In this installment of the Expedition Portal series on brands that inspire us, Senior Editor Ashley Giordano profiles overland industry leader and storage solutions manufacturer Blue Ridge Overland Gear.
Matt Akenhead admits that by nature, he’s incredibly disorganized. “It wasn’t necessarily related to overlanding or travel initially,” he says about the origins of Blue Ridge Overland Gear (BROG). “I just needed to keep my stuff together.” And so, in 2012, the American-made soft goods brand was born in a backyard shed in rural Bedford, Virginia.
However, the company was founded on more than just good organization. Working as a dog trainer in his 20s, Akenhead couldn’t find or didn’t have the budget for the equipment he wanted. So, he decided to learn how to make it himself. Learning from a local Amish artisan, Matt built equipment for police dogs and military K9s.
“Making dog equipment taught me two critical things,” he says. “First, there’s tremendous wear and tear on dog gear—it gets used every day for years on a working dog. It rubs against trees, in and out of cars, and is used daily for a dog’s entire working life. Second, if equipment fails, people can get seriously hurt. When a Malinois [herding dog] is traveling at 35 mph after someone in training, and there is an equipment failure, someone could end up in the hospital or worse.”
When Blue Ridge Overland Gear began, Matt says he applied this same philosophy: building gear that can be counted on, with high wear tolerance and exceptional durability. Here’s more on the beginnings of BROG and how the products have changed how Akenhead (and many others) travel, overland, and recreate outdoors.
What were your first products?
Tool bags and seat back panels were our earliest products, which I actually made for personal use before Blue Ridge Overland Gear existed. I wanted to utilize wasted space like the backs of seats. The factory map pockets weren’t useful, so I designed seat panels to store various items for myself or our kids. We also developed tool bags with pouches so nothing would fall out, could carry heavy loads, wouldn’t become projectiles in the car if there was an accident, and would keep me organized.
What was the first product sold?
The first thing I ever sold was a 4- x 8-inch Velcro pouch. I remember it distinctly because we had just put up our website, and a sale came in a few days later. I thought, “Holy crap, this could be real!” At that time, it was just a very part-time project—me working in a shed in the backyard.
How have these products changed the way you recreate outdoors?
Organizing my gear makes it easier to get out the door. The hardest part of traveling has always been getting out of the driveway. Once you’re out, it gets easier, and the adventure begins. I wanted to make it simple to get my family (three kids and my wife) packed and on the road. If we decided Thursday night to leave Friday, how could I get everything ready efficiently?
What excites you in your spare time? Are there hobbies or pursuits you live for?
Honestly, product ideas and making things consume most of my time. I’m a maker at heart. My fulfillment comes from creating usable things that others might benefit from. I don’t really separate spare time from work time—it’s all just part of who I am.
We have a farm, and I appreciate driving the tractor mowing pasture or baling hay because it gives my head time to clear. But for the last five years or so, my focus has been on my kids’ pursuits rather than my own. My youngest (she’s 15) loves to team rope; my oldest is 22, and she shoots professionally for Ruger, Leupold, and Hornady. In 2024, she won the world championship. My middle daughter (she’s 18) competed at the Precision Rifle World Championships in 2023 and now works for Blue Ridge Overland Gear. Helping them develop their interests is my current stage of life. We still go camping and traveling, but usually in the service of their activities. I’ll return to my pursuits when they get older, but I don’t want to miss this opportunity with them.
Have you ever had doubts about your business? If so, how did you overcome them?
Doubts creep in all the time. Owning a business is a roller coaster. [There are] days when you think this is so much fun and days when you wonder why you’re doing it. That’s just part of life. If you’re not messing things up occasionally, you’re not pushing hard enough.
For 20+ years, I’ve gone to bed wondering if I had my last good idea, wondering what we’ll do next. Whether it’s marketing, product development, or anything else, I constantly worry about running out of creativity. We overcome this by just putting our heads down and going one more day. I love the Zen Buddhist phrase, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” That’s all you can do—keep going until there are no more days.
How do you work with other manufacturers?
