The XOVERLAND Podcast

Join us for an episode on auxiliary power with Mark Bruce, Manager of International Training and Development at REDARC Electronics. Mark defines terms like Amp-hours, watts, and volts, and provides math to figure out power needs. They discuss solar panels, battery optimization, and the benefits of smart chargers. The chapter explores the differences between full house battery systems and portable power systems for vehicles.

Chase and Aimee Bartee are extremely hard-working filmmakers with a passion for fly fishing, overlanding, and conserving the beautiful and wild country they love.The story of the Bartees is the story of two artists pursuing an uncompromising path toward their artistic vision. Finding success with their first film Journey On, the couple has developed a devoted YouTube following on their channel, Tight Loops, and received critical acclaim for their wilderness expeditionary film, Big Land. Their most recent project, For Wild’s Sake: The Rare Trout Chronicles, showcases their unique, cinematic blend of entertainment, education, and inspiration.We sit down with Chase and Aimee at the XOVERLAND hangar to discuss their philosophy as artists, current projects, adventures in their 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia Weekender Van, and transition to a 2023 Toyota Tundra featuring a Four Wheel Camper Hawk. Our discussion features everything from harrowing tales of Baja adventure to approaches to minimizing our impact on the outdoor environments and resources we cherish. We hope you enjoy our conversation with the very talented couple, Chase and Aimee Bartee of Tight Loops!This podcast is brought to you by onX Offroad!Read the show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

It’s one thing to head out camping and traveling for a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months, but what about heading out on a 15-year full-time overland adventure around the world while raising your newborn child? Enter the world of Eric and Brittany Highland of Hourless Life.Eager to spend more time together after inhabiting the world of professional marketing, Eric and Brittany purchased a Jeep Gladiator they dubbed “Dauntless,” outfitted it with a solid kit of overlanding gear, and began their multiyear journey throughout the globe. Their son, Caspian, was literally “born to the road” as Brittany puts it, as she left the maternity ward in the U.S. and immediately jumped into the Jeep with Eric to begin their adventure into Mexico.Talking with Eric and Brittany is a revelation into the gritty and sometimes very challenging realities of overland travel. In this episode, the couple shares what life looks like on the daily as they travel throughout Latin America en route to Ushuaia.This unforgettable conversation explores everything from misconceptions about Mexico, to potty training along the Pan-American Highway, along with a close look into the cultural differences between Latin America and the U.S.Whether you enjoy domestic overland travel within the U.S. or have your sights set on a R.T.W. (Round-the-World) journey, there is over a decade’s worth of full-time travel to learn from packed into this lively and candid conversation. This podcast is brought to you by onX Offroad!Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

What happens when two podcast hosts who spend most of their time talking about overland adventure head out on their own separate journeys? Find out in this authentic and insightful episode that is not without its share of humorous stories shared by our hosts.Jimmy and Leah have been hosting overlanding experts, insiders, and influencers for over a year now. Grateful and inspired by what they have learned, they are eager to set out on their own journeys to see what they can accomplish.Just having returned from their biggest and most adventurous overland experiences to date, the two confess their shortcomings while offering tips and insights gained from their travels. Self-evaluating in the areas of navigation, packing, gear prep, and vehicle builds, Leah and Jimmy have fun recounting their wins and losses. With Jimmy aboard his adventure motorcycle and Leah traveling in her Toyota Tundra-Four Wheel Camper outfit, the two have extremely different yet surprisingly similar experiences and offer a smorgasbord of information to listeners joining in on this unique conversation. Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

It is common for many to offer the conventional advice to “never travel alone.” Filmmaker, Sterling Noren, has some alternative thoughts, however, when it comes to solo travel.With extensive solo traveling experience by motorcycle throughout many remote regions of the world, Sterling is on the podcast to share his insight, expertise, and rationale for solo travel along with a couple of good stories based on his vast variety of experiences.Learn what Sterling Noren considers the five essential skills for solo travel, why solo travel can sometimes be safer than traveling with a group, and how to minimize your risk and optimize your fun while solo traveling aboard a motorcycle or in a vehicle. Having filmed 10 out of the 12 popular BDR films (Backcountry Discovery Routes) along with a host of compelling documentaries, Sterling now focuses most of his creative energy on his Motorcycle Travel Channel on YouTube, where his films exhibit a Zen-like, meditative quality that allow the viewer to be present within his experience. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Sterling co-owns the Jonquil Motel in Bisbee, AZ along with his partner/girlfriend, Eva Rupert.Get inspired to try heading out on your own by joining Sterling and Jimmy for a deep dive into all things solo travel.Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

For anyone traveling into the backcountry whatever the means of transport, taking precautions to prevent wildfire starts and knowing what to do to stay safe if a wildfire ignites near your location are essential outdoor skills.That’s why we’re grateful to have experienced wildlands firefighter, Jessica Braun, share her extensive knowledge and insight to help us learn what we can do to both prevent wildfires and stay safe when adventuring into the backcountry during fire season.Jess explains current theory and practice being implemented by the U.S.F.S. (United States Forest Service) to mitigate wildfire danger and what to know about how different types of forest management may affect wildfire severity in an area where you may be recreating.Jess, Jimmy, and co-host, Leah, deep-dive into the many different ways one can accidentally ignite a wildfire when camping and enjoying a variety of forms of vehicle-based recreation in the backcountry during fire season. Whether driving your vehicle, building a campfire, or enjoying some camp cooking, Jess explains best practices for preventing those wildfire starts from happening in the first place.And if you find yourself far into the backcountry when a wildfire erupts, what do you do next? How do you report the wildfire start? How do you escape being caught in a wildfire and what is the best way to stay safe if you are caught within one? Jess shares her approach to pre-scouting recommended before adventuring into fire-prone areas, how to be prepared for an emergency evacuation in the event of a wildfire, and best practices for surviving if you find yourself trapped by the flames.There are few places in the world where wildfire is not an issue for those heading into the backcountry. Enjoy becoming more wildfire aware and learn the basics of preventing wildfires and staying safe during fire season by joining our conversation with Jessica Braun.Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

