Chris Collard

Chris Collard has been a leading writer and photographer in the off-road and overland worlds for over thirty years. His passion for vehicle-based travel has taken him across all seven continents and to some of the most remote corners of our planet. Besides heading up numerous respected publications in the space and contributing to nearly all of them, Chris has also created world-class experiential events and images for companies big and small.

Chris has a home base in the Northern Sierra Nevadas, but much of the time can be found under a palapa in Baja, Mexico, or aboard ‘The Office,’ his sailboat, sipping fine tequila and waiting for a fresh breeze.

Location: Northern Sierra Nevada

Expertise

• Topics of Expertise: International and Expedition Travel, anything Off-road, Backcountry Gear,
  Vehicle Equipment and Fabrication, Technical Gear Testing, Commercial Imaging
• Years in Expertise: 30+

Education & Certifications

• Club/Association Memberships: Outdoor Writers Association (OWAC), Texas Autowriters
  Association (TAW), Motor Press Guild (MPG), Canon Professional Services (CPS), Off Road
  Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF), California Four Wheel Drive Association (CA4WDC)
• Awards/Recognitions: Writer of the year (OWAC), Best Photography (TAW), Presidents’
  Award (CA4WDC), Inductee and BOD Member (ORMHOF)
• Previous Publications: Motor Trend, Autoweek, Car & Driver, Road & Track National
  Geographic Adventure, Cigar Aficionado, AARP, New York Times, Hot Rod, Four Wheeler,
  Overland Journal, Expedition Portal, Wheels Afield, Dusty Times, Ford Performance, The Drive
  Land Rover Monthly, Overlander 4×4 UK, Jeep Action (AU), 4×4 Australia, Explorer
  (Germany), Australian Dirt Bike, South Africa 4×4, Solo Auto (Spain), Off-Road Drive (Russia),
  Malaysia 4WD

A Word From Chris Collard

I was one of those guys with a normal job that dreamed of doing more than busting my tail for
‘the man.’ With some prodding from close friends (who insisted I was wasting my life) I jumped
off the bridge with a camera and keyboard and quit a 17-year position with UPS to pursue a life
as an adventure journalist.

Since taking that leap of faith I have traveled across all seven continents, jumped off a bridge
over the croc-infested Zambezi River, played with five-foot goannas in Australia, sat with a 101-
year-old Temiar elder in Northern Malaysia, and walked across Morocco with a Sahrawi nomad.

Baja, Mexico, is my happy place, and I’ve crisscrossed nearly every dirt two-track from the U.S.
border to the East Cape, raced and chased the NORRA Mexican 1000 vintage rally, and become
quite the tequila snob. Other fun projects have been producing the Hummer Africa Expedition
and East-West Australia Expedition, guiding trips in Mexico for the Sonora Rally, delivering wheelchairs to the mobility challenged in Oaxaca, and crossing Antarctica with the Expedtions7 team.

As contributing editor to dozens of publications around the world, my work eventually caught
the eye of the auto industry, which led to extensive commercial work with various OEMs. In
2010 I was asked to take the editorial helm of Overland Journal, and in 2015 I was honored with
being inducted into the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame as a pioneering journalist. I currently
serve on its Board of Directors.

Wow, if that isn’t a big fat ‘I love me’ yarn I don’t know what is…but it’s been a heck of a ride.
My advice to all: Life is short. Don’t wait until next week, next month, or next year to pursue a
dream.

By the way, if you call and get my voicemail, I might be under a palapa on a secluded
Baja playa or on The Office (my sailboat) sipping fine tequila and waiting for a fresh breeze.