If you asked me to name the best bike brand, it would be impossible. Dozens of brands make top-shelf bikes that are an absolute pleasure to ride and full of creative technologies. However, naming the best bike rack brand is easy: 1UP. Several other brands make totally competent racks, but none are as unique, well made, thoroughly designed, or beautiful as what 1UP constantly pumps out.

Case in point is 1UP’s new Super Duty bike rack. I’ve been testing it for the past several months on the back of my 2024 Toyota Tundra and there is not one thing I can find wrong with the design.

1UP racks have long had a cult-like following because they’re the best rack out there for safely transporting your expensive bike. Their design uses two arms that secure your wheels by reaching over them and putting downward pressure on your tires to keep the bike locked in place on a metal tray. By locking on the tires, the arms never touch your frame and therefore won’t rub the paint or damage the bike, while still keeping it completely planted and safe.

This design also has the added benefit of a super clean aesthetic. The two arms sit nicely on the wheels, creating a symmetrical design, and everything is made from polished or simple black aluminum. When folded up and not in use, all the 1UP bike racks tuck against the back of your car more cleanly and efficiently than any other rack out there, almost blending into the car or the tailgate.

Testing the 1UP Super Duty

The version I tested is an upgrade over the standard 1UP rack in several important ways. The biggest talking point is that each tray can now hold up to 100 pounds (compared to 50 pounds per tray on their standard rack), and each tray and lock-down arm is wider so you can now safely carry the heaviest e-bikes or even a wide-tired electric dirt bike like those made by Super 73.

The electric dirt bike capability is a big deal because lots of overlanders are buying these adventure bikes as add-ons for their rigs. They’ll find a remote camping spot, set up their truck with all its accessories, and then jump on their Super 73 to explore, or even run back into town for groceries. Without something like the 1UP rack, overlanders have had to stuff their adventure bikes into vans and truck beds, or build custom racks.

Additionally, the Super Duty is compatible with what 1UP calls a wheel chock, a v-shaped device that slots into the tray and holds the front wheel of your bike as a third point of contact. I loved this because during my testing I carried expensive carbon bikes up a series of gnarly, off-grid roads that had my truck bouncing around to the point where my family threatened to get out and walk. The normal arms kept my bikes in place, but the wheel chock was a nice piece of insurance. I like knowing that no matter how much time I spend bouncing on a dirt road, it’s almost impossible for my bike to fall off.

Another smaller but important update is the one-handed arm adjustment feature. Other 1UP racks require two hands to open the arms on the tray, but the Super Duty allows you to open the arms one handed so you can keep your other hand on your bike.

Like all 1UP bike racks, the Super Duty was effortless to install. It slid into my two-inch hitch, I decided how far I wanted it to sit from my tailgate, and I tightened it down with a couple of twists of the included wrench. Over several thousand miles of driving, including several hundred miles of dirt roads, the hitch is still as secure as when I installed it and there isn’t a milliliter of wobble. I’ve tested many other bike racks from big-name brands, and all of them have eventually come loose, so it’s an absolute pleasure to not ever have to worry about the 1UP.

As you might guess, the Super Duty is not cheap. My double trays cost a hearty $900, and the single comes in at $600. But the saying “buy once, cry once” is as true as it comes here because this will be the last bike rack you’ll need for years, if not decades, and will only become obsolete if bikes change in some crazy way. Knowing how good the Super Duty is at protecting your bike also takes the pain away as you drive around confident that your $4,000—or $14,000—whip is totally locked down and safe.

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Each year, tens of thousands of people gather in Flagstaff, Arizona, for , the overlanding industry’s top trade show and a wonderland for adventure rig inspiration.

There are always plenty of tricked-out vehicles and new off-road campers to drool over, plus seminars and classes to learn about everything from off-road driving skills to how to plan a global adventure. But one of my favorite things to do at the show is wander the booths and check out all of the accessories. There’s an endless supply display to help folks outfit their own rigs, get unstuck, and stay on the road longer. Here are some of my favorites from the 2023 show.

AT Overland Aterra Topper (from $20,500)

It might stretch the definition of an accessory, but we had to include at least one camper on this list. Longtime overland upfitter and camper manufacturer AT Overland launched their at the event. The Aterra joins AT’s lineup of three , including the Summit, Atlas, and Habitat, and is one of the first toppers on the market to blend the idea of a full, hard-sided camper and a pop-up topper that rests on the truck’s bed rails. You can think of it as the weekend-warrior version of the company’s fully-featured, flatbed . Rather than creating a slide-in version of it, AT wisely chose to have the Aterra Topper simply sit on top of, and bolt to, the bed rails, which leaves the customer with full use of their truck bed.

