Adventure Archives : American Adventurist

The International 4WD Trainers Association: Inside the Testing for Certification

This is an inside look at the I4WDTA. My goal here is to provide some level of transparency for an organization I believe in. To that end, I’d like to provide you with a glimpse inside their Testing for Certification process and the extremely diverse knowledge, skills, and aptitudes required to be successful. There were eight Candidate Trainers and a large number of I4WDTA staff present whom I will refer to here as Cadre during …

Adventure American Adventures

The 2021 Mountain Rendezvous

For the past couple of years, we’ve been restricted in our day-to-day activities. With life slowly returning back to normal and our regularly scheduled programming coming back online, we collectively decided that it’s time to get our 10th Annual Mountain Rendezvous penciled in and official at our go-to MRV location: Camp Tahquitz in Angelus Oaks, CA. With the weather just passing through earlier in the week, all our Adventurists were greeted with the best weather …

Adventure American Adventures Gear and Skills Vehicles

Overland Expo East 2021

This was a busy year. Overland Expo East was to be our third Overland Expo event within the space of a few weeks, and it seemed like I had just returned from Colorado when it was time to go again. Overlanding is different east of the Mississippi, and I was keen on seeing how the East Coast version of Expo was doing. As usual, I left Northwest Florida a couple days early for a bit …

Adventure American Adventures Gear and Skills Vehicles

Overland Expo West 2021

For what feels like forever, Overland Expo West has been part of the calendar, like a holiday or some event that is just always in May. It’s just always assumed that it’s going to be there, it’s just a question of which weekend in May. Then things changed, and May came and went twice without Overland Expo West. Meanwhile, the folks at Lodestone Events persevered, and thankfully they were able to lock in dates for …

Adventure American Adventures Gear and Skills Vehicles

Colorado or Bust: Overland Expo Mountain West 2021

Overland Expo Mountain West almost didn’t happen. For most of us, the last year+ was like a dystopian B movie on many levels, complete with terrible casting and an even worse plot line. Because of all that, there was an uncomfortable feeling right up until the day I drove away from Florida for Colorado that this event would somehow get derailed too. I know the event organizers likely aged a few years with worry and …

Adventure American Adventures Vehicles

Jeep fires back at Ford with new JL Wrangler Xtreme Recon Package

A new Jeep® Wrangler Xtreme Recon package raises the bar for the competition while taking the brand into new territory. June 25, 2021 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Jeep® 4×4 capability is legendary, and the brand continues its leadership position as the most capable 4×4 in the world. As the brand continues its 80th Anniversary this year, it is elevating its capability game yet again with the introduction of the new Jeep Wrangler Xtreme Recon …

Adventure Gear and Skills

TESTED: Dometic CFX3 45

We test the new Dometic CFX3 45 fridge

Adventure Gear and Skills

Battle of the Boxes: AluBox vs Zarges

We put our trail tested Alu Boxes up against their rivals from Zarges

Adventure Gear and Skills

Throwing Shade

Reviewing Force Protector Gear's entry into the Overland vehicle market

Adventure Gear and Skills

Fishing for Fun & Survival

In a backcountry survival situation, fishing is an excellent source of food, and in some environments it may be your sole source of food. During normal times, trying your hand at fishing with some of the more arcane techniques covered here can also be a whole lot of fun! As Hank Williams Jr once said, “We’re from North California and South Alabam’, And little towns all around this land. And we can skin a buck …

Adventure Gear and Skills

Eat Well In The Wild!

Eating well in the field can be fast, easy, and fun. And it doesn't have to taste bad!

Adventure American Adventures Vehicles

Return of the Thumper: The new 2022 Kawasaki KLR650

After a two year hiatus, the KLR650 returns better than ever, and still affordable!