With 400 vendors and more than 18,000 people at Overland Expo 2019, we dove deep and uncovered the best new gear that will elevate your overland adventures. What new overland adventure gear do you need in your life?
The 50Ten
A German-built overland truck camper has arrived on American shores! This aluminum and composite flatbed camper integrates lots of quality overland camper designs into one lightweight, quality package. It weighs in at about 1,500 pounds for the full-size version, with midsize truck options available. That weight includes a 270-degree awning, spare tire carrier, storage box, Goose Gear floor plate, and full flatbed system. The flatbed has built-in side storage, a 160L rear drawer, and a much improved departure angle. The whole system isn’t inexpensive at $45,000, but it is impressive. Goose Gear will also be offering a full interior camper buildout soon, which will make it all that much more livable — but will also add to the already steep cost.
Garmin Overlander
Garmin has released a full-featured, off-road-oriented GPS unit called the Overlander. The unit offers 24K topo maps, inReach integration, and great features like built-in iOverlander and History Channel apps. Pre-sales have just launched, with deliveries starting in June. It isn’t inexpensive at $699, but it should hold up to a ton of abuse and make all your navigation needs that much easier. Stay tuned for a comprehensive review soon, as we’ve been testing a unit for a few months already.
Step 22 Silent Jack
If you carry a Hi-Lift jack on the outside of your vehicle, you know that they tend to rattle, slide, and generally make a lot of noise. Step 22 Gear has worked for 3 years to create the perfect solution, the Silent Jack. The two-part system keeps your Hi-Lift jack in place and completely quiet. It costs $35, comes in black and red, is offered in two styles, and works with all types of Hi-Lift jacks.
RLD Design Truck Canopy
One of the hottest products at the show had to be the RLD Design truck canopies. RLD has been making these quality truck bed toppers in South Africa for 15 years. The brand debuted at Overland Expo to the North America market. The stainless steel, with textured powder coat (in any RLD color) should withstand just about any abuse you can throw at it. They have a 700-plus-pound dynamic load rating, weigh about 160 pounds, and can be configured in a wide range of styles. Options include bed drawer systems, bed cargo slides, drop-down table holders, integrated roof racks, and lots of different window and side hatch configurations. The most talked about option at the show was the fully stocked kitchen side cabinet. It fits all the cooking and serving utensils you’ll need on your next adventure, along with a few bottles of adult beverages. Prices range from $3,200 to almost $5,000 depending on options.
Adventure Tool Company Kitchen Bag
Adventure Tool Company makes lots of quality soft goods for your adventure life, right here in America. The brand is best known for its tool roll. ATC debuted a new kitchen bag at Overland Expo. The bag is a hanging design made of CORDURA 1,000-denier nylon. My favorite features are the sponge and towel pockets and built-in drain hole. The kitchen bag will be available in the next few weeks and retail for around $80.
Mosko Moto Apparel
Mosko Moto is known for making high-quality adventure motorcycle soft luggage. Mosko has been working for a few years now on an all-new riding clothing system, and will finally have a full line for sale very soon. The brand showed off riding jerseys, a variety of jackets and pants, and a full line of armor at Overland Expo. The Basilisk jacket and pants — which is also the name of the lizard in Mosko’s logo — is the setup that really stole the show. The system is super versatile for a wide range of environments. The big difference from other adventure riding gear is that the armor is not built into the outer clothing, but instead worn as a separate system under the outwear. We’re excited to put this gear to the test on an adventure soon.
Alu-Cab Storage Box
Alu-Cab is based in South Africa and makes a wide range of overland products. The brand is best known for its hardshell rooftop tents and awnings. Alu-Cab showed off a new roof box at Overland Expo. It’s a storage box designed to work in all weather conditions and with an RTT. A super-nice feature is that it can be opened and closed with the use of only one latch, so you don’t have to run around the vehicle undoing latches. The 200L version shown here will retail for $799. A massive 250L option will also be available soon.
MSA 4x4 Jeep Gladiator Drawers
MSA 4×4 Accessories has been making a wide range of overland products for the Australian market for many years. It just debuted to the USA market at Overland Expo. The item that caught most people’s eyes was the Jeep Gladiator Drawer System. Running the full length of the truck bed, the drawer system is made with the best materials — extruded aluminum frame, stainless steel fasteners, and more — and creates a platform that can hold 550-plus pounds. A cool feature of the drawers is the interior lighting, which automatically turns on when the drawers are fully opened. The MSA Gladiator Drawer System will be available late this year and cost around $2,000.
67 Designs TacoRail
67 Designs makes quality innovative vehicle electronics mounting solutions. The brand debuted the 67 Designs TacoRail at Overland Expo. The system works with the latest-generation Toyota Tacoma. It is an extruded aluminum T-slot rail that mounts to the center of the Tacoma dash. Metal ball mounts attach to the rail, and then metal and carbon arms connect to the balls, with a variety of electronics mounts attached to the arms. For $89, you get the TacoRail with a mini arm and universal phone holder.
AEV Bison Build
American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) continues to impressive with well-thought-out, highly engineered, quality products. At Overland Expo this year, AEV showed off a full kit to fit 35-inch tires under the Chevrolet Bison pickup. The Bison is based on the ZR2 Colorado pickup and comes from the factory with 31-inch tires. The AEV kit will include fender flares, a suspension spacer, and closeout panels in the fender wells. It will require upgrading the suspension to Chevrolet Performance long travel and leveling components. The AEV kit will be out later this year. The full upgrade won’t be inexpensive, but it will be a massive off-road capability upgrade, offer extreme durability, and look factory.
Giant Loop Gas Bag Fuel Safe Bladder
Giant Loop is known for its quality adventure motorcycle soft luggage. The brand has used its durable soft product knowledge to build the ultimate auxiliary fuel storage solution. The Giant Loop Gas Bag Fuel Safe Bladder is a super compact, lightweight, and stowable fuel storage solution. The gas bags are offered in 1L, 2L, 3L, and 5L sizes, ranging from $150 to $300.
DMOS Delta Shovel
The DMOS Delta Shovel takes the basic, and always useful, shovel to new heights of coolness and usefulness. It is a fully expandable dirt shovel that packs up super small for transport. It will be fully manufactured in the USA and will be available in aluminum and steel versions. In aluminum, it will have an MSRP of $299 — with a Kickstarter price of around $149, including some accessories — and the steel version will cost a tiny bit less. It hits Kickstarter on June 14 and will ship before the end of the summer. Stay tuned for a review soon, as we got our hands on an early sample. The brand says it’s unbreakable, but we’ll be the judge of that.
