"It's all about trust. And when it comes to monkeys, I have none." — Anthony Bourdain

This is a good quote to live by. I should have learned my lesson a few weeks ago. Brad and I had just awoken and were strolling down a sleepy street in Cherating when we saw kitten sized baby monkeys swinging in the trees and pulling each other's tails. I wanted to squeeze their little cheeks and rock them in my arms, and so we began to cross the street. I had forgotten that most mammal species are very protective over their young. Needless to say, we didn't make it very far. Like a bat out of hell a massive monkey came flying out of the canopy, charging at us and screaming hysterically. We attempted to sprint away with lightning speed, yet without our morning coffee, it was more like a slow motion nightmare. When we were no longer deemed a threat, we slowed down and enjoyed a good laugh, dumbstruck by our own naiveté.

Brad and Sheena are driving around the world in "Nacho", their Volkswagen Vanagon.  Read their stories and follow their adventure at Drive Nacho Drive [link]

Off-road trucks aren't the first thing to come to mind when you're thinking of a Lexus. But let's not forget that Lexus is owned by Toyota who makes some of the most popular 4WD's in the world, including the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. A smaller and more affordable Cruiser, the Prado has been a huge success overseas and has proven itself to be a capable platform in a wide variety of environments. Unfortunately due to the massive popularity of the 4Runner in the United States, Toyota chose to reserve the Prado line for different markets...sort of. It did in fact hit our shores but in the more expensive, and luxurious form of the GX470.

For the last five years people from around the world have been traveling to cities in Arizona for an international gathering of overlanders. They share food, drinks, and stories forming a camaraderie that few other groups have ever possessed. I'm talking of course about Overland Expo. This years visit was my first ever experience with the event and in spite of my somewhat idealistic view of what it would be like, it did not disappoint and in fact exceeded my expectations. Over 100 vendors showing up to showcase the newest and coolest in gear, gadgets, and trucks for the overlanding world. 

The first modification that overland enthusiasts often make to their vehicle tends to be some form of suspension upgrade, a heavy duty bumper, or perhaps a roof rack. At first glance, these may seem like important upgrades that should be performed to any vehicle travelling off-highway. However, they're forgetting a key element of a properly prepared overland vehicle—safety. Yes, these small Expeditionware Transport Loops ($9 from Expedition Exchange) are a safety device, and quite a simple and elegant one at that. Properly securing your cargo is one of the most important precautionary steps you can make if you intend to carry additional cargo inside your vehicle, and it should be one of your first upgrades. The Hi-lift jack that is sitting unrestrained in your cargo area can quickly turn into a very heavy projectile if you were placed in a situation where you had to avoid an accident, or worse, were involved in one, on the trail, or simply on the highway.

We continue to feel left out here in the 'States when it comes to the larger overlanding vehicles, rarely if ever spotting manufacturers like Action Mobil, and even Unicat has gone missing this year. All is not lost in the big 4x4 camper realm, however, as a few of the new models on display at Overland Expo 2013 show great potential.

Anyone who has visited an Overland Expo can tell you that there are more cool and interesting vehicles to see than you can believe, but there are always a few that stand out. At this year's Expo, a totally cool, and amazingly luxurious, M35-A3 was among the best for sale, and stole the attention of many people, including my own. Although from first glance you can tell that this truck is in fantastic shape, you would never guess that it contains a custom camper built with the highest attention to detail from the maple cabinets to the marble countertops.