The Aterra Topper is minimal by design, and comes with a bed platform, two fold up tables on the walls, wire chases, and a 185-watt solar panel on top that can be plugged into a power pack, like a Goal Zero. My favorite feature is the rear door, which is large enough to ride an ATV or dirt bike through, or lets you easily store mountain bikes and other pricey gear inside. It’s a smart solution for anyone who wants more protection from the elements than a wedge-style camper, yet wants to retain use of their truck bed and doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of a slide-in.

Kuat Ibex Truck Rack (from $1489)

I’m a big fan of Kuat’s bike racks, like the Piston Pro X, so I was pumped to see them take an even bigger step into the overlanding and truck world with the release of the Ibex truck bed rack. The is an aluminum truck bed rack that’s incredibly versatile thanks to tons of built-in t-channels and available accessories. It comes in full or half-height versions, has telescoping load bars on top, and can be outfitted with molle panels and loads of other goodies, as seen above. So, if you’re looking for a way to mount bikes to the side of your rig, and bolt on Maxtrax, jerry cans, shovels, or a hi-lift jack, Kuat has you covered. On top of that, the Ibex has a static load rating of 1,200 pounds, a dynamic load rating of 600 pounds, and an off-road dynamic rating of 300 pounds, so you can carry what you need.

Goose Gear Park Series (from $1150)

Recently, there’s been a big push to turn crossovers like the Toyota Rav4 or Subaru Outback into overland rigs. This has become even more apparent with the OEMs getting into the game, with Toyota adding a trim level to the Rav4 and Subaru adding a trim level to the Outback. Goose Gear, one of our favorite vehicle storage solution makers, is looking to capitalize on this trend with their freshly launched , a line of storage platforms for folks with those vehicles. They’re one of the first companies to offer a product like this for crossovers, and unlike some of their other units, these can be shipped directly to the consumer for an easy, DIY install. The Park Series system is also incredibly lightweight and removable, which means you can plop it in your rig on a Friday and have a killer overlanding and camping setup for the weekend, and easily pull it out for daily driver duties during the week.

Dometic Hub 2 Shelter ($749)

Dometic’s latest is one of the most innovative structures of its kind we’ve seen in a long time. It uses Dometic’s Air Frame technology, so it doesn’t require poles and is single-point inflatable, which makes setup incredibly easy. You can use it as a vehicle awning, a shade structure, a freestanding gazebo, or even add tent annexes and turn it into a big group tent. It weighs just 19 pounds and packs down small enough to fit in any vehicle, so you’ll always have some shade when you need it.

Agile Off Road Scissor Jack with Axle and Frame Adapter ($339)

On the drive to the Expo one of the tires on my Airstream blew out on the highway. Aside from some minor damage to the underside of the trailer, everything was fine, but we had to borrow a floor jack from an auto shop to change the tire because the bottle jack I had wasn’t substantial enough to jack up the recently lifted trailer. So jacks were on my mind as I wandered around the show this year, and Agile Off Road’s stood out as something I must have. The company took a military issued Hummer H1 jack, which has a 17 inch lift height and a 3.5 ton capacity, plus a wide, stable base for use in soft soil or mud. It also has a billet aluminum adapter that fits a rear axle or frame rail. Agiles designed it to work with Sprinters, but it’ll work with any type of van or heavy lifted rig. If you’ve heavily modified your vehicle then you need a jack that can help you safely change a tire or lift the vehicle—this is the one I’ve got my eyes on.

Kokopelli Bikepacking Bags

Overlanding can be done on two wheels—and even by raft. Case in point: packraft maker showed off their soon-to-be-released line of bikepacking bags at the show. The brand noticed more people doing trips combining —and often carrying both bike and drybags—so designed its own set of bags for just that purpose. They’re completely waterproof, detach quickly from the bike, and let you easily store your paddle and raft in the handlebar bag. Plus, they eliminate extraneous bags for either part of your endeavor. We’re excited to test these later this summer.Ěý (Prices TBD.)

Kakadu Outback Shower ($499)

One of the cooler parts of Overland Expo is that brands from across the globe gather in one place. has been making quality overlanding gear in Australia for 80 years, and just launched a line of products in the U.S., including this awesome heated . It’s an all-in-one setup that includes a showerhead, pump, lithium battery, and pump. It’s all built into one lightweight, compact package that stores easily and runs off of a standard one-pound propane canister. The battery will power the unit for two hours straight, and you can get four hours of hot water off one propane tank, so you’ll run out of water long before needing to recharge the unit or swap fuel. Another brilliant feature is that when you turn off the water flow at the shower head, it automatically turns off the burner so the water doesn’t get scorching hot (it kicks back on when you turn the water on). I built my own DIY version of this a few years ago, but spent a ton of time at the hardware store finding the right tubes and fittings. I wish this system had been around then, and am excited to test it out.

