The Overland Journal Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ultra Overlander of the Year: Raptor R vs. Bronco Raptor vs. Rubicon 392 vs. AT4x AEV vs. TRX and more Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

Matt Scott and Scott Brady discuss the new class of travel vehicles we call Ultra Overlanders. This includes the Ford F150 Raptor R, Bronco Raptor, Ram TRX, GMC AT4x AEV, Jeep Rubicon 392, G-Wagen 4x4 Squared, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, and Ram Power Wagon. This conversation is not an endorsement of Ultra Overlanders for international travel, but a discussion around their growing popularity for domestic grand touring and backcountry travel.

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Jay Shapiro on Living Abroad, Building an Expedition Camper, and Family Philanthropy Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Scott Brady interviews Jay Shapiro, a technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist that his become a global citizen. Jay and his family have lived in Singapore, the USA, Canada, Mexico, India, and now Kenya on their overland journey of discovery. Jay and his wife Alice also operate numerous not-for-profit organizations providing support to millions around the world.

https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/eco-roamer-f650-based-expedition-vehicle.8936/page-18

https://nairobigames.center/

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Overlanding with Bruce on the Defender and Fly and Drive Southern Africa Feb 16, 2024

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Scott Brady interviews Bruce Turner of Overlanding with Bruce about his recommendations for hiring a Toyota Hilux to explore Southern Africa and his decades-long experiences traveling the African continent by Land Rover. In particular, Scott and Bruce discuss modern Land Rover Defenders and Bruce's experience using these vehicles in remote and rugged conditions, often without other vehicles along for the journey. For more information, visit overlandingwithbruce.com

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Melanie Rohr on Solo Travel, Cyber Security, and the Joys of Giving Back Feb 08, 2024

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Overland Journal Podcast Host Scott Brady interviews Melanie Rohr from TerraByte on actionable considerations for solo travel, important adjustments to our cybersecurity posture, and the deep reward of giving back to the communities we visit. Melanie shares practical insights from her decades in travel and technology, partnering with the UN and NGOs, and her most recent work in cybersecurity.

For more information, visit https://terrabyte.org/

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Jess Stuhler on African-Made Overland Accessories, Roof Tents, and Exploring with Family Feb 02, 2024

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Host Scott Brady interviews longtime friend Jess Stuhler of Eezi-Awn about his early memories overlanding in Southern Africa, why South African and Australian gear became known for durability, and how Eezi-Awn refined the roof tent concept for heat and harsh corrugations. Jess shares lessons from traveling with his family, including why two smaller roof tents can work better than one large “family” tent, and offers advice for new overlanders to start simple and build a kit based on real trips. They discuss vehicle preferences and setup, including Jess’s Toyota Hilux suspension and tire choices, Hilux reliability and theft concerns, and his current Ford Ranger Raptor upgrades for range. Jess also reflects on military service, learning from his father Jack, and favorite regional trips to Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, plus future travel hopes.

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Principles of Overlanding International Travel Security for Overlanders Jan 25, 2024

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verland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews JJ, a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service/Diplomatic Security professional based in Sub-Saharan Africa, about practical travel security for international travelers and overlanders. JJ shares how his background and overseas work shaped his approach to preparation, including using travel.state.gov for country-specific requirements, enrolling in STEP for alerts and consular support, and keeping hard and digital copies of key documents. They discuss what to do if you lose a passport, handling medical emergencies, and why travel advisories often specify regions and changing security postures. JJ covers common mistakes with restricted items (prescriptions, knives, drones, sat phones), border-crossing behavior and organization, cultural respect and avoiding confrontation, communication plans with multiple backups, avoiding night driving and excessive speed, using local knowledge, and guidance on complying during robberies. JJ also recommends two books: "Surfing: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave" and "Out of Captivity."

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Overland News January 2024: Events Roundup, Best Gear of 2023, and New Overland Products Jan 19, 2024

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Overland Journal Podcast recorded From Marrakech, host Scott Brady joins Brian McVickers for January overland news, reflecting on productivity priorities, 2023’s tougher economy, and standout personal wins. They recap favorite gear and purchases including the iPad Pro ecosystem, Garmin watch features, Oura Ring comparisons, AirTags, Knog Scout trackers, and travel/packability tips. Vehicle highlights include Jeep concept Magneto 3, Grand Wagoneer Overland concept, and plug-in hybrid 4xe experiences in daily driving and high-altitude Colorado passes, plus towing an Escapod trailer. The episode previews 2024 events like Overland Expo, Fort Desolation Fest in Utah, Overland Rally, Journal of Lost Time gatherings (including Baja), and new festivals such as Texas Overland Festival. Product news covers Kuat’s IBEX hard-side system, Van Ultra tent mounts, Winnebago Hike trailer, Nitto Ridge Grappler hybrid tires, Jackery’s solar rooftop tent, Goal Zero’s fridge, and Rebelle Rally training access, plus upcoming Africa series content and Brian’s SHOT Show and Lexus GX 550 drive.

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Destined for Wild on Traveling the Pan-American Highway in a 80-Series Land Cruiser Jan 11, 2024

Show notes

Ashley Giordano interviews Canadian couple Josh and Vanessa Von Holst on why they chose the 80-Series Land Cruiser as their first overland vehicle platform and the subsequent adventures that resulted because of it. In this podcast from the field, Josh and Vanessa share more about their experiences preparing for the trip, and how it feels to return home to Canada.

Contact: Josh & Vanessa von Holst destinedforwild@gmail.com

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2023 Overland Year in Review: Grenadier Wins, Starlink Goes Mobile, Gear Picks & 2024 Plans Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

Scott Brady and Matt Scott recap overlanding highlights from 2023 on the Overland Journal Podcast, noting travel normalizing post-pandemic while new global challenges affect routes and shipping. They discuss major vehicle trends and factory-built overlanders, highlight the Lexus GX 550 and the return of the Land Cruiser to the U.S., and name the Ineos Grenadier the 2023 Overland Vehicle of the Year based on extensive driving and strong reliability so far. They select the Ducati DesertX as Adventure Motorcycle of the Year and call mobile Starlink the biggest overland product of 2023, while acknowledging the need to disconnect. Favorite gear includes a Garmin Fenix Sapphire watch, Dometic’s water system, Redarc solar, and an Explorer Trailer X145. They spotlight small businesses (Radio Chatter, Willie B.’s BBQ spices), answer listener questions about Baja safety, share a supportive listener message, and preview 2024 travel plans including Africa, Morocco, and North American trips.

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Dave Harriton on Payload, Performance, and the New Class of OEM Overland Vehicles Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

Earlier this year, we published an article that garnered a lot of attention both on Expedition Portal and in our social media feeds. Author Mac Kirkpatrick explained how he was legally able to increase the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of his Toyota Tacoma in the state of Pennsylvania. Of course, anytime you modify your vehicle beyond its GVWR, payload, or towing capacities, you're adding stress and strain that it may not have been designed to handle. Just because it's legal doesn't necessarily mean it's safe.

This is a big part of why we spend a lot of time thinking about the payload and related performance metrics of our overland vehicles. Perhaps nobody in the industry better understands the engineering demands of overland builds more than "the Einstein of overlanding", AEV's Dave Harriton. In Episode 176 of the Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Scott Brady and Matt Scott talk in-depth with Dave about payloads, off-road performance, and the new batch of trucks and SUVs that are overland-ready right off the showroom floor. Dave is always a knowledgable and compelling guest—you won't want to miss this week's episode.

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