In case you hadn’t heard the news, overlanding is the new big thing in the automotive world these days. By combining camping and off-roading, overlanding offers SUV and truck drivers a chance to escape the rat race and free themselves in the great outdoors without sacrificing the comforts of home — or at least, of the car.
While overlanding can be a rather pricey hobby — buying a capable vehicle and sturdy gear to outfit it with, not surprisingly, isn’t cheap — we’ve pulled together a list of gift ideas at a wide variety of price points to make sure you can find something appropriate for the overlander in your life…or for you to send your friends and family so they know what to get you. Check them out below.
1. Kanan Outdoors First Strike Firestarter
Price: $8
From: amazon.com
Once the wheels stop moving for the day, overlanding is effectively just camping — but with way better amenities. Still, you’re gonna want to make a fire. This metal firestarter sends out showers of 3,000º+ Fahrenheight sparks over and over again, so you’ll never be without a way to cook s’mores.
2. Front Runner Rack Mounted Bottle Opener
Price: $14
From: frontrunner.com
When you’re on the trail, beer o’clock comes whenever you’ve parked for the day. With this handy bottle opener mounted to the roof rack of your rig, you’ll never waste precious seconds looking for your churchkey again.
3. Leisure Quip Solar Shower
Price: $19
From: frontrunner.com
You may be spending your days in an air-conditioned cabin, but odds are good you’ll still want a shower every now and again. This solar-heated unit can warm five gallons of H2O to 113º F in three hours, and has a convenient temperature gauge to let you know if it’s reached the temp you want.
4. Bully Tools D-Grip Camp Shovel
Price: $25
From: frontrunner.com
Whether you find yourself driving in sand, mud, dirt or snow, odds are good you’ll need to dig yourself out at some point. This steel-bladed shovel is compact enough to be lugged around easily — and will look great mounted to the outside of your rig, to boot.
5. Kanan Outdoors Weatherproof Solar Power Bank
Price: $40
From: frontrunner.com
You may take to the trails to get away from it all, but you still probably have plenty of electronics that need charging. This compact, waterproof/dust-proof/shock-proof solar panel setup features a 16,000-mAh battery to hold electricity for whenever you need it.
Gear Patrol Magazine Subscription
Price: $39
From: store.gearpatrol.com
Gear Patrol Magazine is a deep dive into product culture. Inside each issue, you’ll find seasonal buying guides, rich maker profiles and long-form dispatches from the front lines of product design. Get four print magazines — delivered quarterly — with an annual subscription.
6. Front Runner Rack Mount Shower Arm
Price: $58
From: frontrunner.com
You don’t want to have to ask your overlanding buddy to hold up that solar shower bag, do you? Snap this arm onto your roof rack, and you have a guaranteed mounting point for it — making those outdoors showers even more relaxing (and far less awkward).
7. Front Runner Low Profile Spare Wheel Clamp
Price: $68
From: frontrunner.com
Spare wheels and tires are one of the most essential items to carry with you when you take off beyond the pavement. This low-profile Front Runner clamp lets you lock an extra rim onto your roof rack or load bars, enabling you to carry a spare spare with ease.
8. Jerry Can with Spout and Adapter
Price: $80
From: amazon.com
You can never have too much fuel when you’re planning on traveling way out past the last gas station. The classic jerry can not only looks iconic hanging from the back of your Jeep, it’s a safe way to hold 5.3 gallons of extra fossil juice for when the trail home winds up being a little longer than you remember.
9. Reliance Flush-N-Go Portable Toilet
Price: $100
From: amazon.com
“Pack it in, pack it out” still applies when you’re off-roading, folks.
10. Hi-Lift Jack X-Treme
Price: $112
From: amazon.com
Whether it’s lifting up your truck to remove a flat tire or help it over an awkward obstacle, a jack can be one of your best friends when off-roading. This top-of-the-line unit can handle up to 5,000 pounds of weight, and comes packing gold zinc-coated hardware and a dark powder coat finish for durability (and pizzazz).
11. Sylvania 10″ LED Off-Road Lightbar
Price: $130
From: advanceautoparts.com
Visibility is your friend when you’re driving on unpaved land — and that means you can never have too much light. Strap this LED light bar onto the roof or bumper of your overlander, and you’ll be guaranteed better vision than you’d get from your headlamps alone.
