The staff at Expedition Portal enjoy a bit of plinking now and then, and we know a lot of you do as well. Whether it’s teaching your kids the basics of knocking down tin cans with a .22 rifle, or getting ready for hunting season with your buddies, a little target shooting while at camp can be a fun hobby….

We answer the question few dare to even ask: Which spork reigns supreme?

Over the last few years, the 5th-generation 4Runner has become one of the most popular four-wheel drives in the overland segment, and it’s not hard to understand why. They are capable, reliable, relatively affordable, and easy to modify, making them perfect for both new enthusiasts and experienced travelers alike. But recently, we’ve noticed a growing problem. With so many 4runners…

Determined to vet the reliability and performance of a modern Land Rover, Overland Journal secures a 2012 LR4 and modifies it for serious exploration.

Ah yes, the holiday season is finally upon us. That special time of year where families and friends come together, communities are filled joy, love, and charity, and we eat all the fattening foods we know we shouldn’t. It’s also when most of us are faced with one of the year’s most dreaded tasks: choosing the perfect gifts. Well, fret…

$20,000, cash on the barrel to keep our backcountry trails open for all.

If finding a clean Defender 130 for under $100,000 in the United States is difficult, finding one with a professionally installed V8 and matching drivetrain is nearly impossible. Yet they do show up every now and then, and we recently stumbled upon this great example in the for sale section of our forums. It’s a 1985 high-capacity pickup imported from…

Deep into the Colombian savanna, a ragtag team of adventurers get caught in a quagmire of mud, sand, piranha, and gunboats.

The Expeditions 7 team traverses 20,000 kilometers from Nordkapp, Norway, to Magadan, Russia, on the world’s most northern roads.

In the pantheon of off-road legends it could be argued only three vehicles vie for the title of most revered. That list includes the American Jeep, British Land Rover, and of course, the Japanese Land Cruiser. In its many forms, the Cruiser has proven a formidable tool, but the 40 Series introduced in 1960 represents the family of vehicles which…

The last few months of meticulous preparation had led us up to this point. It was a trip of over 4 years in the making for us, as we could never find the right time to go until now. Our route would take us along most of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon almost entirely on dirt, dipping into…

As Expedition Portal has grown in size and coverage, we’ve seen more big expedition trucks built, reported on, and periodically sold through the Portal. But as with any overlanding vehicle, there are pros and cons, and compromises must be made.  Still, for a sizable minority of the Expo inmates, there’ll be a time when these big trucks are worth considering….

The Expeditions 7 team crosses the Icelandic desert and Europe’s largest glacier.

Prudhoe Bay to Cape Spear—The Expeditions 7 team transects North America on a trek around the world.

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 on one side and apartments overlooking Lake Union on the other. Our van, a 2008 Ford Econoline E-150, was sandwiched between an orange VW…

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 women, one person even said we would come home in pine boxes. Despite these messages, we overcame our fears and got on the road. The…

Overland Journal reviews the best “Big Bike” options for exploring the globe on two wheels.

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 weather raged on. We were in Colorado, and just a few hours ago I had asked my girlfriend, now fiancé, to marry me. Still…

In my early 20s I snagged an awesome gig as a bicycle tour guide in the wine regions of France. That led to managing other companies, including one of the largest adventure travel outfits in Alaska. As a result I always considered myself a leader—never a follower. Not to say I looked down on paying clients, but I discounted their…

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2009. Modifying a vehicle is nearly always a compromise. Adding horsepower typically comes at the cost of efficiency. Lifting a vehicle often comes at the cost of high-speed stability, and each new modification usually adds more weight and complexity to a platform that the factory engineers spent thousands…