Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews overlander and author Graeme Bell of A2A Expedition, speaking from South Africa while sheltered in place and preparing for a new journey. Bell describes traveling long-term with his wife Luisa and their two children, how they homeschool using an American syllabus, and how constant family togetherness builds strong relationships and communication. He recounts choosing and building their Land Rover Defender 130 TD5 (“Mafuta”), its reliability across 25,000-kilometer Africa routes and the Americas, key failures like a broken clutch in Morocco, and a “Little Black Box” engine monitor that helped prevent overheating. Bell highlights converting the truck into a hard-side pop-top camper as a major quality-of-life upgrade, discusses cautious hitchhiking, argues overlanding should prioritize the journey over gear, explains living on about $2,000/month through minimalism and writing, outlines his books, and shares future plans to drive Cape Town to Vladivostok.

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In an episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, Scott Brady and Matt Scott discuss various camping sleep systems for overlanding. Their review compares Australian-style swags, soft and hard-shell rooftop tents, interior vehicle sleeping, ground tents, and wedge camper solutions like Go Fast Campers and Ursa Minor. When selecting a setup, they emphasize evaluating comfort, setup speed, weather and privacy management, durability, cost, and vehicle impact, including roof load ratings, center of gravity, and fuel efficiency. Ultimately, they advise travelers to start with simple, budget-friendly options, prioritizing spending on the journey rather than expensive equipment. They encourage testing or borrowing gear when possible and choosing systems based on specific needs rather than appearance.

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Overland Journal Podcast | From Johannesburg, Scott Brady and Matt Scott discuss the new Land Rover Defender after driving it on a legitimate 650–700 km backcountry expedition in northwestern Namibia, including Van Zyl’s Pass, the Hoanib River, and the Skeleton Coast region. They contrast it with a Toyota HZJ79 and evaluate the Defender’s technical terrain ability, dirt-road performance, comfort, capacity, and early durability impressions from pre-production vehicles. They highlight independent, cross-linked, multi-stage air suspension; strong driver confidence and predictability; class-leading ride quality on fast dirt; rated recovery points; factory winch option; and major capacity specs including up to 1,900 lb payload, 370 lb dynamic roof load, and 8,200 lb towing. They note limited on-road time, questions around long-term reliability, styling critiques, and concerns about wheel/tire options on the straight-six model.

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/Dgx_RDTLpwQ
 

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Host Scott Brady and co-host Matt Scott welcome photographer/filmmaker Bruce Dorn to the Overland Journal Podcast, joking about gadgets and travel before discussing portable Light & Motion Stella LED lights and Scott’s Honda Africa Twin DCT impressions. Bruce shares practical advice for overland photography: prioritize making images, shoot in prime light, keep the camera ready, understand changing light, and simplify gear to avoid missing shots, citing lost moose, wolf, and bear-cub photo opportunities. They talk lenses and bodies (notably Canon 28–300 and 24–105), weather sealing, compactness, battery capacity, and Canon Pro Service, along with Bruce’s Canon Explorer of Light role and prototype testing history. Bruce reflects on his career path, regrets about not directing features, favorite places (Norway, Okavango/Botswana, New Zealand), the value of open, respectful travel, and critiques narcissistic imagery. They close with upcoming shoots and events and share Instagram handles.

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In a captivating episode of the Overland Journal Podcast, host Scott Brady takes us on an extraordinary journey with Dr. Bryon Bass, PhD, who embodies the adventurous and intellectual spirit akin to that of Indiana Jones. Join us as we traverse through Bryon's rich tapestry of life experiences, revealing tales of archeology, adventure, and the insights he brings as a seasoned traveler.

The detailed show notes are available here: https://overlandjournal.com/dr-bryon-bass/ 

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Overland Journal Podcast hosts Scott Brady and Matt Scott welcome editor Chris Cordes and Brittany to discuss the intersection of overlanding and "van life." Brittany shares her transition from weekend trips to living in her customized 2006 Sprinter, "Wayne the Van," designed for gear storage and comfort. The conversation covers the realities of remote work, including robust internet needs and balancing a 9–5 schedule while traveling. They also explore financial planning, 2WD versus 4WD capabilities, stealth camping, and ethical advocacy like community cleanups. The episode wraps up with travel highlights from Baja to Newfoundland, along with gear and podcast recommendations for those considering life on the road.

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Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady speaks with expedition leader David Sneath and logistics planner Emma Easter in northern Namibia. The group discusses the intricacies of running remote overland expeditions, emphasizing the 12–18 month lead time required for route selection and risk research. They detail the necessity of thorough preparation for both personnel and vehicles, including specialized driver training and recovery equipment for long stretches without services. David highlights managing team dynamics and wellbeing, utilizing medics and check-ins to handle fatigue. The conversation also covers adapting to weather-driven route changes and the vital importance of respecting local cultures to build lasting relationships. Ultimately, they advocate for authentic journeys that rigorously test vehicles in real-world conditions while maintaining high safety standards through clear communication and expert planning.

Emma Easter- Senior Office, Global Planning and Events
David Sneath- Land Rover Expedition Leader, Director Land Rover Experience (previous), Vehicle Engineer (previous)

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On the Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Scott Brady and Matt Scott debate what “pinnacle” overland vehicles you can buy new and confidently drive around the world, prioritizing global parts/service support, payload, technical capability, and durability. They compare the Mercedes G-Wagon’s international warranty and military-grade pedigree with Toyota’s 200 Series Land Cruiser, praising the 200’s strength, reliability, and worldwide availability while noting U.S.-market limitations like missing diesel options. They discuss why region-specific models like the Tacoma and 4Runner can be harder to support internationally, highlight the Jeep Gladiator’s payload and capability gains over the Wrangler, and consider alternatives like the GM Bison, Nissan Frontier, full-size trucks, and the Mercedes Sprinter for interior living space. They also question Land Rover’s current suitability for global travel and briefly note upcoming trips and greyhound rescue..

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Scott Brady and Matt Scott introduce a new Overland Journal Podcast series, The Principles of Overlanding, designed to deliver short, detailed deep dives on core topics like payload, border crossings, shipping vehicles, suspension, and build-outs. In this first episode they focus on payload and the risks of overloading, defining key terms including GVWR, payload (GVWR minus factory curb weight), gross combined vehicle weight rating, curb weight, roof load rating, and sprung vs. unsprung weight. They explain how added weight and larger tires compound problems such as reduced braking, handling, cooling capacity, fuel economy, and reliability, and cite SAE J2807 and the Davis Dam test. They also cover ethical, legal, and insurance implications, recommend weighing vehicles, tracking accessory weights, removing unused items, choosing the right vehicle, and using gearing, cooling, brakes, and suspension appropriately, with trailers as an option for families.

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Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady and co-host Matt Scott discuss how electric vehicles are rapidly reshaping overlanding, citing EV advantages like instant torque, precise control, fewer mechanical failure points, and future innovations such as structural solid-state batteries and wheel-mounted motors. They note growing industry momentum, including Tesla’s market value, Infiniti’s upcoming EV-heavy lineup, and investments in Rivian by Ford and Amazon, while arguing many common overland routes are already feasible with today’s ranges. They acknowledge current limitations for multi-day remote travel due to charging needs, insufficient solar, and reliance on generators, but emphasize most drivers’ daily mileage and typical travel pace make EVs practical. The episode also covers Rivian, Cybertruck, Bollinger, Long Way Up’s electric travel, and the importance of keeping an open mind toward new technology.

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