With Rachael and I traveling as much as possible, we have the opportunity and necessity to use a lot of different pieces of gear. We use everything from GPS units to luggage and vehicle accessories. We have put together our favorite gear that we have used this year into a handy gear guide for holiday shopping. If you are shopping for the traveler or overlander in your life, this gear guide is for you!
Garmin Montana 700i GPS and Satellite Locator
We have spent the past few years carrying the Garmin InReach SE as our satellite communication device when we are outside of cell service. This year we updated to a device with a full-color screen that can be used for turn-by-turn navigation in our vehicle and on our moto that also has inReach functionality. The Garmin Montana 700i GPS is unbelievable! We have beaten ours up on gravel roads and up and down mountains all year and it hasn’t missed a beat. The Montana 700i latches on to satellites faster than our previous unit and thankfully we haven’t had to test the SOS function yet.
Matador SEG45 Travel Pack
2024 is the year of the backpack! The Matador SEG45 Travel Pack offers a truly unique packing experience with one main storage compartment and multiple smaller zipper pockets on the back. The SEG45 is as comfortable as an everyday carry gym bag as it is jet-setting across the country. Like everything else Matador makes, the SEG45 is made of durable materials and operates as you would expect-flawlessly.
DENALI D3 Driving & Fog Lights
It is no surprise that we are big fans of DENALI lights. We have DENALI D3 Driving Lights installed on our BMW F800GS motorcycle and DENALI D3 Fogs on our Lexus GX470. We have tens of thousands of miles of tarmac and dirt roads with the D3s and they are one of the most impressive lights we have seen. While the total 4,200 lumens for the pair is middle of the road, the quality and direction of the lights is what sets them apart. The D3 Driving Spot beam is crisp and reaches 1,900 feet at 1 lux. The D3 Fog Lights are a completely different animal with a DOT-compliant razor-sharp fog beam that we run 100% of the time on our GX. For the money, the D3 Driving Lights are hard to beat!
LiTime 100ah Lithium Battery
When we shopped for lithium batteries to upgrade our Casita Travel Trailer and other vehicles, we found LiTime to be the best compromise between features and cost. We installed 2 100ah LiTime Lithium batteries in our Casita and have had zero issues. The batteries charge quickly and can be run down low and recharged easily. While black friday deals are great from LiTime, the regular price for LiTime batteries is much easier to stomach than some of the more expensive options.
Overland Expo Foundation Membership
This is the most important item on this list as none of the other items have much value if we don’t have public land to recreate. The Overland Expo Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit that focuses on cleaning up public lands, teaching children about proper land use, and supporting veterans with PTSD. The Overland Expo Foundation is an ultra-lean organization with two part-time staff and a ton of volunteers. At a time when more public lands are at risk every day, organizations like OEF are more important than ever. Those interested in helping out can sign up as an individual member or enlist your company to support the foundation each year with an Industry Membership.
Exploration Quarterly Subscription
With the rise of the internet and social media, engaging content is more challenging to find. Print media has been hit especially hard and high-quality publications are difficult to find. Exploration Quarterly is one of the magazines we support because it is assembled so well. The articles are timely and written by overlanding experts, the photography is excellent, and the team behind the magazine is made up of some overlanding legends. Roseann and Jonathan Hanson are real-deal explorers and we are happy to recommend their rag any chance we get!
Ontario Knife Company Rat 2 Pocket Knife
The OKC Rat2 is my everyday carry pocket knife and I want nothing more from a pocket knife. The D2 steel blade is plenty fancy for my EDC knife and the action is smooth and reliable. The pocket clip works well and can be inverted. The fiberglass handle is comfortable enough for daily use. I have been carrying the RAT2 for over a year with zero problems and complaints. Best of all, at $50, it is a BARGAIN!
Mystery Ranch 2Day Assault Pack
A mantra that we learned while riding bicycles for hundreds of miles at a time is you don’t want to skimp on the “touch points”. Anything that your body touches for extended periods or under extreme stress should be the highest quality you can afford. I carried a Patagonia backpack from 2009-2024 and it did remarkably well considering the amount of abuse it was put through. I wanted a replacement bag that would carry more and last as long or longer than the Patagonia did.
The Mystery Ranch 2DAP fits the bill perfectly! It is cavernous and the opening is intuitive and useful on the run. I carry this backpack daily as my main work bag and it gets thrown around the vehicle on every trip. I cannot say enough about the bag and would recommend it to anyone needing a reliable EDC backpack.
Sea to Summit Watercell X 10L Bladder
Reliable water storage is essential to any overland trip regardless of which vehicle you are navigating. For the motorcycle, water storage is always tricky and the Sea to Summit Watercell seems to fit the bill. We can easily add 10L of water to any off-road trip, motorcycle adventure, or camping trip with no hassle. Sea to Summit gear is bomber and has all of the lashing points for securing to anything.
Rollercam 6’ Straps
The unsung hero of most overland and camping setups is the humble roller strap. We use these Rollercam straps all over the vehicle and our motorcycles for lashing miscellaneous items. The beautiful feature of the Rollercam straps is that once they are set and tightened, you can forget about them.