Happy Weekend, Adventurers!
Right now, Ron’s at Overland Expo SoCal covering the latest overland goods, and we’re already editing the first videos of killer expedition vehicle walk-throughs… Subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn noti’s on if you wanna see all the coverage as it goes live.
In the meantime, here’s that latest cool stuff that came across our (often mobile) desks!
Stuff we found interesting…
Expedition One adds winch-mount bumper for new Tacoma
Got the latest Tacoma? The new Expedition One Winch Mount combines a stealthy lower bumper section with integrated winch mount rated for up to 12,500lb winches. It has two reinforced recovery points, too, and can be ordered with an optional hoop bar for extra protection.
It requires you to trim your plastic stock bumper, but it retains all factory ACC/collision sensors and functions. MSRP $899, weight ~75lbs.
Hitchfire Field Box aluminum storage box
With 77 cubic liters of space, the Hitchfire Field Box lets you add more storage to their modular swing-away hitch-mounted system. Originally launched with a grill (hence the name), Hitchfire’s Dual-Swing mount lets you easily move it out of the way of any tailgate, then swivel it to face whichever way you want.
The Field Box + Dual Swing Hitch runs $899. The box comes off so you can move it to a picnic table. Add optional internal magnetic strips inside to hold tools, cooking utensils, and more.
Tusk x ShiftCam Cinema lenses for iPhones
Tusk x Shiftcam have released a complete CINEMA // Series for iPhone, with 7 pro-grade lenses and 8 ND, VND, and Polarizing filters. All lenses coated with anti-scratch, anti-reflective, hydrophobic, and UV & IR protection.
Various macro, wide angle, fisheye, telephoto, and anamorphic lenses let you capture anything. The entire kit is compact and lightweight, so you can fit everything you need to shoot in a sling bag. On Kickstarter.
Gerber updates LST knives, adds sparky multi-tool & saw
Top to bottom, the new LST Mini shrinks their classic folding pocket knife to just 4.6″ (1.9″ blade). The updated LST (2.5″ blade) gets a new removable clip, and the new made-in-USA LST Ultra (2.7″ blade) has an even better removable, ambidextrous pocket clip.
On the right is the new Stakeout Spark, a 10-tool multitool with integrated ferro rod & striker to start fires, plus a tent stake puller to speed up the tear down. The new Bushcraft Saw has an 8″ blade that locks into two different positions for making tricky cuts in tight spaces.
Arcade Hardware Alu Belt
Arcade’s tough but stretchy Hardware belts are great for outdoor work because they’re a bit tougher, more abrasion resistant, and have a bit less stretch.
The new Hardware Alu Belt swaps to a lightweight aluminum buckle (versus their standard click-to-close clip), gets three micro-adjust loops, and still has the adjustable length design with a pull tab. Four colors, two lengths, MSRP $44.95.
Recent Stories
Project GX470 – “Stealth” Subwoofer isn’t what it seems
Can you fit a 10″ subwoofer in the stock location? Or add more bass without taking up any cargo space? And where does the amp go? Tyler walks us through his entire (and occasionally painful) build process HERE!
Fox Factory Truck tech & ride along!
We took a ride in Fox’s $200,000 Factory Silverado, and it’s wild. Way more than just a few bolt on parts, it’s a ground-up rethink of what Chevy’s full-size truck can be. If you’ve got money to burn, here’s how to get the most powerful, longest travel “production” truck on the market.
Roof Space’s gigantic hardshell RTT
Want a California King mattress plus room for gear in your rooftop tent? The new Roof Space 4 sleeps up to 6 people, then folds up into a compact(ish) aluminum hardshell footprint. Read more...
1UP APS adds swing-away gear storage
Built for their RakAttach swing-out bike rack carrier, 1UP’s new APS system makes the most of the space between bike & vehicle with expandable MOLLE panels, a table, and more. Read more...
Rigid 360 Connect pre-bundled lightbars
Rigid Industries has taken their 4″ round off-road pod lights and created pre-built bundles as light bars in 30″, 40″ and 50″ widths. Read more...
Topoak Overland Galaxy 1.0 RTT review
After thousands of miles of off-road adventures and lots of nights camping in the wild, Ron shares why the extremely affordable, well-featured Topoak Galaxy 1.0 rooftop tent is a serious contender. Read more...
Bluetti packs more power into less space
The impressive new Bluetti Elite 200 V2 uses unique battery tech to cram more watt-hours into a smaller space, and its inverter pumps out enough juice to run high-draw power tools and appliances. Read more...
Bruder ADX 21 family-sized off-road camper
Bruder has upped the size and the ante of off-road capable camper trailers. It pairs their independently sprung 4-wheel design with their biggest-ever habitat to sleep more people anywhere you want to go. Read more...
Field Notes
- Factor 55’s Fast Fid fixes broken winch ropes in minutes
- ToyTec will now rebuild any brand of suspension
- This proves it’s OK to ditch your truck’s plastic chin trim
- Nemo’s Disco sleeping bags are partying w/ new colors
- Now you can get Rössmonster vehicles at IWS in Idaho
- OnX Maps now have a cellphone coverage layer
- Matt’s Offroad Recovery Games are on next weekend!
- Mountain Smith Evo Coolers now come in Blaze Orange
- Subaru title sponsors 2025 Overland Expos w/ workshops & more
- Quad Lock x McLaren F1 phone cases & bottle look sweet
- You’ve gotta start small if you want to revive the Wooly Mammoth
- Here’s how AI may start influencing your intentions
Big Deals
- Outdoor Research is blowing out winter & ski gear
- Get up to 30% off Luno car camping mattresses & more
- Sea to Summit’s excellent Ether sleeping pads & more are 50% off
- Ironman 4×4 has 15-25% off lift kids, skid plates, RTTs & more
Wandering Thoughts
As you’re reading this, Ron’s at Overland Expo SoCal, and I’m prepping my GX with new wheels and tires for a recon trip through the Georgia Traverse and South Carolina Adventure Route.
There’s a dual purpose to that trip that I’ll explain later, but I’ve been hustling to make quite a few upgrades to my truck before I do. Having a deadline for getting them done helps.
I always think it’s funny when I see someone post about a recent vehicle mod or upgrade on a forum, and then someone else comments about how they’ve been also wanting to do it, sometimes even having the parts in their garage for months (or years!) and just haven’t gotten around to it.
Sometimes it really is time constraints. But more often, I think it’s something else.
Laziness, for sure. We’re all guilty of that.
Inertia, because it’s hard to overcome.
And, dang, that beer looks delicious and White Lotus ain’t gonna watch itself!
But sometimes it’s just the imagined enormity of the task that prevents us from starting.
That was the case with my Stealth Subwoofer video for the GX470 series. After all, I built TWO different boxes, and wired an amp, and had to tell the story of why I did what I did.
It was a lot, and I knew there were literally 100+ clips from multiple cameras that all needed to be sorted, named, and edited.
But once I sat down to actually do it, it wasn’t that bad.
Which, I find, is the case with most big projects. The hardest part is just starting.
Then, progress just happens. Once I actually sit down to edit, I remember how much I enjoy it. I love the creative process of editing to tell a story and keep the viewer engaged.
It’s an art, for sure, but as one of my favorite people in the whole world, Seth Godin, says, “real artists ship.“
So, the next time you’re procrastinating on a mod, install, or creative project, just start. I bet you’ll finish before you know it.
And then you can start something else.
Here’s to it!
Tyler
(AWOL founder)
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