Overlanding and Offroad articles

I've spent years testing overlanding and camping gear across the U.S., including plenty of nights where the temperature dropped well below freezing before sunrise. Late season trips reward you with empty trailheads and quiet campgrounds, but they punish any gap in your setup. A basecamp that works fine in...

Quick Facts: Event: Overland Expo Mountain West 2026 Dates: August 21 to 23, 2026 Venue: The Ranch Events Complex, Loveland, Colorado Attendance: 18,500 people from all 50 states and 14 countries Exhibitors: 335 Products covered here: 23, from 23 companies 2027 venue: Riverdale Regional Park, Brighton, Colorado 2027 dates:...

Quick Facts: What it is: a 12V AGM battery, BCI Group 400, industry name AUX14 Rating: 14 Ah, 200 CCA, roughly 10 lb, 18-minute reserve Size: 5.88 by 3.44 by 5.63 inches, M6 threaded terminals rather than posts Location: behind the front passenger wheel well, under the fuse box ...

Most overland trailers are built for people who want to bring everything. Dual Jerry cans, a roof tent, a kitchen drawer system, a fridge, a 40-gallon water tank, and so on. And for extended backcountry expeditions, this setup makes sense. However, a large portion of overlanders don't need all...

  Quick Facts: Topic: Winterizing a bell tent for cold-weather use Skill level: Beginner to intermediate Time required: 3 to 5 hours for a full winter setup Biggest gain: Ground insulation, then draft sealing Most overlooked step: A fly cover stretched above the canopy Fabric holding heat longest in wet...

Quick Facts: What it is: a dealer installed GPS tracker, added to the vehicle by the selling dealership rather than the factory Common brands: Ikon Technologies, Spireon, LoJack, RecovR, Elo GPS, CarRx, Advantage GPS, Apex Protect Where owners find them: OBD-II port splitter, kick panel, passenger footwell, fender liner,...

Quick Facts: Vehicles: 328,381 Models: 2022-2023 Grand Cherokee, 2021-2023 Grand Cherokee L, 2022-2023 Grand Cherokee 4xe Defect: Rear coil spring sits out of position and detaches while driving Warning signs: None, per the federal filing Part replaced: Both rear coil spring lower isolators, part 68668244AA VIN lookup opens: September...

I've run a few group trail days over the years, and the ones where things go wrong almost always fail in the same places: poor pre-trip communication, a mismatched gear plan, or a bottleneck at the trailhead exit where six rigs are waiting on one overheated compressor. Running a...

Quick Facts: Topic: How to get into sold out campgrounds on federal and state land. Federal booking window: Rolling 6 or 12 months, or a block release on a fixed date. Daily release time: 10 a.m. Eastern on most Recreation.gov facilities, with per facility exceptions. Cart hold: 15 minutes...

Quick Facts: Product: Featherlyte Baseline 2 Person rooftop tent, Medium, by Featherlyte Outdoors Type: Aluminum clamshell hardshell, sleeps two Closed size: 88.5" L x 53" W x 7" H Open size: Not published Weight: 110 lbs Mattress: 1 inch, no foam type published Included: Ladder, mattress, accessory pouches, mounting hardware Not included: LED lighting, which the pricier...