Outfit for the road less traveled with the new adventure gear we spotted at Overland Expo East 2018. The annual gathering of the overland crew in Asheville, N.C., once again grew in size despite rain, deep mud, and bitterly cold temperatures.
Overland Expo East brings together hundreds of brands and thousands of attendees to check out the latest adventure vehicles builds. There, expedition enthusiasts also explore many new-to-market products meant for overland adventure. We dug in to find some of the coolest new products on the market.
Goose Gear S-Series
Goose Gear makes impressive custom interior storage and living systems for adventure vehicles. While you’ll most likely see their handiwork in the back of a truck or SUV, they have now jumped into the Sprinter interior market.
Its new S-Series interior system has modular components attached to the walls and floor through L tracking. The brand built the components with aluminum extrusions, laminated marine ply, stainless steel structural rivets, and stainless bolts. Exterior bolts mount the panels to the framing, which allows for easy access and repair. Each modular furniture piece attaches to the L tracking with custom brackets.
This system improves on many others, as Goose Gear built it to take serious abuse during off-road adventure.
Pricing is still to be announced. Goose Gear expects to have the S-Series ready for consumers in May at Overland Expo West.
Go Fast Campers RTT
GFC makes lightweight wedge-style truck campers for true adventures. They have now used what they’ve learned from that product to create a rack-mounted rooftop tent.
The tent features a translucent honeycomb composite roof, extruded aluminum framing, and rear and side door entry. The RTT will weigh 135 pounds and be only 6 inches thick. This makes it one of the lightest and thinnest RTTs on the market, if not the outright winner in both categories.
The GFC RTT just started shipping to customers and starts at $3,499. It’s currently sold out, but you can get on the waitlist here.
RIGd UltraSwing Hitch Carrier
RIGd Supply now makes a rear hitch-mounted, swing-out tire carrier for the fourth- and fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner. This system makes carrying an oversized spare easy, without having to buy an expensive dedicated rear bumper with tire carrier. The RIGd UltraSwing also has a hitch receiver of its own, which allows you to mount bike racks and the like.
The RIGd UltraSwing will retail for $1,100 and be available before the end of the year. And according to the brand’s site, you can preorder now for 25 percent off.
Orion Kennels
The rotomolding factory that brought us Orion Coolers and Jackson Kayaks now gives us Orion Kennels. This Adventure Dog line is the first from the new subsidiary. These pet kennels are rotomolded boxes with injection-molded doors. They utilize climbing rope and quality buckles to create lots of secure mounting options for your vehicle-based adventures. They also have integrated cupholders because you don’t want to spill your morning coffee when you’re petting your dog.
The new Adventure Dog Orion Kennels will come in four sizes, ranging from $250 to $450, and will be available in January.
Adventure Tool Company ShopRoll
While the ATC ShopRoll isn’t new, it is a highly regarded American-made product. It also has never before been offered with a full selection of tools included. The tool roll is made of 12-ounce waxed canvas and the liner of 1,000-denier Cordura.
The ATC ShopRoll retails for $100, or $364 with a full set of DeWalt tools.
Kinsmen Hardware Shower Room
Kinsmen Hardware is working with Blue Ridge Overland Gear to bring quality American-made overland vehicle accessories to market. Its new Shower Room mounts on a roof rack and packs into its own cover. It provides a private room for an outdoor shower or travel toilet. Durable Cordura fabric creates the body of the room, which tapers to a wider bottom. This allows for more legroom when seated.
The Kinsmen Hardware Shower Room will be available this fall for $399.
Expedition Box
When you usually buy aluminum expedition cases, you have to pick from specific sizes. While Expedition Box offers some standard size cases, the brand prides itself on offering fully custom-sized lightweight aluminum waterproof cases. The Salida, Colo., company, Colorado Raft Frame Supply, has been in the rafting world for many years but is just now entering the overland marketplace.
Contact the company to order Expedition Box aluminum waterproof cases. They’ll cost you $90 to $400 and drop ship for $99 anywhere in the U.S.
Mosko Moto Reckless 10
Mosko Moto continues to redefine adventure motorcycle storage solutions. The brand designed the Reckless 10 system specifically for day trips or lightweight overnighters. It gets the water, tools, and other essentials off your body for a more enjoyable and less fatiguing day of riding. While it will work on a wide range of bikes, it’s particularly good on dirt bikes for light-and-fast adventures.
The Mosko Moto Reckless 10 will be available around the end of the year and retail for $210.
