim is Kia’s version of an off-road and adventure-oriented package for the three-row SUV, and it features 17-inch wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain rubber, a locking center differential, a revised skid plate, and a roof rack. Also new is the exterior…

Parked in a construction quarry beside a quiet, muddy road between the villages of Loebetsi and Kibangou in the Democratic Republic of Congo, my son, Keelan, struggled to cook a meal as we dealt with a debilitating mechanical issue and the sunset. We had recently run out of propane, and now the price was being paid; Keelan was forced to…

Walt Wagner and his Tactical Application Vehicles (TAV) team recently unveiled a 2022 Ford F350 Super Duty specifically designed to cater to the adventurous spirit of a family-oriented client; this is the kind of vehicle that will likely eclipse the view as you sit with your loved ones around a campfire at the end of the trail.  TAV specializes in…

Think back to 1972. Some of you may remember when The Turtle Expedition, Unltd. was exploring the backroads of Mexico and Central America in our trusty 1967 109 Land Rover. At that time, we had one battery, and its functions were to start the 6-cylinder gas engine (that choked on Mexican Pemex Nova regular), turn on the single dome light, and…

BMW’s R 80 G/S, which debuted in 1980, is considered by many to be the first ADV motorcycle. While it may be the first one sold for that purpose, it’s not the first to see adventure. People like Robert Edison Fulton (One Man Caravan) and Ted Simon (Jupiter’s Travels) were logging around-the-world adventures on other motorcycles before the R 80…

I’ve always considered the Lexus LX and GX lineup luxury forward vehicles that became popular for adventure travel after the fact. I thought buying a used LX or GX and outfitting it for overlanding was somehow cracking the code, creating an extra-fancy Land Cruiser—an idea that brilliantly pushed the limits of normal consideration. Over the past decade, I’ve learned to…

BMW’s F series adventure bike line features all new machines for 2024. It includes an F 800 GS, F 900 GS, and F 900 Adventure (GSA). They get a new powerplant and a whole lot more. When the F 800 GS debuted in 2018, its lesser sibling was the F 700 GS. They shared the same motor, but the 700…

Lisa Morris and Jason Spafford, aka Four Wheeled Nomad, are regular contributors to Expedition Portal and the Overland Journal, and in 2022 were named our Overlanders of the Year. Their resume includes riding 80,000 miles from the bottom of Argentina to the tip of Alaska, exploring Europe and the Nordic countries, and at present, they are on their biggest adventure…

The historian Hellanicus recorded the first reference to letter writing, a handwritten note sent in 500 BCE from the Persian Queen Atossa, mother of Xerxes and the Achaemenid Empire (Roberts, 1843). There is little doubt that messages were sent across longer distances in earlier times, but they are lost in the sands. The process changed little for the next millennia,…

The Mercedes Sprinter is arguably the van by which all others are measured, and the 4WD variant is widely considered the most desirable. It’s a powerhouse of the commercial sector with a proven engine and drivetrain that regularly exceeds half a million miles with basic servicing. The Sprinter has long been a figurehead of the vanlife movement and, in more…

In the realm of modern overland exploration, South Africa boasts two notable, gray-bearded figures who have significantly contributed to the field. The first is Kingsley Holgate, a revered English and Zulu-speaking adventurer (soon to be interviewed by our publisher, Scott Brady), known for his extensive travels across Africa with Land Rovers, his dedication to improving the lives of Africans, and…

On January 9th, the Transglobal Car Expedition set off from a rainy New York City on an extraordinary 18-month adventure—the first wheeled surface circumnavigation of the Earth through both geographic poles. Utilizing three different types of off-road vehicles, a team comprised of some of the world’s best polar explorers will attempt a journey that combines challenging ice crossings with some…

Yes, you read that right, another list of New Year’s resolutions. But wait! This is Expedition Portal. I promise—no tedious and oppressive regimes for “self-improvement,” no gym memberships (ugh), and no giving up chocolate (yeah, right). I think making new commitments for the new year should be gratifying and fun, tasks you should look forward to completing. You’ll be more…

Dan and Marlene, along with their three children, Ava, Mila, and Luka, travel the world in their 170 Mercedes Sprinter van. The journey began 16 years ago when the couple chose to bundle up 10-month-old Ava and hit the road, towing a 25-foot Airstream as their first casa on wheels.  Epiphanies came in waves on the initial three-month trip (not…

This summer, I visited Alu-Cab’s headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. What struck me the most about the experience was the sheer size of the operation. Whisked from facility to facility, building to building, and introduced to the multi-step manufacturing process that lies behind each Alu-Cab product, I realized just how large the company is. In hindsight, it makes sense….

From an overlanding point of view, the Lightship L1 is, in its current form, limited in terms of practical travel unless utilized as a base camp (of the Lightship models available, only the L1 Long Range is self-propelled). However, the technology and design of this self-propelled trailer interest us most, as well as the possibility that such innovation will inform…

The outdoor and adventure travel industries have expanded by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and the growth in those spaces has shown no signs of slowing. This is a good thing—not only does it drive positive vectors for employment and profitability, but also for global sustainability. With huge companies like Patagonia and REI, as well as smaller…

Are you tired of the 9 to 5? Feeling overwhelmed by rent and bills? Can’t get ahead? Well, a live-in vehicle might be the answer. It was for these reasons that I bought a beat-up 1986 Vanagon Syncro for under $10,000 and have lived in it for the past 10 years. Initially, I accepted that pursuing a career in the…