Renogy Rego Smart Solar System

Renogy is a major player in the off-grid and overland power system market, long known for making affordable and quality components like solar panels, solar charge controllers, and batteries. Their recently launched caught our eyes because it’s designed to be extremely easy to install. It comes with all the necessary wiring and Anderson plugs for easy, plug-and-play connections, which saves a ton of time over wiring them yourself, like I did recently with my dream truck camper build. The Rego system has seven different components, so you can easily add on more capacity and capability as your build evolves. One of those is the new 400ah lithium battery, which is one of the smallest batteries of this size we’ve seen. This is the most customizable, yet easy to install system on the market that we’ve seen. (Pricing depends on components.)

The Mounting Co. Mount (from $249)

We’re lucky to have one of the best overland shops in the country, (TAV) where I live in New Mexico. They’re known for their incredible work building some of the most capable adventure rigs around, so when we saw their new quick-release mounting system, we paid attention. The new lineup of is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, and designed to help you securely mount everything from a Pelican case to a cooler to your rig—whether on a roof rack, in a truck bed, or on the back of an SUV. The designer has a background in trophy truck racing, where small time savers like how quickly you can change a tire or get to your recovery gear mean the difference between winning and losing. The system consists of a base plate and an incredibly simple pin locking system. As a videographer, I could see this being a great way to securely mount a Pelican case full of camera gear in the back of my truck, and I’m sure there are a billion other uses folks will come up with.

Benchmade Full Immunity Knife ($300)

Overlanders can’t resist a good blade, as evidenced by the heavy traffic in the Benchmade booth this year. Maybe that stems from the idea of preparedness being ingrained into overlanding, or maybe it’s because Benchmade makes a superb, sexy knife. Either way, we were impressed by the new collection, which feature a 2.5 inch CPM-M4 blade in a Wharncliffe profile. Translation? This small, assisted-open knife is a perfect everyday carry companion, and the blade size means it conforms to virtually all blade-length restrictions so you can keep it in your rig at all times.

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The decision to spend weeks on the road exploring the U.S. was not easy, but figuring out where to go was simple—I want to go everywhere! Once I was all in, I just needed a way to do it: a home and conveyance. A camper.

Last year, when I began considering my potential home on wheels, I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those people in a towering Sprinter with sleek blonde wood finishes and a hydraulic bed inside. For one thing, I can’t afford it, and for another, it is decidedly not my vibe. Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things, but I’m a wee bit of a dirtbag and extremely hard on my stuff. Function had to be the name of the game.

The truck I ended up buying and which my father and I turned into a tiny but well-appointed camper is basically me personified. A well-loved, slightly battered, but still-in-great-condition 1998 first-generation Toyota Tacoma. Shortly after acquiring the truck from my brother (who acquired her from a family friend who’d bought her new), I sourced a pearl purple high-top camper shell, and the vision was complete. Like some kind of utilitarian Mardi Gras float, Queenie was born.

I already had the perfect destination for the maiden voyage of my new truck camper. Having grown up touring national parks with my family, I always wanted to go to Glacier National Park in Montana, but never had the chance. I plotted a route from my home base of Santa Rosa, California: north up the coast to a camping/glamping resort in Southern Oregon, a stop in the Willamette National Forest to check out the McKenzie River Trail, stops in Eugene and Portland to see friends, east through Washington to Spokane, through Northern Idaho, and then to the main event.

But first I had to finish building out my camper.

What I had thought would take a few months instead took about a year to complete. Between the schedules of the family and friends helping, global-supply chain issues, and a generally relaxed schedule, we finished just in time to get me on the road for this past summer.

In his youth, my father, Charles, embarked on a similar project of his own, building the majority of a camper shell for his truck, but he’d eventually stalled out. “I’ve been through beginning a project but not being able to see it through,” he said, “and I don’t want that for you.” His experience deepened his investment in my build, and I never could have done it without him and his motivation.

A year ago, when our mission began, I spent hours scouring Tacoma message boards and looking at other folks’ builds, finally zeroing in on a basic concept: a sleeping platform with a pull-out kitchen and storage hatches underneath. I knew I didn’t want to make the platform out of wood because of weight and durability, and after a brief dream of having a frame welded out of rectangular aluminum tubing that didn’t work out because of the welder’s busy schedule, my dad and I landed on steel framing.

When it came time to construct the pull-out kitchen, I knew I didn’t want to build a heavy box out of wood to house it. Instead I found an that fit the dimensions. Heavy-duty locking drawer slides rated for up to 600 pounds would allow the crate to slide in and out. I just had to figure out how to attach them to the ridged surface of the bin.

