Thirty-six Hours of Adventure :: The Olympic Peninsula Presented by ARB USA One of the great joys of traveling in the continental United States is the fantastic diversity within our borders, the transition from the densely populated and wooded Northeast to the arid and mountainous Southwest. Within a few days’…

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2017. Anza–Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP) is a remote moonscape that beckons the adventurer with technical terrain, expansive geology, and the solitude of desert campsites. It is named for the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego (bighorn sheep). At 600,000 acres it is the largest park in…

“Driver training should be one of the first things we buy for our overland vehicle.” A 36 Hours of Adventure Presented By :: 5.11 Clothing and Bags The most elite units in the world rely on training, best-practice, and continuous improvement; yet many overland travelers skip this critical first step towards competency and safety in the field. I first learned…

The best classic compact hatchets for overland and expedition use.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2019. I can still remember the smell of the horse shashlik, a tub of meat and indecipherable seasonings that we pulled from a freezer in the remote Russian village of Kosh-Agach. The only way I knew it was horse meat was from the line-art drawing of an equine on the lid,…

After a few trips around the world, we have learned several critical lessons (many the hard way) about properly modifying your overland vehicle for adventure travel.

In preparation for your journeys, you will no doubt visit REI or Cape Union Mart or Decathlon or whichever “outdoor adventure” retailer has the market share in your country. There you will be seduced by a vast array of products, each seemingly essential and equally desirable. Water filters, solar torches, fire starters, carabiners, deep Arctic sleeping bags, inflatable pillows, collapsible…

(Editor’s Note: Expedition Portal was fortunate to actually see the Defender in person a month ago, sit in it, and explore every corner of the finished vehicle. These are our thoughts having experienced it in the flesh.) Today is a significant moment for North American overland travelers, as Land Rover launches the new Defender to the world. In recent memory,…

From a not too distant past, the definition of “home” was as concrete as its foundation. It was a solidly built place with four walls, a roof, and was permanently placed onto a chosen piece of land. Fast forward to more recent times, and that definition has completely changed, taking on a much more metaphysical meaning. We’re now constantly bombarded…

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2019. I still remember how -57°F felt, a cold beyond description, as if all life had escaped along with my body heat. I recall fighting against the cover of the roof tent, the vinyl becoming hard as stone in the frigid temperatures of the northern Canadian winter, and how good it…

By Bryon Bass, Graeme Bell, Scott Brady, Dan Grec, and Lois Pryce Intro by Dan Grec Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2019. The very word bribery often strikes fear into the heart of those who have never experienced it. Terrifying images of corrupt military brandishing automatic rifles come to mind, and a backhand exchange of…

Anyone who explores the backcountry has or will get stuck. It is just part of the unpredictable nature of venturing off the beaten path, which can include sudden storms (mud), deep sand, or that snow-filled mountain pass. Being properly prepared as an overlander includes bringing along a comprehensive self-recovery, or vehicle-to-vehicle recovery kit, and AEV just dropped a serious set…

Photography by Bruce Dorn and Stephanie Worstein You often hear “It’s the artist, not the tool,” that really matters. While that may be true in some cases, things definitely get more complicated when we’re talking about photographers and their choice of camera equipment. At its foundation, photography is both an art and a mechanical craft, and craftsmen definitely benefit from…

The 3.6 Liter Pentastar is a good motor and provides reasonable economy and power for a stock Wrangler. But what about those living at a higher elevation, towing, or hauling a heavy overland load?  This new supercharger is 50-state legal and works on 2012-2017 Jeep Wrangler JKs (maybe a JL option is on the way? Hint, hint). The dyno-proven numbers…

The bonfire had died down to a glowing mound of coals, but with good-natured prodding from the hundreds gathered around it, Teepee Dave, the resident pyrotechnic, hauled more pallets over from the stacks ringing the pit and stoked the flames back to life.  Ray Hyland, one of the event organizers and the ring leader of this menagerie, raised the mic…

Editor’s Note: I still remember my first major adventure with Bridgestone tires, mounting a set to a Suzuki Jimny and then driving the vehicle from Spain to Mongolia… without a single flat. That included the Middle East and most of the ‘Stans, including the infamous Wakhan Corridor along the border of Afghanistan. It is exciting to see them launch new…

Editor’s Note: We are honored to work with Dan Grec of The Road Chose Me, who has been a longtime Expedition Portal forum member and friend to our organization. In the days of Instagram and tag-a-long journalists, Dan is the real deal, having planned and executed his own circumnavigation of both South America and Africa. Dan also founded WikiOverland and…

Overland News :: Factor 55 Press Release (unedited as supplied by the manufacturer) Soft Shackles- The Factor 55 10 inch Standard Duty Soft Shackles are Made in the USA under the uncompromising Factor 55 quality standards. Like all Factor 55 rigging products, these shackles have been lab and field tested to assure consistent repeatable minimum breaking strength values. Each Standard…

Few topics that pique the adventurer’s imagination as venturing into the planet’s wild and remote locales. Throughout the epoch of time, the human spirit has drawn these rugged individuals to the far corners of the earth in an attempt to sail, hike, or drive to where others have yet to venture. This year marks the 50th anniversary of such an…

“Begin er niet aan, dit is verslaavend (Do not start, it is addictive).” –taken from a sticker given to me by a Dutch overlander Recently I wrote a short letter to my friend Dr. Rosselli seeking clarification. Dr. Rosselli is an internationally renowned Colombian neurologist, and himself an overlander who primarily travels unknown and dangerous corners of South America in…