An unexpected engine failure halted an adventure. What followed is a testament to the strength and camaraderie of the Overland Bound community.
Overland Bound One Support Alert: A Rescue Story in Capitan Gap
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Field notes
Featured news, resources, gear, travel stories and more
Downsizing from a House to an Overland Vehicle
After three years of living on the road, multiple purges of the items that we carry, and a constant refinement of what we currently have, we think it’s safe to say that we kind of have a handle on what it means to travel light in our overland vehicle.
How to Pack Your First Aid Kit for Overlanding
It’s about having your first aid kit, and knowing how to organize the different parts.
When heading out into the backcountry we need to be prepared for any misadventure that we may encounter. Vehicle maintenance needs to be done in advance, spare parts double checked, sleeping and cooking gear need to be accounted for, etc. Once you have all that squared away, you’re ready to head out into the wilderness, right?
Overland Bound Completes Third Trail Guardian Clean Up in the Mojave National Preserve
Overland Bound Completes 3rd Trail Guardian Work Weekend in Partnership with the Mojave National Preserve –
Virtual Overland Expo 2020: Coming Soon to an Internet Connection Near You
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t been impacted by the upside down that is 2020. The Overland Expo events scheduled this year for the West, Rocky Mountains and East were no exception. But rather than sit back and wait, the Overland Expo team took matters into their own hands and created a virtual experience unlike any other.
Exploring Red River Gorge
An overland adventure through Red River Gorge with words and images by Overland Bound member Jason Price. Outfit and Explore!
Overlanding with Disabilities
Overlanding in Africa can be challenging at the best of times, but when you’re wheelchair-bound, it’s a whole new ball game. Seasoned traveller Louis Broodryk shares the clever ways he gets around on a continent where wheelchair access is limited and sometimes non-existent.
Overland Vehicle Preparation
Preparing a vehicle for overland travel is specific to your style of travel, there is no “one size fits all” solution....
Building a “Home” in a Land Cruiser 80 Series
What do you do with your 1993 Toyota FZJ80 Land Cruiser once the kids have left the house? You turn it into a “home” and explore as much as possible. Overland Bound Member Ofer Bruhis takes us through every decision made converting his Land Cruiser 80 Series into a (very) tiny home.
The USA is Overlanding Nirvana
We are a South African family who have driven our Land Rover Defender to over 50 countries on four continents over 150 000 miles. We have crossed the equator four times and our children have grown up to be multicultural. We have been to Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, New York, Buenos Aires, London, Istanbul and Dakar. And we believe that, of all the countries we have visited, The United States of America offers one of the most rewarding overland experiences.
Paradise: After the Fire
We had the pleasure of visiting Chico and Paradise, CA to meet up with Overland Bound members and collect donations for the Oroville Hope Center to help those devastated by the Camp Fire. Thanks to the help of Tim of Ordinary Overland, Alynn, and the team at Mountain Hatch, we met up with many locals to kick tires and talk shop.
Top 14 Essential Overland Gear List
Your grandfather probably used to travel overland. He had a pick-up truck, a military surplus tent, table, chair and water bottles, a pile of wood and a few six packs. He threw your mom or dad in the passenger seat, a good dog, a few fishing rods and his simple, robust gear in the back and headed out to explore.
Major Clean Up in Joshua Tree
Decades worth of trash and debris were removed from public Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Joshua Tree, CA on March 10th. Two hundred plus volunteers from the off-road community contributed.
Tornado Driving – What to do
We found ourselves driving through a tornado – here is what we learned.
Cross-Continental Community Spirit
What happens when a US Overland Bound Member studying abroad in Australia reaches out to the Queensland OB crew? A full adventure happens, that’s what. Read about how the unlikely pairing of a college student from Oregon and a retired Aussie off-roader created one epic story.
Minimalism and Overlanding
Back in the day, when I was a functioning member of society, I would spend every Saturday at my favorite hardware store. It was call De La Reys and now that I have traveled much of the world I realize that it was an incredibly well stocked and managed store.
Expediciones De Las Americas – An Adventure of a Lifetime in 6 Stock Jeeps
In 1978, a team of 14 people loaded up 6 stock Jeep CJs at the southern most point in South America and began a 5 month trek north to the Arctic Ocean. When Mike Arnold, a family man and business owner in Northern California, found out about the expedition he and his wife Sheri quickly realized this was a once in a lifetime chance.
Why #vanlife Sucks
Brent Rose is a writer for Gizmodo, Wired, Outside Magazine, Deadspin and numerous other publications. He also roams around the country while living in a van. We asked him to write about his #vanlife experience, and this is what he has to say.
Rivian Will Bring Electric to Off-Road
The days of Prius drivers turning their noses up at pickups and SUVs are quickly coming to a close. Rivian, a mid-western automotive startup company based out of Normal, IL showed off two production samples of their latest vehicles this week at the LA Auto Show – the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV. Both are fully electric, off-road rated vehicles.
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is Ready to Rumble
It has been 26 years; 26 long years. Not since the days of former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca has Jeep existed in the pickup truck market. Today however, that’s all in the past as Jeep officially unveiled the new Wrangler based “JT” Gladiator pickup truck. Jeep came in with their eyes on the prize as being the most off-road capable and practical oriented truck in the mid-size market… And they wiped the floor with the competition.