It was around this point that we started using the word “contraptioneer” a lot. The wooden blocks we glued and screwed to the bin so that we could install the drawer slides? That was an act of contraptioneering. It means it’s usually not pretty but it functions how you need it to and it solves a problem.

Having running water was a big dream of mine: If I was gonna make it on this journey, I needed a convenient, doable way to be able to shower and generally clean up. So I ordered a 10-gallon water tank, a and a and started researching what kind of tubing we needed to run hot water.

To this day I truly never get tired of turning that tap on to scrub out my cast-iron skillet after dinner and having hot water come out. I look at my camp neighbors boiling pots of water in order to get their dishes mostly clean, and I laugh, replete with superiority.

When it came to the electrical system, I knew what I wanted: a house battery that could be charged by solar or the alternator, an inverter for 120 power, and the ability to plug into shore power. Through reading countless accounts of van builds, I figured out the components I would need: a a —all from Renogy—and an and a from Samlex.

I’ll cut to the chase on this one. Putting the electrical system together was beyond either my or my father’s skills or patience, and did a fantastic job installing it.

After the components were in place and wired together, my dad and I were able to use his rudimentary electrical knowledge to run power from the system to my some 12V LED lights, a 12V outlet, and the water pump for the sink/shower.

As I write now, on a cloudy day on the Oregon Coast, I’ve got plenty of power to do whatever I need, which will never stop being the absolute coolest thing to me.

Back to the build: now that we had the nuts and bolts and guts in place, it was time to think about comfort and organization.

Two storage hatches on the right side of the platform are designated for my clothes. My kitchen supplies are stored in bins in the kitchen pull-out—dishes and utensils in one, tools and knives in the other, and my pots and pans are in a catch-all bin at the back of the slide. My food goes in an so I don’t get rolled up on by critters in the night.

My mattress took some figuring. The first try was a hand-me-down memory foam, but I was too much person for that mattress. We needed air to appropriately support these curves. Over a couple of anxious days I went back and forth between REI & Sports Basement testing every mattress I could get my body on.

The size of my truck bed became the determining factor. Most of the mattresses I liked were too long, but self-inflating foam + air mattress that fit into my space perfectly. The price tag was tough to swallow, but if there’s one piece of advice I’d give for living in your car, it’s to make sure your bed is truly comfortable. Not comfortable enough, but actually comfortable. You need a good night’s sleep to do anything and everything else on the road.

My mom made me a custom cover for my precious mattress along with some truly sweet seat covers that I think everyone should be a little more excited about, and every truck owner should be jealous of.

I also knew I needed some kind of awning for shade, and I went back and forth between the budget version and the one I really wanted. Eventually I decided to shell out for the good stuff and went with the

Later, my two nights at the Coldwater Cove campground in the Willamette National Forest were beautiful, but the days were rough with temperatures topping out around 104. I was beyond thankful to have my own shade.

As my preparations drew to a close, I debated taking my bike for a long time, until I saw the It lets me swing my bike out of the way rather than unload it to get into my truck bed without having to unload the bike. It also folds up to save space if I have unloaded my bike and locked it up at camp. Now I have the ability to go explore wherever I’m camped without getting back in the car after already driving here. Definitely bring your bike!

I love when I’m at a campsite, cooking dinner or washing dishes or just hanging out and seeing people’s faces light up as they walk by my rig, with, “What is that??” writ large in their eyes. I always offer up a tour and take them through everything my small yet mighty vehicle can do.

The pride I have in knowing that I (mostly) didn’t pay someone to create my dream rig, but rather stumbled my way through it with my dear old dad grows every time someone says, “Nice set-up.”

I launched on my first trip in mid July and was on the road for four weeks. I am proud to report that everything on the truck functioned exactly as intended during this first trip, though that doesn’t mean everything went as planned. I ran into a major heatwave in the PNW with triple-digit temperatures at almost all of the stops I had planned on the way to Glacier.

Given that my truck doesn’t have AC, I made the tough call to change my plans and tour the Oregon coast instead. Yes, I learned my lesson and will be getting my AC charged—horsepower be damned! While I was absolutely bummed to cancel Glacier, one of the best parts about truck camper travel is how easily plans can be changed. Something that can’t be said if you’re flying!

For the last couple years I’ve lived near the excellent which contains some of the most beautiful coastline California has to offer. You can imagine my surprise when I found Oregon’s coast to be possibly even more stunning than that of my Golden State. The change in plans gave me the relief I needed from the heat as I cruised down the coast with the windows down, enjoying the sea smells and salt air in my face.

