Overland Journal Spring 2022

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Great magazine, great podcast, great social media feeds, just all around great organization. I have been a subscriber for many years and have enjoyed every episode of the podcast. I feel I’ve gotten to know most of you as if we’ve been traveling together for years. Craig Cooper 1979 Ford Bronco KINSHIP Thank you to everyone that makes Overland International a success. The hard work that goes into the Journal and Portal is incredible. They have become a huge source of inspiration and community. Morgan Weafer Jeep Renegade JOB WELL DONE Hats off to the writers at Overland Journal for providing well-researched, authoritative articles on overlanding. @madeinjapanoverland CORRECTIONS FOR WINTER 2021 Camp Tables, page 75: “Founded in Japan in 1980, Snow Peak made its way to the United States in 1999. Now a well-known name in…

ANTONY AUSTIN Hailing from the goldfields of Victoria, Australia, Antony Austin is one of the quiet ones. Part musician, part photographer, and part adventurer, his creative outlets aim to capture the pursuit of peace and contentment through travel. In 2019, Ant and his partner, Emma, left home to chase a long-held ambition to drive around the world. That three-year plan unraveled in six months as the global events of 2020 unfolded. Through that experience and the unplanned adventures that followed, they learned the importance of living a life less adrift. Ant and Emma continue to lead a semi-nomadic existence, holding on to that long-held ambition to explore the world in their trusty Toyota Land Cruiser. BRENDON AND KIRA HAK Brendon has been behind the wheel his entire life, his first solo expedition being…

For Spring 2022, we are celebrating 15 years since our first issue of Overland Journal, and 20 years since we first dipped our toes into vehicle-based adventure media with Expeditions West, which ultimately became expeditionportal.com. The subsequent decades have been a whirlwind of adventure, and looking back, a deep well of gratitude for all those who have made this journey possible. My first thoughts go to the Charter Subscribers, most of whom have remained patrons of our dream and have provided invaluable feedback throughout the years. We simply would not exist without you. The next goes to our tens of thousands of subscribers throughout the years, all of which have made an employee-owned, independent media company possible. In the world of influencers and native content, we have still never run a…

Many tents are coated in flame retardants to meet regulatory standards in North America, and these chemicals can easily transfer from fabric to skin to the hands (and ultimately, to your mouth). This is where Treeline Outdoors is making progress toward a safer alternative. They recently moved production from China to Canada, and their new Tamarack Plus rooftop tent is Oeko-Tex 100 certified. This means that “every component of [the] article, i.e., every thread, button, and other accessories, have been tested for harmful substances and that the article, therefore, is harmless for human health. ”Oeko-Tex testing limits are often more stringent than government-issued standards, and their certification takes into account regulated and unregulated substances. Products lacking the accreditation are not necessarily dangerous, but it’s worth including in your pre-purchase research. Ever since…

Few brands in the world of bikepacking have an equal reputation for quality, innovation, and functionality as Big Agnes. The Colorado company was established 20 years ago with a mission to “build better gear for sleeping in the backcountry” by a team who actively camp and thus know firsthand what their customers require. Big Agnes faced the pandemic head-on, using it as an impetus for “a renewed focus on innovation, reducing our environmental impacts.” One such reimagined product is their award-winning HV UL2 tent, redesigned “from the stakes up” using solution-dyed fabric. Solution-dyed fabrics drastically reduce the energy consumption and water required during manufacturing compared to traditional dyeing methods. More resistant to UV fade, they consequently offer a marked improvement in quality. The packed dimensions of the UL2 are remarkable for a twoperson…

Swiss maker Katadyn has been producing personal water treatment systems for over 90 years, and the brand is well-known in various outdoor segments. While the BeFree is not new, I recently found myself comparing water filters for an upcoming backpacking trip. In terms of ease of use and packability, it won hands down. I purchased two BeFree filters in a pinch from Amazon, and when trying both out, found one to not work at all straight out of the box; the water would not squeeze out. This finding was consistent with a handful of reviews from other consumers with the same problem. But I was disappointed, thinking my odds were better than the few isolated incidents listed among so many positive reviews—it was far from an auspicious start. Luckily, the other…