I had quite a few off-road trips this year, from a mega cross-country road trip with the family to a couple of solo trips through Arizona and New Mexico to a week-long trip with my wife that included a little mountain biking.
As always, these trips are chances to test gear in the real world, and here are my favorites starting with the small things and working my way up, followed by a few top picks for clothes and shoes!
Gear & Gadgets
Coast FL95R headlamp
The new Coast FL95R headlamp has literally everything I wanted in a headlamp. It’s lightweight, rechargeable, and very bright. But that’s just the beginning. It also has a twist-to-focus beam adjustment, going from spot to flood and anywhere in between quickly and easily, even with gloves on. Four brightness levels shine up to 1250 lumens.
The separate ARC ambient lights provide softer, warmer light for reading or closeup work, and separate red and green bulbs add glare-free “stealth” options. All of these different lights use different buttons, too, so there’s no need to cycle through all the modes to get to the one you want. Add in long battery life, the option to use 3 AAAs in a pinch, and a very reasonable $65 price and it’s a total winner.
Exped MegaMat Duo mattress
While I really like my rooftop tent, the simple truth is a 2″ mattress just doesn’t cut it. I’ve previously added a 2″ memory foam topper, but now that I’ve switched to the Exped MegaMat Duo, there’s no looking back. I’ll move this from tent to tent to tent in the future, and take it with me when crashing at friends homes.
A foam+air design and 4″ thickness makes it super comfortable, without the usual dip and sink and squish and noise of a typical air mattress, and much better support than the mattresses included with any RTT. And, it’s actually 3lbs lighter than the stock memory foam mattress!
The LW+ size fits perfectly into the Yakima SkyRise, and likely many other RTTs. Technically it self inflates, but I do bring a tiny electric pump with me to speed that up. With two deflation ports, it flattens fast when it’s time to go.
Luno Life Air+Foam Pro car-camping mattress
Similarly, the Luno Life Air+Foam Pro car camping mattresses use a thick memory foam inside the inflatable mattress, creating a stable, supportive sleeping pad that’s luxuriously thick. I used this on a homemade platform for 7 consecutive nights of camping and never had a bad night’s sleep. The release valve lets you easily release micro amounts of air to fine tune its stiffness, too.
Luno Life’s standout feature is the integrated straps that connect the head of the mattress to your car’s headrests, holding it up over any gap between front and rear seats. This means you don’t need a full-length pad and can slide your front seats all the way forward for more room. Available in three lengths to fit almost any vehicle, they’re great in a ground tent, too!
Hover Air X1 Pro Max drone
Calling this a drone makes it sound more complicated than it is and maybe oversells it. The Hover Air X1 Pro Max is basically a flying camera, and it’s absolutely incredible…for certain things. Like mountain biking. Or hiking, but I’ve mostly used it for fast-paced riding on both trails and gravel.
The only downside is that it can’t (yet?) track vehicles, only people. Even though you can get a remote and manually control it, it’s not quite as useful for filming overland driving. But if you want amazing sizzle reels of your human-powered activities, this thing has blown my mind. I filmed a ton of action (big screen, volume up!) at this year’s RIFT MTB stage race in Iceland, and a lot of my friends have bought one after seeing that footage.
Simply turn it on, select the mode, and hit the button – it magically follows and films you, even at 20+ mph descents in the woods! It’s nuts how good the footage is, and there’s even a wearable wireless mic that syncs audio with the footage!
Toyo Open Country AT3 Tires
I mounted the Toyo Open Country AT3 tires earlier this year because I wanted something with an aggressive yet quiet tread, good tread life, and a reasonable weight. They delivered on all of those metrics and have been nearly impeccable off-road.
While Uwharrie’s mud is the only thing that’s given them any trouble, they prevailed, and have expertly handled every other terrain I’ve taken them on. From snow-and-ice covered trails in CO and NM to slick rock in AZ to gravel in the Southeast, I’ve put nearly 10,000 miles on them this year and been extremely impressed.
Even better, despite all those miles on and off the road, the tread barely shows any signs of wear, so I suspect they’ll last a long, long time.
Nokian Tyres Outpost nAT
When it was finally time to retire the KO2s on my van, I wanted to try something lighter. The new Nokian Tyres Outpost nAT looked like the perfect option…lower weight, but still E-rated with aggressive tread, and claimed all-weather, all-season performance. Since I take my RWD van places I (probably?) shouldn’t, my only remaining concern was whether they’d be tough enough.