This fall I plan to take Queenie south and into the Mojave Desert, through Arizona and New Mexico to the White Sands National Park, and maybe even down into Texas to finally check Big Bend National Park off the list.

During my time on the road I encountered tons of camping rigs, and the majority are fancier than mine. Built-out Sprinters, slick towable teardrops, slide-in truck-campers, and everything else under the sun. While my rig might not be the shiniest or newest, knowing that *I* made her makes me love Queenie more than any fresh-off-the-lot rig.

I asked my dad if completing the truck gave him a sense of redemption about his own camper. He said, “You can’t go back in time, but I’m proud of what we did.”

My camper truck is a constant source of inspiration for me, giving me confidence when I need it, and maybe even some to others. I like to think of my janky-yet-jaunty DIY rig as a potential catalyst for people to realize that their dreams—no matter how daunting—are closer than they imagine.

Queenie is not the 4×4, she’s not the V6—no, nothing fancy, but like me she works and shows no signs of slowing down. Sure, there have been times on unpaved roads when I wished I had a little more power to get where I was going, but we’re about 1,500 miles into our journey and haven’t gotten stuck yet.

The post How I Turned My Tacoma into the Ultimate Road-Trip Truck appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

My wife and I have four kids, plus two big dogs, and the whole crew loves to play outside. As you can imagine, packing the car for any trip is an absolute beast: there’s So. Much. Damn. Gear. As a result, I’ve spent years testing various contraptions that add storage to a vehicle. What follows are the four devices I think do the best job of easily and cleverly expanding a car’s capacity. Even if you don’t have a big family, these devices create extra room for long trips, expand what you can bring in a small or midsize car, and help you stay organized.

Yakima Exo System (Starting at $580)

, which just launched, is a swingout rack that fits into a two-inch hitch receiver. Two arms stick out from the base that can hold almost anything: a cargo box, tray, bike rack, or ski rack. You can also add an extension bar for a second level of arms directly above the first, effectively doubling your carrying capacity and configuration possibilities: you could attach a cargo box to the bottom arms and then a ski rack to the top set, or fasten a tray to the bottom and a bike rack to the top. Everything that’s mounted then swings out of the way when you need to open the rear hatch or tailgate.

The downside: only expensive Exo-specific Yakima products work with the swingout (your old Yakima bike rack won’t fit). I still think the investment is worth it because you get a huge amount of hauling capacity, and it’s significantly more convenient to have your cargo box and bike rack on the back of your car instead of on the roof. Those of you who don’t have a two-inch receiver (looking at you, Subaru owners) can easily get one installed at a U-Haul location.

PakMule Sway-Back Tray ($945)

is not modular nor does it swing out like the Yakima Exo system, but it has other advantages. Namely, it’s rated to carry up to 500 pounds of gear, nearly double what the Yakima tray will carry. Warning: check your vehicle’s vehicle’s tongue weight rating before you overload it. I use the tray most for overland trips, when I’m carrying heavy gear that can withstand a rainstorm, such as coolers, firewood, and even a spare tire. I also plan to use it for an upcoming hunting trip because it’s perfect for hauling home an animal that I won’t want in the back of my car. As with the Yakima Exo system, I appreciate that the PakMule mounts on the back of my car, where it’s significantly easier to access than a roof rack and doesn’t affect my gas mileage quite as much.

The price is steep, but for good reason. Instead of using steel that will eventually rust, the PakMule is made from a high-quality TIG welded aluminum that will last decades. PakMule also designed the tray’s locking mechanism to prevent rattling, even if you’re charging down bumpy dirt roads. The Sway-Back model that I have has a lower rail height than the , so it slides under the rear-mounted tire on my Toyota Sequoia. The Ridgeline model is a foot narrower and has an eight-inch rise from the hitch for better ground clearance.

Blue Ridge Overland Gear Vehicle Attics (Starting at $75)

I’ve always found miscellaneous gear to be the most difficult to organize on road trips. Where do you put your rain jackets, snacks, iPads, books, pillows, and other grab-and-go items you might need during the drive? Usually, this stuff clutters up the seats and floors and often gets lost. Then I came across that get everything organized and out of your way on the interior roof of your car.

Made from webbing, the attics sit above the rear seat and trunk space, and hang down only a couple of inches so they won’t interfere with your kids’ headroom or your visibility. On most vehicles, the front part attaches to the second-row grab handles, and the rear part attaches to the clothes hangers that sit over your trunk area. Blue Ridge only makes attics for a few models, but Tacoma, Jeep, and Outback owners are in luck. When we owned a Subaru, I used the attic to keep track of my kids’ stuff, but they’re also big enough to store a tent and a few sleeping bags.

American şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Lab M.A.S.S. Spare Tire Platform ($400)

I’ll admit that I haven’t tested myself. But I know people who have, and they say it’s a genius way to add storage to a rig with a spare tire mounted on the back. About half the size of the PakMule tray, the spare tire platform is made from high-quality aluminum and weighs only 18 pounds. It mounts with two ratchet straps (sold separately) and it’s the perfect place for an extra cooler, a pile of firewood, or anything you can strap down that weighs 100 pounds or less.

Overlanders will be keen to know that the company also makes brackets for each side of the platform to mount Maxtrax recovery boards and Rotopax jugs for extra water or gas. The company is currently designing more mounts for carrying an ax and shovel.

The post Four Ways to Instantly Increase Your Vehicle’s Storage Capacity appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

It’s been a while since we got to roam the booths and gawk at the incredible rigs featured at Overland Expo, one of our favorite annual trade shows. Thankfully, the is back in full swing this year, with three shows happening across the country. The events bring together overland-vehicle builders and enthusiasts looking to buy their next adventuremobile, and they never fail to spur ideas on how to make current ones better.

If you’re into adventure rigs, the expo can be overwhelming—your head feels like it’s on a swivel for the duration of the weekend, and just when you think you’ve seen all there is to see, you find something else to drool over.

Last month’s event in Loveland, Colorado, was the first Overland Expo Mountain West, and while it was considerably smaller than the flagship Overland Expo West that takes place each year in Flagstaff, Arizona, there was still plenty to admire. Instead of focusing on the coolest rigsĚýat the venue, I went on a search for the best new gear that will work for anyone, no matter what kind of setup you’ve got. Here are of my favorite finds.

Dometic Go Collection ($80 and Up)

You likely know for its excellent powered coolers (I’ve run theĚý in my camper for years), but the brand is stepping up its camping and outdoor-living game even more. The Dometic Go collection includes furniture, storage solutions, lighting, and a fantastic hydration system, all designed to make packing for camp and staying out longer easier.

Dometic’s camp table ($200), chair ($150), and bench ($100) seem incredibly sturdy but fold down small enough to fit into the trunk of a car. There’s even a personal 12-volt camp heater ($80) that can double as a seat heater if your vehicle doesn’t have one. The new Pac H50 Hard Storage aluminum case ($150) houses removable, soft-sided inserts to help keep your gear organized and protected, and you can even get an insulated one if you want to keep snacks cool on the drive. The collection will be available in spring 2022.

Dometic Hydration Jug and Water Faucet ($70 and $100)

The hydration-jug and water-faucet combo is the crown jewel of the Go collection, and I think it deserves its own mention. Here’s why: when it comes to camp comfort, the two biggest game changers are refrigeration and running water. After playing hard in the outdoors all day, coming back to enjoy these two simple necessities goes leaps and bounds toward feeling like a human. This pairing makes such comforts more accessible to everyone.

The faucet has a built-in, rechargeable battery that powers the pump, an LED light for nighttime use, and a magnetic base that allows it to adhere to other surfaces. That means you can turn the back of your car into a mobile kitchen and have running water for washing your hands, dishes, or whatever else wherever you are—no hand-pumping needed—just by tapping the top of the faucet. It pairs with the 11-liter hydration water jug, which is easy to pack (it’ll fit behind your vehicle’s wheel well) and carry to the campsite. Two openings help facilitate easy cleaning.

Steelhouse Fabrication Culinary Module ($2,419)

The Overland Expo shows aren’t just about looking at new camper and adventure-rig options; they’re also a great resource for DIY-oriented folks to generate ideas on how to build out their own rig. Steelhouse Fabrication, a new company out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is aiming to make building out your own camping trailer or Sprinter van easier than ever with its innovative line of . The concept is simple: buy a 6-by-12-foot cargo trailer, then purchase one of Steelhouse’s Culinary units and $650 dinette sleeper, and you’ve effectively got a fully outfitted camper for less than $8,000. In a world of $30,000 teardrop trailers and $80,000 off-road travel trailers, that’s an incredible bargain.

The Culinary module is designed to be completely modular, and it’s easily removable should you need to use your cargo trailer for hauling. It can hold up to five gallons of fresh and gray water,Ěýutilize a 56- or 100-amp-hour lithium battery, 90-watt solar panel, andĚýa 1,500-watt inverter; it also has a sink, LED lighting, two or three shelves, and USB charging ports and outlets, depending on how you configure it. If you’re looking to build your own camper and you’re on a budget, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better or simpler turnkey solution.

