Helinox Toasty Lightweight camp furniture has come a long way, and the brand Helinox is a perfect example of the intersection between smart design and modern materials. For instance, their Chair Zero is a 17-ounce camp chair that adds huge amounts of comfort in the backcountry despite its diminutive weight. But this week, it’s actually…
Field Tested: Scotts Steering Stabilizer
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2021 Issue. The Scotts Steering Stabilizer has one purpose: keep you in control of your motorcycle by limiting wobble, weave, and unintended deflection of the front wheel. The device is a hydraulic shock absorber housed in a gold-anodized aluminum box that mounts to…
KC Hilites Flex Era 4
There are very few vehicle accessory companies with such a long-standing reputation for quality as KC Hilites. Moreover, the designs and performance of their latest products have overlanders like me transfixed, jaw agape, breathless like a deer in Flex Era 4 spots! I remember purchasing my VW Syncro and immediately (childishly) investing in four cheap…
RacksBrax Mounting Brackets Now Available in the US From Adventure Imports
Family-owned Australian company RacksBrax offers an innovative accessory mounting system that allows for the quick removal (10-seconds or less) of roof-rack mounted accessories like recovery boards, jacks, and now awnings too. And the exciting news for US-based customers is that RacksBrax products are now available for the first time in North America from Prescott, Arizona-based…
Armorlite Expands its Protection for Jeep
Nothing says “Adventure Tough” better than protecting your floors. Well, Armorlite has just announced that is has expanded its flooring protection into the Jeep JL and JT platforms! A complete flooring replacement has been produced to protect the interior of your Jeep, allowing for full-floor coverage to reduce heat and cabin noise while channeling all…
Overland News of the Week
Scout Leather Co. Hex Bit Driver If you’ve worked with high-quality hand tools, you’ll appreciate Scout Leather’s titanium hex bit driver. It accepts 1/4-inch hex bits and makes detailed work a pleasure, thanks to a ball bearing assembly that sits snugly in the palm. The knurled thumb grip provides purchase when you need to put…
Be a Backcountry Chef with ARB’s New Slide Kitchen
ARB’s drawer system gives pickup truck owners slide-out storage for quickly and easily accessing essential gear without needing to climb into the bed of the truck. And for owners that are looking to get additional functionality out of their system, the new Slide Kitchen replaces one of your existing ARB full-height, mid-height, or low-height slide…
2020 Overland Holiday Gift Guide: Over $200
Western Mountaineering Flash Hooded Jacket With colder temperatures settling into the Northern Hemisphere, a lightweight down jacket makes a great holiday gift that can be used day in and day out. And the Flash hooded jacket from Western Mountaineering is that jacket. This California-based company manufactures down garments and sleeping bags of the highest quality….
2020 Overland Holiday Gift Guide: Under $200
Our overlander’s 2020 gift guide aims to take some of the stress out of shopping. Instead of frantically clicking the purchase button on Amazon a week before Christmas (or Hannukah, or Kwanzaa, or Festivus…), you can take a more leisurely approach and get your loved ones some thoughtful and useful gifts. In this article, you…
Overland News of the Week
Kahtoola EXOspikes If you’re one of those people who don’t like to let snow and ice slow you down, having traction devices for your footwear is a simple, low-cost investment that will go a long way. Kahtoola makes many high-quality devices, but their new EXOspikes seek to improve on previous designs with better traction and…
Overland News of the Week
Tuffy Flip-up License Plate Holder for Roller Fairlead Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring us pleasure, and if you happen to live in a state that requires a front-mounted license plate, then this flip-up license plate holder from Tuffy should put a smile on your face. Constructed from 16-gauge steel with a…
Field Tested | Webasto Thermo Top Evo Coolant Heater
Recently, my husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I rallied a 1991 Mitsubishi diesel-powered Pajero in the Alcan 5000 Rally. Not only did we pilot this right-hand-drive Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) 4×4 over 5,120 miles of ice, snow, and blizzard conditions, we had to ensure it started every morning after it slept in Arctic temps of -40°…
Go Fast Campers SuperLite Redefines Hardshell RTTs
Montana-based Go Fast Campers has a penchant for producing drool-worthy overlanding gear, and they just did something that is likely to send waves through the rooftop tent (RTT) market. Behold the SuperLite: a sub-100-pound, hard-shell, made-in-the-USA rooftop tent for $1,300. Cue fireworks. EDIT: a SuperLite mattress to go with your SuperLite RTT will add $279,…
Gear Spotlight
We are planning another intercontinental overland journey, and as always, our gear is an essential part of the trip. While we are not always able to get our paws on an actual product, the internet is a wonderful, addictive creature, and a few hours are easily lost to drooling over new gear, gizmos, and essentials….
Overlanders Share Their Favorite Apps
Mobile apps are designed to improve our lives and provide us with readily available information. This is especially helpful while travelling. Hundreds of new apps are popping up left, right, and centre, so we connected with our fellow overlanders to help narrow down the search. Google Maps, iOverlander, and Maps.me were crowd favorites, and nearly…
Front Runner Outfitters Releases Slim Line II Rack For Jeep Gladiator
South African overlanding gear manufacturer, Front Runner Outfitters, is well-known for its robust selection of vehicle accessories. New for 2020, Front Runner Outfitters has released a 2019-current Jeep Gladiator compatible Slim Line II roof rack system. The Slimline II allows unencumbered removal of the Jeep’s hardtop roof panels, allowing owners to keep their OEM…
Everyday Essentials :: Products That Make Your Life Easier
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2019. I recently had the privilege of leading an amazing group of women from Montana to Idaho on our very first all-ladies overland trip for XOverland. The seven of us all had different experience levels, and it was a great opportunity to plan, film, and…
Field Tested: Xpel
A self-healing film that protects vehicle paint against the hazards of road and trail.
Sea to Summit Nails Comfort With Their New Deluxe SI Mat
A year ago, the thought of an air mattress was enough to make me cringe with memories of a sore back and uncomfortable nights on the ground. Their poor designs and habits of deflating had ruined my image of inflatable beds forever, or so I thought, but thanks to the Comfort Deluxe mat and Aeros…
Garmin Drive GPS with Open Street Maps
Garmin has been at the forefront of vehicle-based GPS systems for over two decades, and it shows in their latest flagship range, the Drive series, available in 5- or 7-inch screen sizes. The touch screen is bright and responsive and automatically dims to a high-contrast night mode to preserve night vision. Garmin’s mature route-finding algorithms…