What I’ve learned over the past seven years of moto camping and long-distance riding is that you pretty much pack the same amount of gear for three days as for three months: tools, camping stuff, rain gear, off-bike clothing, first aid kit, camera, etc. As for food, you can only fit a few days’ worth…
Black Hills Moto Film Festival—Aug. 13-15
From August 13-15, Rev Sisters will present the Black Hills Motorcycle Film Festival, featuring independent filmmakers. And yes, you read it right, the Weekend Festival Pass is free from these generous organizers. If you’re reading this too late, don’t worry; you can still access all the films for $10 here—a small price to pay for…
Video of the Week: Field Tested Nemo Helio Shower Kit
Just because we enjoy going off-grid, and spending extended periods without the conveniences of home, doesn’t mean that we enjoy being dirty. Long days on the trail are taxing, and having a quick way to rinse off the sweat and sunscreen at the end of the day is often a luxury worth making room for…
Rev’It Invests in Travel Startup Motourismo
I’ve enjoyed using Rev’It riding gear for more than half a decade now, so I’m always excited to hear about news and products from the company. This one threw me off a little, only because I didn’t immediately see the connection between a leading apparel brand partnering with an online motorcycle travel company. But, as…
The Legendary Bessie Stringfield
Photography courtesy of nationalmcmuseum.org In 1911, a true motorcycling legend, Betsy Leonora Ellis, was born in Kingston, Jamaica; she would later go by Bessie and take on the last name of a spouse. She was tragically orphaned at a young age, then adopted and raised by a well-off Irish woman who would raise her Catholic….
Humanity:: From Russia with Love
Inside the world’s largest country, you’ll find elderly ladies baking bread in wooden houses with painted window frames; large, prosperous cities and honking horns; children riding bicycles on gravel roads, and some of the most industrious, approachable people on the planet. Russia scares many travelers. Bad things happen there, just like bad things happen in…
Overland News of the Week
Haven Tent Hammock camping is one of those polarizing things that people tend to love or hate, with one of the biggest complaints that you can’t sleep flat. Instead, your back is forced into a curved position, and sleeping on your side is impossible. The innovative Haven Tent aims to improve the hammock sleeping experience….
Field Tested: Touratech’s New 2021 Aventuro Carbon2 Plus
I was excited to try Touratech’s new Aventuro Carbon 2 Plus Adventure and Dual Sport helmet for many reasons: it’s good-looking, well-ventilated, and extremely lightweight, to start. But for me, the top-selling features are its removable sun visor and its versatility as an on-road/off-road hybrid. First, let’s discuss the removable brim: some ADV/dual sport helmets…
Leave No Trace—Outdoor Ethics for Riders, Overlanders, and Other Land Users
I was camping in eastern Washington a month ago. We had a gorgeous spot right on a river and plenty of space for three vehicles and six dirt bikes. On arrival, I jumped out of the truck and headed into some trees to relieve my water-filled bladder. Walking a few feet away from camp, I…
Overland News of the Week
Hyperlight Mountain Gear Camera Pod Hyperlight Mountain Gear, makers of über-lightweight sewn outdoor goods, have just dropped their new Camera Pod, and if it’s built like their other products, I have no doubt that it will survive many miles on the trail. Hyperlight is one of the pioneering companies responsible for popularizing Dyneema (aka Cubin…
Leaning Into A Weakness
For years I’ve been going on adventures where someone else other than myself has provided the route that the group will be using. Rarely have I ever been the one to plan a route as it’s not been a strength of mine and I was happy to pass on that responsibility. When it comes to…
Are You Cool Enough? Tips for Riding in a Heatwave.
As I write this, we’re in the middle of a heatwave in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures last week got to over 100°F (38°C). When I didn’t want to cook and phoned a local brewery to get take-out, they were closed because it was 130°F (54°C) in the kitchen, and the staff was feeling sick. Air-conditioning…
Keith Emerson’s 1973 Norton Roadster on Auction With Other Vintage Superbikes and Sidecars at Bonhams Sale
I’ve never ridden a bike with a sidecar or been a passenger in one. But after reading Carla King’s book, American Borders, and now being onto my second story about riding in sidecars, Our Ridiculous World Trip, by Matt Bishop and Reece Gilkes, I feel I’ve made the right choice. I don’t even want to…
Six Adventure Riding Boots for Summer
It’s hot. Your feet are a stinking, sweaty mess inside plastic riding boots that don’t breathe. Your girlfriend just said you smell like asiago cheese mixed with Gruyère. When you did that creek crossing last week, the boots took on a bunch of water and never dried out. Now, they’re simmering in a molding cheese…
Moki Dugway—a Father-Daughter Ride on Two Very Different Bikes
With Father’s Day approaching, I’m reminded of the one and only long-day ride my dad and I did together in 2014. I was on a BMW G 650 GS while Dad rode a Harley Davidson Classic. Neither of us cared about the oddity of being on two very different bikes. Although this late September day…
Publisher’s Project: Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted in Overland Journal’s Spring 2021 Issue. Opening image is from a movie production, closed course. We always recommend wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, but also acknowledge that helmet laws vary by state and country. There is such joy in simplicity, distilling a pursuit down to its…
Off-road Training for a Post-Round-the-World Rider—What I Wish I Knew Before I Left
I’ll admit that after 708 days riding around the world, my first thought was, what could I possibly learn in a Level 1 off-road course? I’d spent two years swerving around stray dogs and potholes, hopping my fully loaded F 800 GS up mountain roads, and throttling through countless creek crossings—what would weaving between orange…
Overland News of the Week
USWE CORE 16 & 25-liter Dual Sport Daypack USWE Sports is a Swedish backpack company that was founded by a group of dirtbike riders. Their idea was straightforward: design a backpack that doesn’t bounce around when you are participating in action sports, like riding dirtbikes, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, or anything else that involves…
ACR Electronics Bivy Stick Satellite Communication Device and App
If you’re someone who enjoys venturing into the backcountry, then your safety should be a primary consideration, and the ability to share your location and alert emergency services in the event of an accident is crucial. In the past, I’ve been a fan of SPOT Satellite Communication Devices (generally alongside a second “burner” mobile phone,…
Seven Hydration Packs for Summer Riding
Hydration is crucial to the human body. We all know what it feels like to be parched after a long day in the sun exerting ourselves, and it’s not a feeling we can ignore. Maybe some of you, like me, have even suffered heat exhaustion or heat stroke—a life-threatening situation that can be avoided by…