One man’s dream rig

STORY BY ANYA MURPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHASE GARDNER

“LIKE SO MANY OF US, CHRIS HAD DREAMED OF A JEEP SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.”

Six individual round Hard Korr lights cast a yellow glow on the trail ahead.

Building a dream overlanding vehicle, operating a successful content creation business, and growing a social media community all at once are only possible with the right person at the helm. When it comes to this 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X and Nomad Overland, that person is Chris Keller.

Chris goes by Nomad Overland online, and he’s made quite a few friends while building his brand on Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms. While it’s true that it takes one person with the determination and skills needed to have it all, we’ve all probably also heard the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child.” It’s in part thanks to the contributions of a truly massive “village” that Chris’ Jeep is what it is today.

Overland Community

“This vehicle has helped me meet and work with some amazing people and companies over the last 6 years,” Chris tells us. The Jeep you see on these pages is fully decked out with gear and accessories from brands we all know and love like Front Runner Outfitters, Hard Korr lighting, GearAmerica, Midland, Gaia GPS, Beyond Clothing, and plenty of others.

The Jeep’s Redrock Crystal paint makes it impossible to miss among dunes and cacti.

Heading downhill.

What’s more, Chris has made some great friends with other overlanders online. Trips taken with Antonio Verrone of @dertoffroad and Marco Hernandez, otherwise known as @ovrlndx, who runs a famed Wrangler JK are some of his favorite memories. In fact, Marco’s JK build was one inspiration for Chris when he started this build back in 2016.