As a small batch manufacturer, we’ve helped numerous businesses get started in manufacturing. When they outgrow our capacity, we typically assist them in transitioning to larger facilities, or they seek more suitable production partners as their business expands. One recent example is Pacific Adventure Works. They approached us about producing a cot they were working on. We helped them get the project up and running despite it not being our specialty, and they were eventually able to move production to a more appropriate facility.
Blue Ridge Overland Gear is based out of Bedford, Virginia. What makes this area special?
We’re in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with a lake offering 500 miles of shoreline, the James River, just three hours from the beach, and excellent whitewater rafting on the New River (just an hour away). The fishing is great on the James River and at nearby Smith Mountain Lake. For those who enjoy hiking, fishing, or hunting, this is possibly one of the most perfect locations. The area also has significant historical importance with the Bedford Boys and the D-Day Memorial.
You take on custom projects from time to time. What have been some of the most interesting or memorable ones?
Honestly, we try to avoid custom projects as they tend to be time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to price appropriately. However, one particularly interesting custom project was the Trail Creeper—essentially a fold-up mat that can be used for vehicle maintenance, as a shower mat, and for various other purposes. A friend brought us this concept, derived from a repurposed pack-and-play bottom he carried in his Jeep. We primarily built it for him, but realized we could use a few ourselves. Now, it’s part of our limited-run offerings that we produce periodically. So, if it’s something we can add to our product line, sometimes it works out.
What is the importance of good vehicle organization?
Good vehicle organization ensures you know where everything is, which is crucial when you’re on a trail dealing with recovery or first aid situations, or even while cooking. Directing someone to exactly where items are located is invaluable: ‘The first aid kit is on the passenger side headrest. It’s red.’ or ‘My recovery gear is in a labeled bag under the seat of my truck.’
This organization integrates essential equipment into your daily life. I’ve used my tow strap numerous times in the past year, not just for vehicle recovery but for clearing fallen trees from driveways and helping someone stuck in a ditch during winter. Being organized means you know exactly what gear you have and where it is, allowing you to quickly assess a situation and grab the necessary tools like shackles and a tow strap to get everyone back on the road.
Any new products in the works?
We always have numerous projects in development, typically 50-80 percent ready for production. We prioritize these based on interesting ideas that emerge and aim to release something new monthly, whether it’s a pouch or a larger item.
Recently, I’ve been focused on a tote bag project, and Rick developed a tote bag organizer that transforms it into an office-friendly bag. We’re excited about its functionality, regardless of whether it sells well.
We’ve also created panels for GoFast Campers (not yet released) and worked with Jason from Mountain State Overland on insulation panels for Alu-Cab campers. We’re developing accessories for our chest rig as well. I’m a chest rig enthusiast and use one year-round for activities ranging from scouting to mowing, carrying everything from my camera to drinks, phone, and snacks.
Describe some of your most memorable trips.
For solo trips, I used to race sled dogs. I had 180-mile races over multiple days in remote areas near Hudson Bay. Those were spectacular experiences. Dogs provide an incredibly quiet way to travel—they’re just humming along while you’re cruising through the woods. It’s a peaceful, zen-like experience few people get to have. I couldn’t figure out how to make a living at it, or I’d still be doing it.
For vehicle-related trips with friends, we had an epic Vermont adventure with Jason Specht from Mountain State Overland and Rick Stowe, who is now a part of our team at BROG. You can disappear into the Vermont woods and emerge in a new town hours later, having covered just a few miles on those Class 4 roads. There’s a lot of skill testing and problem-solving between recovery work, driver skill, and equipment testing. The people were enjoyable, the food was excellent, and the history was fascinating. That’s probably one of my most memorable overland trips.
For family trips, we have gone out West quite a bit. On one, we drove to Glacier National Park, spent time floating in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, then worked our way through Yellowstone and the Tetons, living out of our Land Cruiser for a few weeks. That was awesome because it was with family. We’ve done several trips through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and around the Grand Canyon that have all been special.
I can’t pick a single favorite—too many hold meaning from different stages of life with different groups of people.
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