Pakmule Bike Bit ($85 and Up)

°Â±đ’v±đ written about Pakmule before, and the benefits of carrying extra gear behind your rig versus up on a roof: it’s more convenient, keeps your center of gravity lower, and lets you haul heavy stuff like firewood or a loaded cooler.

The problem with a hitch-mounted carrier like Pakmule’s is that you can’t use a hitch-mounted bike rack—but the Bike Bit changes that. It’s a welded, fork-style mount that attaches to the Pakmule and lets you load bikes directly on it. There are options for road or mountain bikes, and you can fit up to four at a time. The real beauty of it, though, is that you don’t have to choose between carrying a cooler and bikes, and with some creative arranging, you can haul all of your gear down low via your vehicle’s hitch, where it belongs.

OnX Off Road Premium ($30 per Year)

Chances are you already use some kind of mapping app for human-powered adventures like or , but is the best navigation app I’ve used that’s specifically for off-road driving. When you open the app, a Nearby Trails section pops up and lists various options in your area, along with a technical rating and detailed information.Ěý

While it’s not brand-new, the company recently added to its desktop site and for iOS users, which is incredibly helpful when you’re planning your route and trying to visualize what a trail will look like. (I learned that firsthand while en route to Overland Expo Mountain West this year, driving trails in the mountains while towing my teardrop trailer.)

Shower Pouch (Five for $25)

One of the most popular pieces of gear at Overland Expo wasn’t a part for your rig but a giant wipe for cleaning yourself at camp. Credit the 90-plus-degree heat and dusty campground for making it so popular at the show, but anyone who’s taken a “shower” with baby wipes in the past will appreciate the Shower Pouch.Ěý

Its size—two feet by one feet—means you can wash hard-to-reach places, like the middle of your back, and wipe your whole body down with just one cloth. It also has several fancy ingredients, like witch hazel water, organic white willow bark extract, and tea tree leaf oil, to leave you feeling refreshed and smelling good at the end of a long day. And the Shower Pouch is reusable; itsĚýmakers suggest throwing it in the washing machine when you get home and then reimagining it as a cloth to wash your dishes, clean your car, or anything else you can think of.

Step 22 Gear Pangolin Tool Roll ($145)

If you’re not familiar with Step 22 Gear, the brand makes some of the nicest bags and organizational tools for overlanding and general adventure travel that I’ve ever used. Its booth was full of cool products, but my favorite is the Pangolin tool roll. I’ve been testing it for the past several months, and it’s become one of the essential items I keep in my truck at all times.

Made from 1,000-denier nylon, it’s built to last; better yet, it ensures that all my tools can be found in the same place. That proved useful at the expo when my camper’s awning bent from severe wind and I needed to fix it quickly. At 2.4 pounds, this tool roll is lighter than a standard toolbox, and all of its pouches and organizational units are modular, so you can customize it depending on what tools you want to carry.

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Rooftop tentsĚýhave exploded in popularity in recent years, and there’s a lot to know when it comes to picking the right one. In this episode of the 101, Bryan Rogala walks us through the two main typesĚýand some things to consider when deciding which is right for you.

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Pickups are incredibly utilitarian, but sometimes youĚýneed more optionsĚýthan just the truck bed. That’s where having the right rack comes in. In this episode of The 101, Bryan Rogala walks throughĚýYakima’s , an adjustable-height modelĚýthat’s off-road rated to 300 pounds and intended for carrying heavy loads like rooftop tents.

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Adding storageĚýis the key to transforming any car into an adventuremobile.ĚýIn this episode of the 101,ĚýBryan Rogala walks usĚýthrough the dos and don’tsĚýof buying a roof rack for your ride.

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In this episode of şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Vehicles 101, Bryan Rogala talks to longtime şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřĚýbike testersĚýAaron Gulley and Jen Judge about the best way to bring bikes with you on the road. They’ve used just about every type ofĚýrack imaginableĚýand have settled on the RockyMountsĚýĚý($650)Ěýfor its ease of use and versatility. You can also check out Gulley and Judge’s full tour of their AirstreamĚýhereĚýand the rig they use to haul theirĚýAirstream and bikesĚýhere.

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Have you ever set something on the roof of your car, thinking, “I won’t forget that’s up there,” and then been wrong? Of course you have. Was it your wallet? Oh, you’re not that dumb? Well, I am.

One night about ten years ago, at the in Rocky Mountain National Park, I was changing my pants outside of my car and thought it would be a good idea to set my wallet on top of the car. It was a good idea, until about 15 minutes later when I was pulling the car into a gas station in Estes Park and went to pull my wallet out of my pocket and found it to be empty. Where was my wallet? Oh yeah, I’d set it on top of the car. And then driven 10 miles at 55 miles per hourĚýto the gas station.