12. Front Runner Aluminum Telescoping Ladder
Price: $169
From: frontrunneroutfitters.com
Many overlanders choose to mount a collapsible tent on top of their rigs; others prefer to load extra gear up there. Whichever way you choose, you’ll need to access it somehow — which is where this lightweight, retractable ladder comes in handy.
13. BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3
Price: $172+
From: tirerack.com
Just like in winter driving and high-speed maneuvering, tires make all the difference when off-roading. Our friends at The Tire Rack say overlanders couldn’t do better than these all-terrain BFGoodrich tires; we’re inclined to agree.
14. Front Runner Roof Top Tent Shower Skirt
Price: $175
From: frontrunneroutfitters.com
Many folks like to overland in groups for companionship — or to make sure there’s a helping hand there should things take a turn for the worse. Unfortunately, traveling with others means your opportunities to shower in the open are a bit more limited. This partition hooks onto a deployed roof top tent, allowing you to scoot from bed to shower much like you would at home.
15. Warn Medium-Duty Winch Accessory Kit
Price: $177
From: amazon.com
Everything you need to make the most out of that winch on the front of your truck, all in one convenient bag.
16. Front Runner Stainless Steel Prep Table with Basin
Price: $275
From: frontrunneroutfitters.com
One of the better parts of overlanding is that it lets you cart around a kitchen wherever you go. This stainless steel table’s folding legs let it slide away into narrow gaps for stowage, while the basin makes washing food or dishes easy as pie.
17. MaxTrax
Price: $325
From: amazon.com
It’s inescapable: at some point during your overlanding sojourns, you’re gonna get stuck. Instead of searing frantically for cardboard or two-by-fours to cram under your tires for added grip, use these MaxTrax instead; they’re literally made for the job, with cleated tread designed to dig into the ground (and for your tires to grip onto, too).
18. Trail Tech Voyager Pro
Price: $600
From: amazon.com
Having a good off-road-capable navigation system can be the difference between an enjoyable drive through nature and a terrifying search for the way home. As we found while overlanding along the Continental Divide, the Trail Tech Voyager Pro can guide you wherever you need to go with ease, cell phone coverage or no.
19. Warn VR Evo 10-S Winch
Price: $745
From: amazon.com
A powerful engine is great and good tires essential, but sooner or later, your off-roader will probably hit a spot where even these can’t help you. When that day comes, you’ll be glad you have a reliable winch on your front bumper. This Warn model packs enough punch to pull a full-size pickup truck or a big SUV around, so you’ll never be left wanting.
20. Dometic CFX50W Fridge / Freezer
Price: $999
From: amazon.com
If you were camping on foot or by bicycle, you’d be stuck eating pre-packaged, vacuum-sealed foodstuffs and whatever water your LifeStraw sucks out of the nearest river. But you’re not; you’re driving around in a two-ton vehicle. So why not bring this 46-liter fridge/freezer along for the ride? This Dometic can chill food or drink down to -8º F, and even can pair with your phone via wi-fi so you can change the temperature without leaving the driver’s seat.
21. Front Runner Roof Top Tent
Price: $1,099
From: frontrunneroutfitters.com
Arguably the best part of overlanding, of course, is being able to bring a comfortable bed anywhere your four-wheel-drive rig can go. A pop-up roof tent provides protection from the elements (and nosy wildlife), as well as an actual mattress. This Front Runner unit is less than eight inches tall when stowed away, yet opens up to provide room for two people to sleep in comfort.
The Knickerbocker x Gear Patrol Overland Tee
Price: $38
From: store.gearpatrol.com
There are few vehicles that are more sought after or beloved than the Land Rover Defender. For us, it’s at the pinnacle of our perpetual want list. Owing to its iconic nature, the Land Rover has come to represent a timeless pursuit, not just for car enthusiasts, but for outdoors people, escapists, and adventurers. The custom illustration Knickerbocker commissioned for the tee — penned by the very talented Joshua Minnich — is an ode to pursuits of all kinds, a reminder to go, to do, to see, to live.
Made in Portugal of 100% pre-shrunk cotton, the Overland Tee features a mounted collar construction with double-needle cover stitch, and blind stitch sleeves and hem, giving it a refined and timeless look. A mid-weight shirt produced in ecru, this tee is soft, comfortable and versatile enough to look great on its own or under a jacket.
