There are fundamental elements of a good overland vehicle: the combination of serviceability (or ultimate reliability), capacity (payload and cargo volume), capability for when the terrain gets technical, and enough comfort to keep driver fatigue at bay. For the last 15 years, American Expedition Vehicles has been trying to pull the Jeep Wrangler into the…
Field Tested: RedArc Manager30
The scenario is all too familiar, the anticipation of a long weekend of camping interrupted by the click, click, click of the starter and a truck filled with dead batteries because that one light was left on. Or the remote camp on the beach and days of sunshine and fun followed by a dead house…
InDeflate Tire Inflator, Deflator, and Equalizer
Inflating or deflating off-road tires when trail running is necessary but it’s a chore that seemingly takes forever: a slow air compressor, air hoses tangled in a spaghetti-styled mess, or tire pressure gauges that read the same psi (no matter how often you check it) can all contribute to delays. Deflate or inflate. Check tire…
Initial Impressions: The General Grabber A/Tx
Crap was about the only word my brain could process as I felt the rock shift beneath the Excursion’s mass, letting the rear end slip from its precarious perch down into a ditch. The truck stopped with a thud, and I sighed in annoyance at the situation. Just a few hours earlier I had been…
The Nissan Titan Surfcamp
I accelerated hard out of the curve, pushing tight against the apex and to the limits of adhesion from the Nitto Grapplers. The Cummins diesel pulled strong and sent me into the next bend with more momentum than an 8,000-pound truck should, and with a bigger smile on my face than I expected a full-size…
MaxTrax Extreme :: First Field Test
“Expedition Portal gets a first look at the newest, and most durable MaxTrax yet.” I remember the first time we really, really, really needed Maxtrax. The Expeditions 7 team was deep into the Canning Stock Route in Australia and encountered a half-mile long, water-logged track. We had already been stuck many times that day, but…
Remote Breakdown Strategy
The trail rating was “moderate to difficult” but the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and the track we were driving on that cold afternoon was anything but moderate. It was tough going. Tough enough that the Defender 130 needed low range and diff lock to conquer some of the steeper, muddy switchbacks…
Button Testing
Impact-Site-Verification: 871b42da-dd20-4757-9bd5-f933bf1f9e33
Four Wheel Camper Rally: Anza Borrego
Something special happens when a community of overland travelers get together. A sense of adventure and camaraderie, an appreciation for one another’s pursuit of wanderlust and all the unique ways people go about it. Earlier this month, the Southern California Four Wheel Campers owners group came together at Ocotillo Wells in the Anza Borrego State…
Desert and Lava: Crossing the Sierra Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar
“Birds and animals had never seen humans, warblers flew to me and touched my face, a badger trotted up and sniffed my boot, coyotes sat watching me walk by, an antelope paced for a mile. In complete silence and isolation, it was like what walking on the moon must be.” Julian D. Hayden (1911-1998), from The Sierra Pinacate
Overland Skills: Make Power or Store Power, Which is Best for You?
If you follow Expedition Portal with any regularity, you know we cover the topic of power management quite often. The business of watts and amps has become inextricably intertwined with the pursuit of overland travel. Even when we’re roughing it, we can’t seem to live without our electronic devices. Over the last many years the…
The Motorcycle Relief Project
My favorite part of the week is the first time the veterans walk out and see the BMW motorcycles they will be riding for the next five days. The veterans come from all branches of the United States Armed Forces, all generations, from our current conflicts to as far back as Vietnam. We’ve even had…
Get a Grip
We test the latest traction devices and bridging ladders.
Happy Independence Day
On this day in 1776, the nation that many of us call home adopted its Declaration of Independence. Today, we celebrate that independence, as well as honoring the sacrifices so many have made defending it through the years. Whether you choose to spend your time grilling burgers with the family, hanging by a lake, or…
Triumph Tiger 1200 XCA Review
Review of the All-New 1200 Tiger XCA for Overland Travel For 2018, Triumph has freshened their lineup to reduce weight and improve trail performance for both Tiger models, with the most significant capability changes coming to the 1200. The Tiger lineup has traditionally been a 60/40 offering with a bias toward upright touring. However, the…
Video of the Week: Finding Adventure
If you only have one minute of free time today, we’d recommend spending it watching this video. Okay, so technically it is one minute and fifteen seconds, but in that short time this clip will take you on an adventure around the world and give you a much-needed mini-vacation from whatever you’re doing. It has…
Ruffwear Products for Your Roverlander
By Ruby the Adventure Dog Hi, I am Ruby, and I love adventure. That scar by my left eye was from a tussle with a rattlesnake! Read to the end to find out more about our first annual Roverlander of the Year contest and win some cool swag for your pup! If you’re going to…
Forum Migration to Xenforo
Fellow adventurers! We are migrating our community forum from vBulletin to Xenforo on 25 March, 2018 (tonight). Back in 2005, I fumbled my way through installing vBulletin and started a labor of love with expeditionportal.com. We have since changed servers and versions (of vBulletin) many times with the goal of continuing to improve performance and security….
Tool of the Trade
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. Throughout the history of our publication, the Toyota Tacoma has remained the most popular vehicle among our readers, a reflection of the model’s reliability and accessibility. As travelers, we ask a lot from our 4WDs, expecting durability, capability, comfort, and capacity, all the while hoping…
Field Tested: KLIM Women’s Altitude Riding Suit
Wholeheartedly in agreement with the view of any well-informed rider, women don’t have a “handicap” or “special needs” astride their motorcycles. We do, however, require a suit that fits well as much as it is fit for purpose. Coupled with the freedom to be fairly well catered for, where colour or cut shouldn’t be compromised…