Turns out, yes. Driving up the incredibly steep, loose, rocky, and rough Tater Ridge in the Kaibab National Forest proved just how good they are. While my engine and transmission had to take a few breaks along the way, the tires never faltered. (see them in action here)
Even better, I get all the grip I need without dropping below 50psi, which helps them hold up to rocks and abuse better without being uncomfortable or smashing my rims. In fact, these tires have given me a new appreciation for how comfortable and compliant an all-terrain tire can be…my van rides smoother than ever and performs every bit as well off road. Highly recommend!
MORRflate Air Hub & TENSIX PSI Pro
At first, I thought the Morrflate Air Hub and 4-Tire Hose Kit was a bit of a gimmick that would take more time to set up than just manually deflating each tire. After all, you’ve gotta pull it out and hook up a spider web of hoses each tire. Turns out, I was wrong…the set-it-and-forget-it gauge automatically deflates all tires to the same psi at the click of a button. And it’s fast.
Then I used it to re-inflate my tires for highway driving and it made even more sense. Combined with the TENSIX PSI Pro compressor, I could air up all four tires in under 5 minutes. Even with unpacking and re-packing the hoses and stuff, I was still way faster than my buddy with a smaller unit and single hose. Like, waaaaaaay faster. It’s an expensive setup, but if time is money, or you’re airing down/up tires for a group of vehicles, this setup is phenomenal.
SuperSprings
At nearly 10,000 pounds, my camper van is heavy. And a lot of that weight sits at the back, especially with cargo boxes and a spare tire hanging off the back. So I added the SuperSprings helper leaf springs, which gave me back more than an inch of ride height! They also improved overall ride quality and handling, yet maintained off-road traction and articulation. In other words, they added height and clearance, but didn’t make the ride overly harsh…win/win!
I also added their rear bump stops, which are both taller and firmer than the stock ones…perfect for a lifted vehicle that’s much heavier than stock. If you have a built-out camper van, I highly recommend adding these.
Apparel & Shoes
LIVSN & Club Ride Apparel
LIVSN has nailed travel pants with two of my favorites. Shown above are the Ecotrek Trail Pants, but I also love their relaxed fit Flex Canvas Pants V3, too. Both have stretch and move freely for active pursuits, and both have knife and phone pockets on just behind the side seam. The former are thinner and lighter, and the latter have a bit thicker material that’s still great for all but the hottest days.
For shirts, I basically live in either wool tees or Club Ride’s excellent button up shirts. I have almost every iteration, each in multiple colors. My favorites are the New West and Detour, thanks to their lightweight, quick-drying, stretch material with mesh side and under arm panels. These things are perfect for travel, mountain biking, hiking, etc. Grab one of their Shaka Flannels for cooler nights.
Hollow Alpaca socks
I got a few pair of Hollow’s Everyday Boot and Crew socks in October and haven’t stopped wearing them since. They’re made from baby alpaca fibers which are incredibly soft and, like wool, won’t stink even after days of wearing them. Considering the age and funk of the shoes I’ve been wearing them in for many of my adventures, the fact that they don’t stink at all is a testament to nature’s engineering. I could (and probably will) only pack a couple pair of these for a multi-week trip and be fine.
Danner Mountain 600 boots
There are high-top trail runners, and there are mountaineering boots. Sitting in the that middle sweet spot are the Danner Mountain 600, the most comfortable hiking boots I’ve ever worn.
They feel instantly broken in, with a soft, pliable full grain leather upper, are lightweight, and have amazing grip thanks to a Vibram outsole. Not only are they great for long trail hikes, they’re also not bad when driving, something that can’t be said for stiffer hiking boots…and that’s important for overlanding, especially if you like to stop and explore frequently!
Salewa Pedroc Air women’s light hiking shoes
I’m always asking my wife “what do you think of these?” when we’re offered shoes to review, and for 99% of them, it’s usually a quick “um, no.” Most hikers look too aggressive or come in weird colors. But Salewa’s Pedroc Air have the rare combination of looking sporty and pairing well with casual travel outfits, the elusive combo she’s been seeking.
