Okay, let’s be honest. Just because I’ve been driving four-wheel drive vehicles for 50 years and just because I’ve covered most of the major four-wheel-drive events in the United States (including numerous trips over the Rubicon Trail, the Jeepers Jamboree, All 4-Fun, Sierra Trek, and Moab’s Easter Jeep Safari), I am not a “four-wheeler.” Getting…
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The ABCs of Overland Convoy Etiquette
Photography by Richard Giordano, Eglė Gerulaitytė, and Lila Shaw There’s a kid driving a Corolla at 120 kph, waving a note at me with the words “I love you” scrawled across the paper. Normally, I would be flattered at this declaration of affection, but the teen’s foot is jammed to the floor, sending his beat-up…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 6 :: Overland Vehicle Preparation and Treading Lightly
Join us for episode six of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this sixth episode, we discuss the importance of Overland Vehicle Preparation, including the ABCs and other essential items to make overlanding safe and enjoyable. We also…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 5: Recovery Techniques
Join us for episode five of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this fifth episode, we discuss the fundamentals of overlanding recovery techniques, including using traction boards, a vehicle-mounted winch, and conducting a vehicle-to-vehicle recovery using a kinetic…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 4: Driving in Sand and the Dunes
Join us for episode four of our educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this fourth episode, we discuss the fundamentals of driving in sand and the dunes, including tire pressures, leeward and windward side of the dunes, tire selection,…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 2: All-Terrain Tires
Join us for episode two of our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this second episode, we discuss the fundamentals of all-terrain tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and tread features for sand, rock, ice, snow, and…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Summer
Feature Image Courtesy of The Journal of Lost Time AMERICAN NORTHWEST Northwest Overland Rally When: June 20-23, 2024 Where: Leavenworth, Washington The Northwest Overland Rally caters to keeners curious about anything from winching to photography, off-pavement driving skills, or seasoning your cast-iron pot. Join a wine-tasting, whiskey-sharing, or happy hour session before the evening’s lively…
Tires for Overlanding Episode 1: Mud Tires
Join us for our new educational series on Tires for Overlanding, where we review selecting various tires, driving and recovery, vehicle preparation, Tread Lightly, and more. For this first episode, we discuss the fundamentals of mud tires for overlanding, including construction, lug design, and basic driving techniques. Presented by Hankook Dynapro Tire How to Select…
A Family Adventure Around The World – Lessons Learned
Something changed inside of us when we had our first kid. In hindsight, they were those typical feelings that come with becoming new parents. Excitement, trepidation, fear, joy, hope, and every other emotion you knew was there but didn’t know could arrive all at once. People said after having a baby we are going to…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Morocco
Photography by Richard Giordano In Marrakech’s House of Photography, time stands still. Silver photographs, glass plates, and autochromes capture market scenes and hooded figures from 1879 to 1960, confirming what I already know to be true about the country: it evokes a sense of timelessness. I feel it most while shopping in the souks or…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Spring
Lead photo courtesy of Weird Wild West SOUTHWEST USA Adventure Van Expo When: April 13-24, 2024 Where: Scottsdale, Arizona The Adventure Van Expo series returns for 2024 with a packed schedule of events, including the first of the season in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lively music, food trucks, vendors, and camping converge in this all-ages celebration of…
Rebelle Rally Run with Expedition Portal’s Paula Burr
Registration is already open for the 2024 Rebelle Rally competition, an eight-day, 2,500-kilometer slog through the California and Nevada deserts by map and compass. Founded in 2015 by Emily Miller, it’s the first women’s endurance off-road rally and the longest competitive off-road navigation rally in the United States. Self-described as a “movement built on community…
How to Prepare for and Survive Inclement Weather While Overlanding
Lead photograph by Michnus Olivier, Piki Piki Overland More than a decade ago, we camped in a large wooded campsite in Punta del Este, a coastal town in Uruguay. Despite extensive overland travel in Africa, we were relative rookies. It was our first night in South America, the Defender had been released from the port…
Is Your Overland Vehicle Overweight? Here Is a Possible Solution
Editor’s Note: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is a carefully determined specification developed by auto manufacturers in conjunction with the federal government to determine a particular vehicle’s legal status. It also indicates the absolute engineering limits of the vehicle in question for all its materials and systems, including the frame, suspension, brakes, and other components….
Overland Driving 101
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. One of the most misunderstood aspects of overlanding is how it differs from off-roading in general. While the two are related, they are far from the same discipline of the genre. This misconception is often seen in the grocery store parking lot when…
Scosche Powerup 600 Torch Portable Emergency Car Jumpstarter: For The Time When Your Vehicle Needs A Jump
Headquartered in Ventura County, California, Scosche is a family-owned company of outdoor enthusiasts that creates consumer technology for adventurers. They make vehicle accessories, car audio products, and other electronics, testing them in real-world scenarios to see how they’ll fare. I’ve been testing the Scosche Powerup 600 Torch portable emergency jumpstarter for the past month. I…
Making it Out Alive: Learn to save your own life or the one you love
Fieldcraft Survival and TacMed Solutions, companies providing industry-leading medical, simulation, and protection solutions for combat military personnel and first responders, collaborated on this comprehensive trauma kit, the MTK (Mobility Trauma Kit), with everyday mobility, off-roading, and overlanding in mind. The kit includes everything you could need in a life-threatening emergency: a tourniquet, modular bandages, combat…
Roof Loading for Overland Travel: How Much is Too Much?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue. Many of you likely remember the Ford Explorer rollover lawsuits of the early 2000s. We were inundated daily with news reports about the dangers of the Explorer and the risk to society that SUVs posed in general. Fast forward 20 years, and though…
Is 4WD Essential for International Overland Travel?
Traveler friends Thomas and Sabine from Bavaria, Germany, recently sent me a typically entertaining message. “Next week, I’ll have a talk to around 100 interested people on Explorer-Ostsee-Camp concerning the question 4WD in Travel Reality—How much 4WD do you really need? My personal thoughts about that are only some of all possible. I’d love to add…
Staples In Tents’ The Gathering is Coming to Vancorum, Colorado, August 18-22
Sonya and Necota Staples of Staples In Tents and Black People Off-road are champions of equality in the outdoor space. They strive to make camping and overlanding accessible to everyone, including those from marginalized communities who haven’t traditionally enjoyed easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Enter The Gathering, a weekend of outdoor adventure and education…