What were the odds that I could find it? My girlfriend was skeptical. It’s worth noting that my “w˛ą±ô±ô±đłŮ” was actually just a stack of credit cards and IDs held together with duct tape, a homemade solution I used for years, which was very cheap—and in this case, pretty much invisible on asphalt in the dark.

We drove back to the trailhead slowly, scanning the road for my wallet, and found nothing. I figured it probably flew off the roof in the first mile or two on Highway 7, when we accelerated to 55 mph, so I turned around and drove the first two miles, slowly, still scanning. Nothing. One more lap, I thought. Just as my girlfriend was saying again, “You’re never going to find it…” I spotted it, and triumphantly steered the car over to the left side of the road, where I opened the door, leaned out and scooped up my wallet without even unclipping my seat belt. I am sure I thought I was pretty slick at the time, but on the Dipshit Scale, finding your wallet does not cancel out being dumb enough to drive off with it on the roof of your car.

The roof of the automobile is not a car part we think about that much, until we think it might be useful as either a temporary shelf, or as a place to put gear when driving. But when it comes to our stuff, I would argue that the roof of an automobile is one of the most dangerous places to put anything. Useful, but dangerous. It’s almost like rappelling off a long climb—very convenient, but one mistake can be deadly.

I mean, we’ve all seen mattresses sitting on the side of the freeway—how do we think they got there? That’s right, someone put a mattress on top of their car and then improperly secured it to the roof in a manner that couldn’t withstand the force exerted on it at 55 to 75 mph. I’ve seen cars flying down the freeway with a mattress on top, the front of the mattress catching so much wind that it looked like a giant animal’s yawning mouth, the people inside the car none the wiser. Jon, a friend of a friend, while helping someone move between college apartments and realizing they had nothing to tie their mattress down, perched himself on top of the mattress on his belly, arms spread, hands gripping the tops of the passenger and driver’s side doors, holding the mattress onto the top of the car. Jon did a lot of drugs back then.

Most of us have put bikes or skis on top of our car to get them from home to the trailhead or ski area, and we all know that it only takes one lapse in judgement to ruin it all. Mention roof racks around a group of six to eight cyclists and at least one of them will have a story about driving their beloved road bike or mountain bike into the roof of their garage, or into a restaurant drive-through. Someone told me that the bikes are often fine in many of those accidents, and the roof of the car takes most of the damage. I can tell you that when it comes down to the “Low Clearance” sign at the El Paso airport, two mountain bikes, and the roof and roof rack of a 2005 Chevy Astrovan, the airport sign will have the least damage of the three.

Also, if you fail to properly secure your bike on your roof rack, you may think you’re OK until you’re halfway across Nebraska and it comes flying into your rear passenger window. Or so I’ve heard. Skis, too: My friend Tommy, while working as a ski lift mechanic at Breckenridge in 2003, found a snowboard on the side of Highway 9 on his commute back into Frisco one evening, which someone probably noticed was missing when they got home and found an empty roof rack on the top of their car—but that a grateful Breck lifty (our friend’s sister) used for the rest of the 2003 season.

You would think, maybe, that after losing enough stuff by leaving it on top of a car, or wrecking enough bikes and/or roof racks, we’d learn. I would like to think that after leaving my wallet on top of my car that time, my car-roof stupidity had peaked. Alas.

A few months later, a few friends decided to hike a set of peaks on the Boulder skyline—South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak, Green Mountain, and Flagstaff Mountain, ending at the parking lot on Flagstaff Mountain, where we’d park a shuttle car to take us back to the start at theĚý. In the trailhead parking lot that morning, I started telling the story of finding my wallet on the side of the road, and as I was saying, “I set my wallet right here on top of the car,” I for some reason thought it would be smart to actually set my wallet on top of the goddamn car again.ĚýAn hour or so later up the trail, I realized my pant pockets felt empty—because I didn’t have my wallet. Because, in all likelihood, I had left it ON THE FUCKING ROOF OF MY CAR. So I spent the rest of the day trying to have a good time hiking with my friends, but also every four or five minutes imagining some stranger had spotted my duct tape wallet on top of my car and had absconded with it to Best Buy and bought themselves a new flat screen and a washer and dryer on their way to maxing out all my credit cards and destroying my credit rating for the next ten years.

Thankfully, when we returned to the South Mesa trailhead hours later, my wallet was right where I’d left it, perhaps partially obscured by the roof rack, and partially camouflaged by its drab outer duct tape layer. And from that point on, I learned, I got smarter, and I stopped leaving things on top of my car.

Just kidding. A few weeks ago, I drove three and a half miles from my house to the UPS Store on Colorado Boulevard in Denver with a water bottle sitting on top of the car the entire time.

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