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…
Adventure Photographer: The Tank-Mounted Camera Bag
As a motorcyclist and photographer, I’ve often struggled with how to best carry my camera on the bike. For years I just plopped my DSLR into a tank bag but the constant vibrations resulted in the early demise of one lens and eventually a nice camera body. The most protective approach has been a tail-mounted…
Long Term Test: Therm-a-Rest Altair HD Sleeping Bag
For what seemed like decades, sleeping bag technology languished. There were a few minor innovations with regard to baffle shapes and fabrics improved slightly from year to year, but not until recently has the humble sleeping bag received the engineering advancements it deserved. This is particularly true of bags in the Therm-a-Rest line like the…
Wander Libre: Land Cruiser Troopy Camper Conversion, Part 2
Welcome to Part Two of our four-part series on our Land Cruiser Troopy Camper Conversion. We pick up the story in Cape Town, South Africa, as we kickoff fitment and begin working with Paul and the teams at R&D Offroad and Alu-Cab to transform our build requirements into detailed construction specs. We also make a…
Decked Announces New Systems for Midsize Pickups
Pickup owners are drawn to their vehicles by the promise of utility and large cargo-hauling capacities, but keeping items organized and within reach has never been very straightforward. Many pickup owners, myself included, have resorted to various bags, cases, totes, and home-built wooden boxes to keep things tidy, secure, and accessible. When Decked entered the…
Bikepacking: Maintenance Tips for a Fuss-free Trip
When bikepacking started to gain momentum roughly 10 years ago, concerns over bike reliability were not just overstated, they were wildly overblown. The reality is, most bikepacking trips clock in at well under 500 miles—if not fewer than 200. If your bike can’t survive a week of use without catastrophic failure, you need to rethink…
Modifying the Polaris General
The Expedition Portal staff install accessories on our long-term project General, improving utility and performance.
Adventure Interview: Heather and Dave of Riding Full Circle
How many times have you wished you could sell everything that wasn’t bolted down, or put it all in storage, and hit the open road? For most people those daydreams are just that—dreams. There are those with just that little bit of extra courage who take it to the next level and push beyond the…
Field Tested: Filson Duffle Pack
Like all good things, Filson products do not come cheaply. Don’t read that to suggest they are a poor value. Far from it, all of their bags are capable of serving several generations of users, making even their most expensive items a flat-out bargain—but the entry point can be too steep for some. To open…
Long Term Test: Yakima SkyRise Rooftop Tent
When Yakima first announced the release of their roof top tent last year, three attributes from the press release immediately caught my attention. The 95-pound weight for the smallest of two sizes made it one of the lightest roof top tents on the market, and because Yakima has spent several decades perfecting all manner of…
Field Tested: REV’IT! Philly 2 LF Jeans
As with my cars, I am a firm believer that classic bikes of the 60s, 70s and 80s should still be used for the purpose they were designed and manufactured for back in their heyday. Of course they are not as refined as a modern counterpart, but choose the right model for the task at…
American Overlander: North Street Flanders Backpack
When company founder, Curtis Williams, started North Street Bags, his mission was simple enough. He wanted to make high-quality bicycle panniers and backpacks with homegrown materials, by hand, one-by-one. Only a few years in, he’s building a loyal following of people drawn to his clean designs and uncompromising attention to craftsmanship. The Flanders is his…
First Ride: REI Co-Op DRT 2.1 Mountain Bike
Although it had been around for ages, it was high time for REI to retire the Novara bicycle line. Discerning cyclists never really warmed to the label, quick to dismiss it as an entry-level house brand. To be fair, that is essentially what it was. For 2017, REI made the decision to give their bike department…
4×4 Legends: Toyota Land Cruiser, From Series 20 to the 1980s
In 1955, only 22 years after the formation of their automotive division, the Toyota Motor Company released the second generation of their now-famed Land Cruiser, which was in many ways the same vehicle they produced for the next 3 decades. In those early years after WWII, Japan’s recovery was happening quickly and Toyota was keeping…
The General “Overlander”
The Expedition Portal Team dips a toe into the world of UTV exploration
Company Profile: Good To-Go Dehydrated Meals
As much as I love to venture into to the woods and survive on trail mix and beef jerky, I also admit I’m an unabashed foodie. I have a tattered Michelin restaurant guidebook with plenty of dog-eared pages, and can snob around the food scene with the best of them. When I learned of Good…
Field Tested: ARB’s Digital Tire Inflator
ARB throws a splash of tech at their classic inflator
First Drive: AEV RAM Recruit
We find out if the Recruit makes the cut
Jeep Heritage Expo
Two days of Jeepn’ fun in the Georgia backcountry.
Field Tested: Rocky Mounts SwitchHitter
With the proliferation of wagons, crossovers, and SUVs, the hitch rack has become the most ubiquitous type of bike hauler, but there are still occasions when a roof-mounted bike rack is preferred. For long road trips I tend to portage my bikes aloft as it frees up the back of my car providing unfettered access…