Not only that, they’re also supremely comfortable and work great on trails…even slick wet ones. And, for white shoes, they’ve stayed remarkably white despite hiking through mud, rain, and red desert dirt.
They’ve quickly become her go-to daily walking shoe, travel shoe, and hiking shoe. And now that they’re finally almost worn out – after a year and a half! – she’s looking to buy a second pair, which is just about the highest compliment we can pay these shoes. Available in several colors and men’s versions, too, Salewas are also one of my favorite shoe brands.
Paka’s The Hoodie
Paka Apparel is another brand using alpaca wool, and The Hoodie is my all-time favorite sweater. It’s unbelievably soft, but that’s just the beginning. As a tall guy, it’s perfectly fitted while still being slim and having a long enough torso and sleeves…a hard-to-find combo when you’re both tall and athletic.
The other thing I love is that it’s warm without being bulky, but not too warm on its own. Meaning, it’s a perfect shoulder season outer layer on its own, but also works great as a mid-layer under a puffy jacket. And, at just $149, it’s reasonably priced for such a high-quality, super comfy item that (so far) has proven very durable. Final bonus: Because it’s alpaca wool, it won’t stink even after days of wear!
Things I’m looking forward to using in 2026:
Wolfbox G900TriPro
The Wolfbox G900TriPro is a 3-camera “dash cam” that adds a rear view camera and front bumper camera, letting you see the terrain directly in front of (or even under, depending on how you mount it) your rig. This one’s sitting in my garage waiting to be installed, and as much as I’d resisted putting another screen in my GX470, the idea of a terrain camera won me over.
Zenbivy Overland Sleeping System
Zenbivy makes a unique sleeping system that’s part blanket, part sheet, part sleeping bag. People seem to like them, and soon they’ll have an “overland” version that fits rooftop tent mattresses.
I got an early sample, and it’s tucked into my Yakima SkyPeak HD, but I haven’t had a chance to get out for a night in it yet. It doesn’t come out until early Spring, so I’ll have a full review then, but just setting it up made it pretty clear it’s going to be nice and cozy.
Teren Designs Campfire Puffy 2.0
If there were ever a jacket purpose built for camping in cold conditions, this is it. The Teren Designs Campfire Puffy 2.0 is a softshell with a tough, fire-resistant outer shell, warm fleecy pockets, and Primaloft Gold fill for warmth, it’s basically impervious to anything you throw at it – wind, rain, thorns, burning embers, whatever.
I just got this in, so haven’t had a chance to really test all those claims out in the wild, but it’s super comfy and warm just kickin’ around town so far. (check it out in this video from Overland Expo West)
Ohmmu Li-Ion Batteries
Technically, I’ve been using Ohmmu’s Li-ion batteries since this summer, but have been having issues with my older Go Power IC2000 unit managing them.
So, it’s not fair to fully review them when other equipment prevents me from getting the most out of them, but suffice to say I’m impressed with Ohmmu’s space-saving design. I basically doubled my usable output in 1/2 the space and 1/3 of the weight of the three AGM batteries these replaced. So, I’m pretty excited to get my camper van’s power management system upgraded and see what these things can do! (watch this video for an overview of their tech)
Packfire Portable Fire Pit
The Packfire is what happens when you take a Solo Stove and make it collapsible, give it a durable backpack for transport, and (they say) improve on the design so it produces even less smoke.
It’s a little heavy, but it packs down small enough to stuff in your vehicle, take to the beach, or bring to almost any campsite where fires are allowed. The backpack even has an automatic kickstand, making it really easy to load and unload. I’ve seen it in action but haven’t had the opportunity to try mine out yet – but I’m looking forward to it!
How I chose these products
The stuff above barely scratches the surface of everything I’ve been testing, and a lot of it is really good – from Baja Designs lights to Yakima’s RTT and more. Lots more! I’ll be reviewing everything, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites.
Everything above was selected purely on its merits – no reviews were paid for or otherwise incentivized – and I only included things I (or we) have actually used in the field.
See you in 2026!
Thanks for reading, watching, and commenting. Lots more to come, mods to make, and a few other changes coming in 2026.
I’ll be leaning into storytelling around all the trips I take, something I’ve been banking footage for but not time…so that editing begins in earnest in January. If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel yet, please do, it means a lot to me. See ya on the other side!
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