Peter Vollers (@newmexicoover.land) began his overlanding life in 1995 driving a '72 Series III Land Rover and now sports a '66 VW split-window bus named Cecil, replete with wood burning stove, as his primary overlanding rig. Peter is somewhat well known in the overlanding community for promoting the Vermont Overland Rally & Workshop for Overland Journal/Overland International, later known as the Vermont Overland Rally and finally the iconic Vermont Overland Birdwatching Safari. He now lives in Placitas, New Mexico with his lovely wife Kim who is GM at the incredible Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm in Albuquerque along with his ever-present sidekick Jack Russell/mini Dachshund named Dash and cats George Michael (from Arrested Development not the singer) and Tony Stark. Peter spends most of his time working from 2000 miles away as a small town Vermont lawyer and the rest of it exploring the Southwest in Cecil or his '74 Jeep CJ5.

I am lucky to have owned a 1967 FJ-40 Land Cruiser for over twenty years!  It truly brings joy just driving it.  I get in, I turn the key, and it goes anywhere I want and even places I shouldn’t!!!

I have been into off road and camping ever since I started taking my 1965 MGB roadster on off road trails!  About that time, I decided I needed to get a slightly more offroad capable vehicle.  So that MGB turned into a 1978 4x4 Subaru wagon, later I had an International Scout and eventually landed in the FJ-40.  Of course, who could stop …  I also picked up a 1985 FJ-60 Land Cruiser and finally a 2016 4x4 manual Tacoma. 

My earliest overland or expedition trip was in 1984 when I traveled overland from London to South Africa via the dirt roads of Africa.  I have been going back to Africa ever since with the latest trip through Uganda. 

I am Jerry L’Ecuyer.  Our family founded TemboTusk in 2010.  We manufacture overland camping and off-road accessories in Southern California.    

Growing up in the rural farm country of New England, you’re bound to see many Jeeps, trucks, and tractors. In fact, many people have them, not only for daily transportation but for working on and around their properties, and the Ladden family was no exception. Fascinated from a very early age while watching his dad with his Jeeps and Land Cruisers, it’s no wonder that Michael’s first word was not “mom” or “dad” but “Jeep.” And thus began his love of the outdoors and all things that “go.”

Throughout high school and college, Michael spent most of his free time camping, cycling, hiking, and exploring the United States. However, in the early 1990s, in a decision that would forever change his future, he and a coworker quit their well paid, comfortable office jobs and bought one-way tickets to Africa. They spent a year exploring north, east, and central Africa. Traveling by trains, buses, camels, hitchhiking, and a few other various means of transportation, it was here that Michael spotted and fell in love with his first Land Rover.

Upon returning home to the States, Michael searched until finally finding a 1965 Series IIA Land Rover to call his own. Until this point, the vehicle had only had one owner and had spent its life on a potato farm in Idaho. This Land Rover soon became the first of many overland trucks, particularly Land Rovers, that Michael would build, restore, and maintain over the years.

In 1996, Michael and longtime friend Paul Shumway co-founded Drive the Globe Overland Adventures. In the early years, they focused on organizing self-driven adventures for their customers but eventually began consulting for larger expeditions. Personally, Michael and Paul visited every province in Canada, completed several border-to-border expeditions in Northern Canada, and traveled to the Arctic Circle.

In early 2000, broadening their horizons, Michael and Paul created the “Vintage Rovers Across Africa” Expedition. This expedition would see eight men in four vintage Land Rovers travel more than Eight thousand miles across West Africa. Fraught with all of the challenges that come with driving 30+ year-old vehicles across the rugged and remote terrain of the Sahara, Timbuktu, and the Atlantic coastline, the group eventually visited ten countries on their way from Morocco to the Ivory Coast.

While planning his next big adventure, Michael wandered from the Land Rover marque and bought a Mercedes Unimog with the goal of completing the Pan American highway. Ultimately, that trip never came to fruition. Spending most of the 2000s returning to a more structured life in business, Michael co-founded and became CEO of the Keller Williams Real Estate franchise in Connecticut, where today he still remains a partner. This company has successfully grown to one of the largest real estate firms in New England and produces more than a billion dollars of sales each year.

Never one to sit still, during this time, Michael also founded McLadden Restaurant Group opening four Irish pubs in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Established in 2009, he later sold the restaurant group in 2019.

Despite this return to more conventional living, adventure was never far from Michael’s mind. After a dozen years of working long days in the corporate world, Michael sold his house and most of his possessions and moved into his 1979 Mercedes Unimog. He added an overland expedition trailer and set out on an around the world expedition, planning to travel to all seven continents. This roughly 220,000 mile adventure that Michael anticipated would take five years to complete was as perfect as a plan could be until the pandemic hit.

Like many overlanders whose journeys were “in progress” when COVID came about, Michael’s plan has been altered, but his journey did not come to a halt. In the spring of 2021, Michael sold his Unimog and travel trailer, and bought, built, and moved into a 1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079 (former) army truck. Another year on the road, and another truck build. He expanded to a six wheel drive 2002 Stewart & Stevenson with its own custom garage for his KTM motorbike. Delayed by border closures and shipping difficulties, he is currently exploring North & Central America.