There are some whose expertise when it comes to D.I.Y. vehicle modification, accessorizing, and maintenance is so advanced that they could probably get a job at most pro shops for the price of asking. For most of us, however, our D.I.Y. skills have their boundaries, and there comes a time when we must look to a competent pro shop to assist us with whatever work we’re doing to our overland/adventure vehicle.When that time comes, we hope that everything we’ve packed into this episode will help you get the results you want. Whether you’re making major modifications, doing some light accessorizing, or just having routine maintenance performed, we’ve brought our top pro, Josh Hull, Manager at Dark Horse Customs in Bozeman, Montana, onto the podcast to share his insight and offer tips on everything from identifying a top-tier pro shop to learning how to communicate more effectively with its technicians.Dark Horse Customs is XOVERLAND’s go-to pro shop that has assisted us with our own unique vehicle builds for over a decade now. That’s why we’re excited and grateful to have their top guy on our podcast to discuss everything related to getting professional work of any kind done to your vehicle.Jimmy Lewis and co-host, Leah Heffelfinger, sit down for a deep dive with Josh into this subject, even using their own vehicles and experiences as case scenarios to provide examples of what it looks like to go through the process of working with a pro.Here are just some of the topics we cover in this episode:How do you know you’ve found a top-tier shop? What are the red flags to look out for when it comes to selecting a pro shop to work with?Modification? Accessory? What’s the difference?When should you involve a pro shop? What types of modifications are risky to install for the average D.I.Y. vehicle owner?Why it may actually save you money to order your accessories through a pro shop rather than buying them elsewhere.Will a pro shop look over my D.I.Y. work to ensure the work has been done correctly?Don’t find yourself wasting money and time when trying to work with a pro shop to build your dream overland/adventure vehicle. Join us for this unique episode and gain insight and knowledge from one of the best in the business to learn how to do it right the first time.Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

Have you ever considered taking all of that money you’d be spending on labor and using it to build your own custom truck camper? That’s exactly what Courtney and Riley Casey of the popular YouTube series, Ambition Strikes, set out to do–and did it.Whether you’re ready to go all-in on a fully-built D.I.Y. truck camper or just looking to customize the camper you have with some ingenuity and sweat equity, this episode will both inspire you and help you to reach your goals with knowledge and insight into how to make the D.I.Y. dream a reality.To realize their dream of spending a winter hitting up all of the major ski resorts throughout the U.S. with their “IKON” Ski Pass, creative couple Courtney & Riley Casey decided to sell their O.E.M. Lance Truck Camper and use the proceeds to buy materials to build their own custom design. Thankfully for all of us, they put in the extra effort to film the entire process! This popular D.I.Y. truck camper build video now has 1.7 million views and Courtney and Riley’s YouTube Channel, Ambition Strikes, continues to grow in popularity (342k Subscribers) as the two venture into the world of off-the-grid living.In this episode, we catch up with Courtney and Riley to reflect on their amazing truck camper build and see what we can learn from these two when it comes to “Doing It Yourself.”Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

Water management and purification while hiking and backpacking is one thing, but managing a large quantity of water to supply an overlanding vehicle and several occupants over the duration of an extended trip is a whole different situation. Even if you are not heading out for an extended overland journey in less developed countries, meeting your hydration needs for something like a weekend of mountain biking or a week-long vacation in the remote backcountry will require an effective plan and the necessary equipment to make this possible.To address this need, we brought Guzzle H20 co-founder, Tyler Bech, onto the podcast to discuss best practices for sourcing, purifying, and managing large quantities of water for overlanders and anyone interested in vehicle-supported recreation of any kind.XOVERLAND has been partnered with Guzzle H20 for years now and for good reason:  Their products are truly unique and function perfectly to resupply our team with large quantities of water on expeditions around the world. In this episode, you will learn the actual science behind water purification, including the fundamental differences between “filtration” and “purification” and why it is necessary to pay close attention to all aspects of your water management if you wish to stay healthy and have good tasting water while recreating out of your vehicle.You will additionally learn what an effective mindset for water management looks like, how to effectively source water for purification, and how to avoid the common pitfalls made by many attempting to purify water no matter what kind of method or device used.Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!

Hot dogs and hamburgers are always a win around the campfire, but maybe you’re looking for a way to spice up your culinary experience the next time you head out on the trail. That’s why we teamed up with Linhbergh and Karissa of “Gondirtin” for this episode. When it comes to elevating camp cooking, these two bring their A-game every time. The best part is that they know how to radically improve the taste and flavor of camp cooking by making a few simple changes that anyone can accomplish. Listen in as XOVERLAND host and co-host, Jimmy Lewis and Leah Heffelfinger, chat it up with Karissa & Linhbergh as the two share funny stories of their first-ever camp meals, favorite ingredients, tips for cooking techniques and equipment, food history, recipes, and more.If you’re ready to have some fun turning some heads around camp when you break out the fish sauce rather than the ketchup, and you’re interested in raising your culinary camp cooking game to the next level witho2ut having to attend culinary school–this is the episode for you!Read the full show notes here!Watch this podcast here!