Overlanding as a Way of Life
Graeme, Luisa, Jessica and Keelan Bell have traveled the world in their Defender 130 for over 10 years. This is a perspective on overlanding and the mindset of adventure based on their global adventures as a family. (Hint: You don’t need a fully built out rig and expedition time in Africa to be an overlander.)
So You Want to Start Overlanding…
Overlanding is not new. People have been doing it for a long time, and it has been called different names, most recently it has been “Car Camping”. But the glory is not lost however, as to truly have your spirit of exploration fall into the Overland category, you have to throw blind adventure into the mix.
When Your Daily Driver is Your Overland Rig
We recently connected with Overland Bound Member #0833, Isaac Marchionna about his mega loaded up overland rig that he uses every day as his daily driver in Downtown Portland. He gives us his insight into what to expect when you make your off-road vehicle your pavement pounder on the city streets!
What is Overlanding?
Overlanding. It’s a term that’s been used with a variety of context over the decades. For me, the mere mention of the word conjures images of adventure, exploration, the excitement of the unknown and the thrill of traveling to places I haven’t been before. Opening a new tab in your browser and searching “define overlanding” will net you an actual definition: Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal.
Overlanding with Your Dog: Jennifer & Monty
Jennifer Langille has been overlanding full-time throughout the US with her one year old Vizsla named Monty. Read more about the ups, downs, ins and outs of a life on the road with a four legged friend.
Et tu Brutus? Adventure Driven M1079 LMTV Build Out
A twenty-two thousand pound ex-United States Military M1079 LMTV truck named Brutus does not exactly sound like an anniversary gift that would get a ringing endorsement, right? This is exactly what Kande Jacobson of Adventure Driven asked of her husband Seth, and it’s a thing of beauty.
FZJ80 + Maltec Will Give You All The Feels
Love is a fickle thing, and when you come across love at first sight – you hold onto it. Tim McGrath from Albuquerque based Sackwear recently partnered with Maltec, a German camper conversion company and immediately fell deep. It didn’t take long for Tim to realize that a German built Maltec conversion was going to be the one that would be his new ultimate camper.
Overland Expo West 2018 Day Two – LR FC101 Realness
The second day of OXW18 brought perfect weather, large crowds, and (of course) more incredible builds. Our favorite rig of the day was a spectacular and unapologetic Land Rover FC101. Here we go.
Overland Expo West 2018 Day One – Favorite Vehicles
Overland Prom Expo. We all know that the biggest reason to come to OX is to see all the things that we wish that we could do, and at the absolute very least, be inspired as to what we can do or become. The first day of OXW18 did not disappoint these expectations.
Looking for New Places to Explore in Your Area?
We all agree adventure is necessary! That’s why you are here for crying out loud! It you don’t have adventure, what the point of the daily grind?! You need exploration and adventure in order to be healthy and happy!
Rig Profile: 1985 Toyota 4×4
Tyler Geertsma knew he would have a workhorse on his hands when a family friend offered to sell him an 1985 Toyota last October. Being on a college student’s budget, it was an opportunity at the right price. Photos courtesy of Tyler.
What to do if a Blizzard Traps Your Car
For many Overlanders, winter is just another season in a year-round devotion to the outdoors, and many of us enjoy the relative isolation in our favorite spots without the fair weather masses. The unexpected can and will occur, and a few tips can keep you safe.
How to Gift an Overland Bound Membership
An Overland Bound gift is a great option for those with adventure in their DNA. Well, I guess that’s all of us! Because a membership also includes access to many online features, there are a couple steps to insure their account gets set up correctly, and we don’t spoil the surprise! We will send their Membership Package to you, and you provide the info for activating their account with the gift.
Fender Flare Repair: How-to and Supplies!
If you use your rig, it is going to get scratched and scuffed. It comes with the territory! My fender flares finally took as much as I wanted them to take, and it was time to repair them – you know, so I could scratch them all up again! I did the job in a few hours, and they came out great!
5 Tips for Surviving Outdoors in the Cold
For some, the recreation season ends when the days grow short and the thermometer falls below freezing. To some hardy souls, though, winter is just another season in a year-round devotion to the outdoors.
Budget Built Tacoma Overland Rig
Our friend Neil of @BWildJournals on instagram reminds us that you don’t have to break the bank to build an overland rig, and you can do something to make the world a little better along the way!
Trail Guardian – Leave it Better Than You Found it
Overland Bound shares information and locations freely. There are two schools of thought on this. First, “keep it secret, keep it safe”. The reasoning here is simple. The fewer know about a place, the less likely it is to be overrun and trampled by a large number of people. Second, “no one owns the great outdoors” and it should be accesible to those who wish to enjoy, discover, or rediscover it. Overland Bound agrees to the latter, and I’m going to distill it down to three primary reasons.
Overland Bound Trail Ratings
Our trail rating system is informed and accumulated through thousands of trail hours and ratings provided by the growing Overland Bound community for over a decade.
Overland Communication Overview
Once you have an overland rig, on your first trip you’ll discover offroad communications is essential. You’ll quickly find yelling out the window only works so well. Two cans with some string works, but has its range and line of sight issues.
Overland Boot Camp Series!
One of the Founding Principles of Overland Bound is to share information freely! That is one of the reasons our Forums...