Most recently, Michael has added a KTM adventure motorcycle to the rear of his expedition truck and spent the winter exploring the back roads and tracks of Baja California Sur, Mexico, on two wheels as well as four.

In addition to his four- and two-wheel drive overland adventures, Michael is a private pilot and an avid cyclist, with the goal of pedaling more miles each year than he drives. He is currently writing a book about his African adventures.

Hailing from Hanson, Massachusetts – a town perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of Ocean Spray Cranberries – Eric Archer grew up with a deep-rooted connection to the outdoors. Life on a 200-year-old farmhouse provided ample opportunity for exploration, from navigating its creaky floors and multiple fireplaces to venturing out into the surrounding land. These early years fostered a love for the natural world, a penchant for mischief (like "accidentally" removing a few saplings with his early attempts at driving a brake-less "woods car"), and a burgeoning interest in all things mechanical.

As a Boy Scout, Eric honed his outdoor skills, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout while embracing camping, hiking, canoeing, and survival techniques. This adventurous spirit extended to his college years at Plymouth State University, where he juggled academics with a passion for vehicle restoration. This often involved acquiring a project car, restoring it to running condition, and eventually selling it to fund the next acquisition AND tuition – a cycle that continued throughout his college years.

True to his adventurous spirit, Eric eschewed the traditional post-graduate path, opting instead for a cross-country cycling expedition with two friends. Braving the elements and conquering the miles from Rockport, Massachusetts, to Washington State and then down the Pacific Coast proved a more enriching experience than any academic degree.

A seasoned traveler and explorer, Eric's adventures have taken him far and wide. He's scuba dived in the Caribbean and New England, bungee jumped over Victoria Falls, hiked the peaks of Machu Picchu and Patagonia, gravel cycled around Iceland's Hekla Volcano and the Baja Divide with Michael Ladden, and experienced the thrill of a South African safari, encountering the "Big 5" in Kruger National Park.

However, Eric's true passion lies in Land Rover exploration. A proud owner of five vintage Land Rovers, he actively participates in Land Rover events and continues to explore the world both on and off-road.

Now retired from a career in national staffing and recruiting, Eric dedicates his time to his passions: cycling – clocking an impressive 10,000 miles annually across road, gravel, and mountain terrain – and indulging his love for Land Rover restoration and adventure. While speed, elevation gain, and other metrics may be tracked, Eric emphasizes the true essence of exploration: the journey itself, the captivating sights, the encounters with diverse people, and the enriching experiences that unfold along the way.

1959 Series II Station Wagon 109 (LWB)

The Series II, produced from 1958 to 1961, succeeded the highly successful Series I. This particular model, the LWB 109, boasts a wheelbase of 109 inches (2.77 meters) and can seat 12 passengers.

A significant milestone, the Series II introduced the renowned 2.25-liter petrol engine, capable of pushing the vehicle to a top speed of 65 mph. This engine, delivering 72 horsepower, marked a notable improvement in performance.

Beyond the mechanical upgrades, the Series II featured refined styling and a host of enhancements to enhance driver comfort and usability. In 1959, 10,806 Series II 109s were produced, with only a small fraction designated for the North American Dollar Area (NADA) market. This example is a rare find, remaining largely original and showcasing its NADA heritage.

Cache Valley Utah

My IG: Outdoormtnman.

Always up for an adventure. I am adventure Photographer on the side and have been in love woth old rigs like Scouts and Rovers for years. I've spent more time offroading in a rover the last 10yrs than I ever imagined.

I am also the content guy that keeps the wheels turning for OriginalironOffroad on IG too. Baja1000 and KOH are some of my favorite places to watch and capture racing!

When I'm not taking pics I'm working on timber exteriors of homes and decks in Bear Lake that covers Utah/Idaho where I live nearby. I have 2 teenagers and my awesome wife, Camille of 22yrs lets me go on these trips!

MY 78 SCOUT 2 I BOUGHT IN 2022. It's 4speed manual with a 345 v8. Patina green is original from over the years. ITS BEEN A WORK IN PROGRESS AND BEEN GETTING IT READY THE LAST 6MONTHS JUST TO BE MY NEW OVERLANDING RIG. REAR DRAWERS AND FRIDGE WILL BE INSTALLED. ITS PRETTY STOCK STILL BESIDES THE 4" LIFT KIT.

aka @Chicksdoit2

Home Base: With her husband on their horse ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Candi grew up with a love for the outdoors and adventure (exploring, hiking and mountain biking).

She purchased her first Jeep at eighteen years old and became addicted to off-roading. The trails, secret locations, lifestyle and community were intoxicating to her.

Now with more than thirty years of 4x4 experience behind her, she is on Jeep number six (her second Cj7) looking ahead to unique new adventures in her rebuilt and upgraded (by her and her husband) classic 1986 Jeep Cj7.