Overland Journal News and Press

Overland Journal Hires New Graphic Designer: Chazz Layne

2011-07-27T16:38:31Z

Chazz blames his eclectic youth for where he finds himself today. "I was the only child of two recovering hippies, so I grew up traveling. We may not have had a VW bus with flowered stickers, but the spirit was there."

That free spirit has carried Chazz through 12 years as a professional designer, first as team-lead for a large company, and eventually running his own agency.

"Those early days of exploring the Appalachian Mountains, swimming in the Gulf, or just wandering through the cities of the West set the tone for me. When I eventually bought my own 4x4 and discovered the isolation and beauty of the Southwest Deserts I realized I needed to find a way to combine my passions of design and Overland Travel."

"Overland Journal has been a source of inspiration for me from the first issue. Both as a traveler and a designer. I know everyone says it, but joining the Journal really is a dream job for me" said Layne.

And according to Overland Journal President Stephanie Brady, the feeling is mutual. "We've been watching Chazz' work for a long time now. He's worked in the past for our sister company, the Expedition Portal, and we were all impressed, so when this role opened up we immediately knew Chazz was the right guy for the job."

Chazz will be based in the Journal's Prescott offices, and when he isn't there chances are you can find him tinkering with his Land Rover, or driving it across the desert together with his wife of 11 years, Danielle.

Overland Journal Names New Executive Editor

2011-03-03T15:09:30Z

Chris Collard never expected his early motorcycle treks through Baja, Mexico with his father to result in a future vocation. Yet, those were but a few of his many experiences that elevated his name to the top of the list when Overland Journal began its search for a new Executive Editor.

"To be honest, we knew we had a great reputation in the market, but the calibre of people who wanted this job really blew us away… we had so much interest. We were able to look beyond work experiences alone, to find someone who really lived and embraced the Overland Journal spirit of adventure." – Stephanie Brady, President, Overland Journal.

Collard's formative off-piste experiences sparked an insatiable thirst for adventure. Having visited more than 40 countries on five continents (at last count), his exploits have taken him from South Africa to Norway, and from Bolivia to Morocco. Some of his more intrepid overlanding includes a two-month, 8,000-mile solo trek through Southern Africa, an expedition to Venezuela's Angel Falls by foot, 4WD, and dugout canoe, and a recent longitudinal, all-dirt transect of the U.S. from Mexico to Canada.

Amidst this semi-nomadic existence, Chris has managed to squeeze in a bit of work. His imagery and writings have been featured in National Geographic ADVENTURE, Hot Rod, AutoWeek, and dozens of other U.S. print magazines, including Overland Journal. In addition to being an award-winning photographer with a keen eye for dramatic compositions, he has also worked as the international correspondent to magazines on six continents and in a dozen languages.

This combination of overlanding, photographic and editorial experience has cemented his reputation as one of the country's most experienced adventure-travel journalists. When not behind the keyboard at his new Editor's desk, he is likely to be found exploring distant and exotic locales by adventure motorcycle, sailboat, 4WD, kayak, or on foot. We are excited to have Chris on the Overland Journal team and welcome him to the family. Chris' favourite quote, "We are never lost, just exploring a bit."

Overland Journal Team Comes To Aid of Missing Elderly Man

2011-02-16T15:03:38Z

Scott Brady, Brian McVickers and Austin Andrews were in the high deserts of Arizona on an alternative fuel adventure, testing an electric motorcycle from Zero Motorcycles, a set of Goal 0 portable solar power units, and using a Jeep for support.

"We were on the second day of the adventure, far from any towns or cities, when we were waved down on the trail by two men asking if any of us was a medic." McVickers said.

Arizona resident Hank Morello, 84, had been missing for 5 days. He suffers from dementia and family feared he'd gotten lost.

"Two hunters going down a jeep trail came across Morello's SUV, hung up on a rock," Brady said, "they managed to flag us down and ask for medical help. Luckily Austin is a wilderness EMT."

"I just grabbed the medical kit and ran down the wash," Andrews said. "We carry a full kit from RMI so we're prepared for most wilderness incidents, but Mr Morello suffers from dementia, diabetes and a heart condition. He was dehydrated and hadn't had his medication for 5 days. He was disoriented, very pale and in serious condition." Andrews said.

After Morello was stabilized, he was airlifted to the hospital. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

After the rescue helicopter departed, the team finished their overland adventure, arriving back in Prescott AZ late Saturday evening. "When we said we were setting off on an adventure, we didn't know how true that statement was going to be!" said Brady.

Overland Journal Executive Editor Leaves the Desk for the Saddle

2011-02-05T03:21:01Z

Jonathan Hanson, accomplished author, photographer, and Executive Editor of Overland Journal from its inception has developed a world-class team of contributors and testers. And all the while, he has maintained his deep passion for conservation, being a long time member of the Sky Island Alliance, fellow of the Explorers Club and co-founder of the Overland Society. Now Mr. Hanson wants to spend more time supporting these great causes and traveling the globe.

Jonathan's wife, Roseann Hanson, is the founder of ConserVentures, a non-profit organization that promotes exploration and overland travel. "The premier fund-raising event for ConserVentures, the Overland Expo, is experiencing excellent growth, and we have several opportunities to develop community and wildlife conservation programs on three continents. I'm looking forward to contributing to those efforts, and to traveling more," says Jonathan.

“Jonathan is a gifted member of our team and a cornerstone of the publication from the first issue.” says Overland Journal Publisher and Chairman Scott Brady. “He has a fantastic wit and creativity to his writing, and I am excited that we will now have his great talent in the field again.”

Co-founder of Overland Journal, LLC., Jonathan is often credited with helping develop overlanding within North America. Jonathan is a true adventurer, having traveled overland throughout the world by Land Cruiser and expedition kayak.

Overland Journal Hires Marketing and PR Director

2010-12-07T07:00:00Z

“We are excited to have Ray on board” says Overland Journal Publisher and Chairman Scott Brady. “His background and passions are a perfect fit for our organization.”

Prior to joining Overland Journal, Ray spent almost 20 years in marketing roles around the globe, recently as Senior Vice President and Global Group Director of McCann Erickson, the World’s largest communications and marketing company.

“Our company has grown so rapidly that it was time to bring someone with Ray’s experience into the team, yet we never imagined we’d find someone whose enthusiasm for overland travel would equal ours” declared Brady.

Hyland completed the Malaysian Rainforest Challenge in 2005, led the first international ground-relief effort into Southern Thailand after the 2004 Tsunami, and has led or been a part of expeditions through the jungles of Borneo, East Timor, and Indonesia. Hyland added “I’ve had a long obsession with overlanding, exploring various parts of Europe, Australia, North America, and Asia - in Land Rovers, pick-up trucks, sports-cars, even antique motorbikes! Working for Overland Journal is a dream come true for me, I keep expecting someone to pinch me and wake me up”.