Overland Journal Winter 2022

LIFER I’m a new subscriber to Overland Journal and just received my first issue. I was immediately taken by the packaging and simple touches (card, stickers, stamps inside the box). Thank you for making the receipt of a magazine an anticipated and joyous affair again. You have a lifer now! Alan Amerault 2004 Toyota 4Runner TOP-NOTCH [I’m a] long-time subscriber. Great magazine overall, top-notch. I live in Prescott, Arizona, and Scott Brady is correct in his article on the “Trail of Kings” (Fall 2022)—great trails. Ashley [Giordano’s] coverage on “Now Streaming” [showed us we] must take care of the environment. We enjoy being outdoors and taking care of what we love is paramount. [Enough] said; pack in, pack out. [How about an article on] climate change’s [effects on] trails and camping overall? Rick Andal 2015 Lexus GX460 2021…

BRENDON AND KIRA HAK Brendon has been behind the wheel his entire life, his first solo expedition being at just six years old. No matter the season, you can find him outside, twisting a throttle or stomping a pedal. Kira’s passion has always been travel and photography. For her, capturing an image to share with the “inside” world has the power to change mindsets. Kira is certain she will travel to every corner of this beautiful planet and spark an interest in others to do the same. So the wanderer met the horse, and Adventure Haks was born—a platform to share their photography and tales of their journeys, with the goal to simply enjoy life and inspire others to get outside and explore. MATT SWARTZ Matthew Swartz is originally from Connecticut and currently…

I frequent locations that don’t have cell service, where I’ve come to appreciate two-way satellite communication devices. And while earlier personal locator beacons simply alerted SAR, modern two-way messengers like the Spot X do that and a lot more, like allowing you to send and receive SMS text messages, mark POIs, and perform navigation functions. On extended backpacking or vehicle-based trips, the ability to easily compose longer messages on the fly is a valuable feature. This is especially true when plans or routes change, and you want to let dispersed team members or front country support stay up to date. With these needs in mind, I took the Spot X, with its full QWERTY keyboard, into the field on multiple occasions to determine if its form and function were up to…

While I’m tucked into the warm camper bed, the wind howls out-side. I don’t have to worry about an unattended ground tent liberating itself from the ground and tumbling away, nor any rooftop tent canvas flapping. I’m enveloped in a motionless cocoon, like a caterpillar protected against the elements. Ponderosa pines sway in the wind outside the portal window, stars shining bright during the cold night. I chuckle to myself, smiling in the dark. So, this is what it’s like to sleep in a hard-sided camper—what luxury. For the past 20 years, Arizona-based AT Overland Equipment has offered solutions such as truck toppers, campers, storage accessories, and more for off-road and overland enthusiasts alike. There is no doubt the company has been foundational to the North American overland market; the popularity…

For its 50th Anniversary in June, Shad debuted its newest motorcycle soft bag in Barcelona, Spain, and now Shad TR40 Terra Adventure saddlebags are available in the United States. Each lightweight bag offers a 32-liter capacity and up to 22 pounds of load. Installation of the rack was easy with a little help from fellow rider Steven Polk of Dallas, Texas, who has been turning wrenches for years. We had ridden to the BMW MOA Rally in Springfield, Missouri, and with temperatures soaring into the upper 90s and little shade, we were grateful for the quick install. Once the rack was mounted on my BMW F 750 GS, the bags were a cinch to put on and pop off with Shad’s 4P system mounts. The TR40 Terras lock to the bike in…

Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free, GMO-free are words that all jump off the wrapper of the LivBar, lined up on a playbill of claims to fame. They are also honey-free, to ensure a vegan-friendly status. Coffee Maple Cacao, Lemongrass Cherry Matcha, Blueberry Vanilla Kale, and Raspberry Kale Maca are some of the accompanying exotic flavors that wait in the wings. LivBars sounded too fancy, and I wasn’t interested, especially with the prevalence of poseurs in the world of “natural” foods today. However, the box of samples was sitting at headquarters in need of an editor: sometimes, you have to take one for the team. I unwrapped the first package and what looked like a block of birdseed slid from the wrapper. So far, no good. I broke a corner off each of…