Armed with a 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan, some YouTube videos, and a recent dirt bike safety training course, I took on the Trans-America Trail, a route crossing the United States on mostly unpaved roads and trails. While I had extensive road bike experience, this would be my first time riding off-road for any distance since…
Redefined Sound :: Cardo’s Connect App 5.7 Update
This week saw great news for Cardo Freecom X and Spirit users, the new 5.7 Cardo Connect App update which promises to greatly improve listener experience. The best motorcycle Bluetooth headsets continue to get ample time in moto forums. There are as many impassioned arguments for either side as there are dedicated and loyal users….
Brat Class 2 E-bike Coming from Volcon
Volcon ePowersports, the first company to make all-electric off-road powersports machines, announces a new Class 2 electric bicycle they call the Brat. The single-syllable moniker follows the lead of their Stag UTV, and the fat-tired, two-wheeled, go-most-anywhere Volcon Grunt, reviewed by Scott Brady. Volcon states the Brat is built “for any adventure, on or off…
KTM 890 Adventure R Updates for 2023
The KTM 890 Adventure R, an already capable and popular motorcycle, is getting an overhaul for 2023. Why mess with success? According to KTM, it was to “further offroad excellence, dependability and suitability for whatever lies on the road ahead.” In other words, to make a good thing better. Improved Adventure Ride When the road…
Celebrate National Public Lands Day With onX
Our Public Lands are a national treasure, and it is up to every one of us to join in taking responsibility for the care and protection of our most precious asset. Not only will we all benefit from the nurturing and rehabilitation of this land, but future generations will also reap the rewards. There are…
Exploring America’s Swampiest State :: The Florida Adventure Trail
It took a lot of dirt to raise Jon Birkmire. A lot of water, too. As a child growing up in Florida, there’s hardly a river, beach, or dirt road he hasn’t explored in the peninsula state known for its abundance of coastline, swamps, alligators, and snakes. So ten years ago when he discovered Florida…
Colfax Design Works Project TOAD 65 Liter Drybag: A Fully Waterproof Duffel That Doubles as a Backpack
Colfax Design Works is a soft goods designer that creates durable products for diverse environments. All their products are made in the USA to lessen the carbon footprint. They make products for adventure travel, and their primary offering is the Project TOAD (tactical operations amphibious drybags) 65-liter drybag. I’ve been testing the TOAD drybag for…
Expedition Conservation – A Finnish couple touring Africa
I have great respect for women traveling the further reaches of Africa independently, more so when they are European (Finnish) women with the passion to tackle challenges of the African continent with determination. In my personal opinion, Europeans and more specifically Scandinavians do not frequently travel to the far reaches of Africa (we have not…
Electric Adventure :: Zero’s 2023 DSR/X
In another month or so I’ll be staring at a mechanic’s bill for a 24,000-mile valve adjustment on my BMW F 750 GS. It won’t be pretty. I’ve learned to change my own oil, maintain my chain, and flush my brake fluid just to keep the labor bill in check. Considering motorcycle manufacturers have made…
Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard’s All-In Climate Change Investment
Overland travel can change not only your life but also the lives of others. Back in 1968, the world was a very different place; Yvon Chouinard, the founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc., and a few friends bought an old van and set off from California for a six-month overland journey to South America despite…
Destinations :: Paradise on the Gulf of Mexico
The sand along the sea coast stretching from San Destin to Rosemary Beach, Florida, glistens like crystallized powdered sugar. Beyond these beaches lie the crystal clear and intoxicating Aegean-colored waves of the Gulf of Mexico. There is no other sand like this wind-weathered quartz which originated in the Appalachian Mountains hundreds of miles away. Over…
Nomadix Puffer Blanket: An Ultra-versatile Blanket For Minimalist Overlanders and Travelers
“Own Less. Do More” is more a manifesto than just a tagline for Nomadix. They call their first and most popular product The Only Towel You Need. In short, it’s designed to work for everything you could possibly use a towel for. Nomadix’s original towel is lightweight, super-absorbent, odor and sand-resistant, and dries quickly. And…
Expo Gear You Will Want to Explore: Savvy Creations for Outdoor Comfort
Amid massive builds with habitat boxes, larger-than-life bumpers, rooftop tents, and overlanding gear at this year’s Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, the displays of homegrown and sustainable-minded companies punctuated the landscape. These are the companies and products that always garner my attention for their creative ability to meet industry demands and emerging markets….
Destination: Nelson, British Columbia
Photography by Richard Giordano Located in British Columbia’s southern interior, Nelson is a funky bohemian hub in the heart of the Kootenay region. Surrounded by the Selkirk mountain range, Nelson boasts a vibrant arts community, colorfully restored heritage buildings, and more restaurants per capita than Manhattan or San Francisco. Part of the traditional territory of…
Feature Vehicle :: Overland Site’s 1998 Iveco TurboDaily 4×4
Photography by Richard Giordano Ferenc Elekes received email alerts from mobile.de for two years before a 1998 Iveco TurboDaily 4×4 classified ad showed up in his inbox. The vehicle was 1,000 kilometers away from Ferenc’s home base in Hungary, but he and partner Evelin Veisz decided to commit to it sight unseen. Sure, the owner…
Ready for Dirt: Suzuki’s 2023 V-Strom 1050DE/Adventure
I am always surprised when my moto racing friend Deana Kelley says she regularly takes to the difficult parts of BDRs on her V-Strom. There are few adventures the Suzuki-made motorcycle can’t handle, but baby heads on a steep gravel cliff aren’t exactly what I envision when thinking about this nimble bike. I had always…
Fly-and-Drive Kit: Universal Equipment That Works Anywhere in the World
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue. Over the years, I have found myself stepping into rented or borrowed vehicles for a myriad of trips. These adventures include flying into a destination, borrowing a vehicle, and dry camping for multiple days. Last year I chased the Baja 1000 and needed…
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…
Stopping the Bleed: Yes, it Can Happen to You
Kevin Henson has been answering calls to horrific accident scenes for at least 34 years. The trained paramedic and retired fire chief still grimaces a little when thinking about the worst accidents he’s attended. Many of them involved motorcycles. But there’s one item he never reached for in a trauma event: a first-aid kit. When…