For the bulk of Nissan’s twenty-five-year history of the Frontier, the truck has been a bit of a redheaded stepchild in a segment dominated by Toyota’s venerable Tacoma. Sixteen years with minimal updates led to a general lack of appeal for a vehicle whose utilitarian functionality was overshadowed by a stale and dated product. Add to this the growing demand for mid-sized trucks which propelled the reemergence of Ford’s Ranger, engaged the likes of American Expedition Vehicles to collaborate with GMC and Chevrolet for the Canyon/Colorado, and expanded the Jeep brand line-up with the versatile Gladiator, and it became apparent Nissan needed to up the ante or be left in the figurative dust.
How do you take a full-size truck and make it the ultimate vehicle for vehicle-based and overland adventure? You outfit it with AT Overland’s Aterra XL Flatbed Truck Camper, set your navigation system to virtually anywhere in the world, and explore.
Over my three decades of vehicle-based and overland travel, one thing I’ve learned is keeping my gear organized is critical. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find an item at basecamp only to not know where it is or worse yet, if it was packed at all. As such, I’ve developed a system of labelling my various cargo carriers, bags, drawers, and boxes so that I know exactly what is in them. This has helped immensely in reducing my stress and anxiety at a time when I want to relax and be outdoors.
Before there were roof top tents, most of us slept on the ground in a regular tent shelter, often with a sleeping pad and sleeping bag but sometimes literally on the ground with nothing else. Depending on where and how you’re traveling, a quality ground shelter is still preference due to their versatility; however, being comfortable is also a significant consideration and with Helinox’ Cot One Convertible, you can be comfortable while backpacking the Grand Canyon or when catching some Zs at your local state park.
The sky was gloomy — a light drizzle fell upon the grass and nearby pavement, leaving a moist glaze I knew we’d have to drive through as we began our jaunt toward the mountains. I could easily imagine I was standing in a meadow along some backroad in the U.K. Even one of my English colleagues said it felt like home. The setting, however, was southern Utah and the dreary sky didn’t last long as we began a meandering two-day journey in the all-new Land Rover Discovery.
Land Rover launched the Discovery model over 28 years ago. This vehicle was hugely instrumental in establishing the luxury SUV market in the United States. Its iconic boxy shape saw four iterations over the subsequent 27 years with measurable upgrades to suspension, functionality and comfort along the way. When I was handed the keys and turned towards the vehicle, the first thing I noticed was the departure from the iconic boxiness of its predecessor. Admittedly, it took a while to get used to the Discovery’s complete redesign though it didn’t take long for me to succumb to its allure. Once inside, I was captivated by the deceptively roomy and incredibly comfortable interior.
