Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2021 Issue. Photography by Richard Giordano We’re parked in a dry riverbed within the Ghost Public Land Use Area of Alberta, Canada, where Marcus and Julie Tuck have kindly opened their home to us for the evening. A chill autumn wind howls outside, but we’re…
GMC and A&E Network’s “Revolution: GMC Hummer EV” 60-min Documentary Premieres March 27
Revolution: GMC Hummer EV is scheduled to premiere on the History Channel’s Drive Block at 11 am Eastern time on March 27th, 2022. The 60-minute film showcases innovation in the face of chaos; a behind-the-scenes look at how a talented selection of individuals made this electric truck a reality in record-breaking time, during a pandemic. Buckle…
Marking the 10-Year Anniversary of Expeditions 7
“First is forever,” reverberated through the air on the night the Expeditions 7 team celebrated becoming the first to drive a 4×4 vehicle on all seven continents. The moment Expedition Leader Scott Brady congratulated his team, those in attendance simultaneously played a personal reel, mental images flashing in quick succession: narrowly avoiding jail in Russia;…
Couple builds an off-road camper in 2.5 months
Photo credit Richard Giordano If you’re in the market for a camper but not one seems to be the right fit, why don’t you build your own? Easier said than done (we know this from personal experience.) But Riley and Courtney Casey from Ambition Strikes managed to build a lightweight turnkey camper on a 2015…
Mercedes-Benz Vans USA Unveils all-new Sprinter AWD System with an Advanced Engine Line-up
Mercedes-Benz Vans on Monday introduced the new all-wheel drive (AWD) system and 4-cylinder Sprinter diesel and gas lineup that will be available for the US market early next year. We expect the new configuration to be ideal for camper and touring conversions but do have some concerns that the 1.9l OM654 engine will have the…
Overland News of the Week
Decked x Pathfinder Cooking Kit Decked and Pathfinder Survival have been busy. Since we featured the Pathfinder survival kit two weeks ago, a new module has already been released: the Decked x Pathfinder. This all-in-one cooking kit solution is neatly organized in a Decked D-bag and designed specifically to fit in the Decked truck bed…
Acela Straya: A New High-mobility 4×4 Cab-over Truck for North America
*Editor’s note: The original title of this article was changed to avoid confusion surrounding vehicle capability. Acela calls the Staya the most capable class-5 cab-over truck in North America, according to their press release. Truck classification takes into account GVWR as well as other factors which may include permit requirements, DOT number regulations, maintenance needs,…
The Origins of the Humble Jerry Can
Patagonia is famous for, among other things, its intense gales which can reach up to 70 mph in the summer months. This bluster is fantastic when the wind is at your back, but as soon as you turn the vehicle to drive in the other direction, the favor changes, and suddenly your rocket ship is…
Nitto Tire announces new All-Terrain Crossover and Compact SUV Tire
In the past, overlanders and 4WD enthusiasts had to choose from a relatively small selection of proven A/T tires, but in recent years overlanding has exploded in popularity, and so too has the selection of tires to choose from. Nitto has been at the forefront of this tire revolution and is clearly on a mission…
Introducing C6; the Game Has Changed
C6, the California-based company, is a new player in the overland market, but the talent behind the company is well-known in the world of outdoor products. Tina and Dave Payne were the duo behind the incredible success of Frontrunner in the USA and are now bringing all those years of experience to the C6 project….
Feature Vehicle :: Overland Vagabond’s 2016 Ford Ranger w/Custom Geocar Camper
Photography by Richard Giordano When Marcel took his wife, Chiara, out for dinner one evening back in 2015, she knew something was up. “A boat or a car, that was the question,” she laughs. “I didn’t know which one, but I knew something was coming.” Marcel’s proposal was eventually revealed—he wanted to drive around the…
Feature Vehicle :: Alika Vaquer’s VW T3 Syncro
The Volkswagen T3 Syncro (or Vanagon Syncro) is widely regarded as the ultimate overland rig. Characterized by insane power and torque and Rolls-Royce-esque refinement, the T3 Syncro is impervious to rust, offers unmatched all-terrain capability, a bulletproof engine, gearbox, and drive train, can achieve upwards of 55 mpg, and is conservatively 10 times more reliable…
US Presidents and Their “Overland” Rigs
Today, we celebrate the presidents of the United States, many of whom were adventurous souls (including my seventh great uncle President Washington). Over the past 120 years, they were also driving various vehicles worthy of the classic road trip or even a lap around the globe. Certainly, some presidents were more “car guys” than others,…
Overland News of the Week
Benchmade 5370FE Shootout OTF OTF automatic knives can be deployed single-handed in an instant, making them the perfect blades for use in high-stress situations. But many of them are heavy and prohibitively expensive due to complex mechanisms. Benchmade’s new Shootout aims to change that, with a $300 price point and a lightweight build that is…
Mojave by Defender
“Daddy! Those motorcycle guys are giving us the thumbs-up!” my 5-year-old said. We were only an hour into the first off-road adventure of our new Land Rover Defender, and I knew it was going to be a good trip. The Mojave Desert has always been a favorite area of mine in Southern California. I spend…
Looking for Firewood? Stacked.camp Knows Where It’s At
These days there’s a website or app for just about anything, and you can now add firewood to that list. Stacked.camp is a new “community-focused project” (website database) that was created to help campers find firewood, quickly and easily. Stacked was specifically built as a “lite-weight” webapp to facilitate quick loading of information, even when…
IRONMAN 4×4: RIGS & COFFEE
A large collection of classic and modern Land Cruisers, coffee, great company, and in-store promotions on overlanding gear—no, this isn’t Valhalla, but the monthly meet-up at Ironman 4×4, Portland. That’s right, on the first Saturday of every month, you can drink coffee, check out awesome rigs, and get in-store deals on accessories. Launched by JSW…
Get Out There and Travel
“Get out there and travel”. It’s a seemingly simple statement, but it takes a lot of courage for many women to take the leap, whether they are single, a wife, and/or mother. I know because I hit the road hard more than a decade ago and have never looked back. Well, to be honest, after…
New Gear for Overland Travelers at Outdoor Retailer 2022 Snow Show
Considered by many to be the premier outdoor industry trade show in North America, Outdoor Retailer brings together brands, store owners, athletes, PR, media—pretty much anyone that has anything to do with outdoor recreation. The winter version of this get-together, referred to as the OR Snow Show, just took place at the Denver Convention center….
DefenderX – The Last Great Overland Adventure?
In an age where it has all been done before, there remains one great overland challenge. A team of explorers has set out to drive two prepared Land Rover Defender 110’s from London to New York, without the aid of airlifts or boats. Currently the team has made it all the way to Tjita, Russia…