Best of Show: 15 New Pieces of Gear Spotted at Overland Expo West 2021
Events are happening again, and Overland Expo West 2021 in Flagstaff, Ariz., was as busy as ever. We traversed the entire massive show to search out the best new products hitting the market.
Here are the top 15 new pieces of gear we found at Overland Expo West 2021. The new gear ranges from travel bags to tarps, campers, and more. Check out the cool new stuff we found below.
Overland Expo West 2021: GearJunkie Best of Show
STEP 22 Chameleon
STEP 22 continues to come out with unique high-quality travel softgoods with a focus on overland vehicle travel. Its latest bag is the Chameleon, a rigid-sided hanging bag that opens like a clamshell and has impressive, versatile storage inside.
The brand designed it primarily for use as a camp kitchen. But the Chameleon’s uses are pretty infinite with the included Velcro Molle panels.
The STEP 22 Gear Chameleon will retail for about $100 and be available near the end of the year.
Dometic Personal Camp Heater
The answer to a cold backside when sitting around the campfire is the Dometic Personal Camp Heater.
This heated pad is perfect for keeping you warm around camp. It offers three heat settings and is covered in a durable, waterproof fabric. Any 12V source can power it — plug it directly into your vehicle, a battery bank, etc.
The Dometic Personal Camp Heater will retail for $80.
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iKamper Disco Series
The iKamper Disco Series is an all-new camp cook system. It’s for sure a new direct competitor to the Tembo Tusk Skottle, an overlander staple.
Where the Disco Series excels is its versatility. It’s not only a skillet-type cooker, but you can also use it over a campfire and with pots and pans.
As an outdoor photographer, I also like that the tripod for this cooking system also has a standard camera tripod mount. We always appreciate multifunctional gear when packing an overland vehicle.
Preorders for the iKamper Disco Series will start at the end of October, with retail sales starting near the end of the year. It will cost $490 for the base system, with lots of accessories available soon.
C6 Outdoor REV Tent
Rethink how you camp with the C6 Outdoor REV Tent. This tent works as a ground, pickup bed, or rooftop tent (RTT). It’s basically a traditional ground tent packaged to work as an RTT.
The C6 Outdoor REV Tent can mount directly to any platform roof rack system that’s at least 84 x 48 inches. It folds into a soft case that can remain mounted to the roof. This four-season tent has a built-in 4-inch foam mattress and weighs only 25 pounds.
The C6 Outdoor REV Tent was just launched at Overland Expo. It will be available direct online, with orders and shipping beginning the first week of October. Prices start at $799.
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KW Suspension for Sprinter
The first active dampening and body roll control suspension system for the Mercedes Sprinter, and soon Ford Transit, is now available.
The new KW suspension uses internal shock valves that continually adjust with input from seven sensors to control dampening and body roll. The system is adjustable to four different customizable modes via a cab-mounted dial controller.
The system just landed in the U.S. and is available now for $7,900 through RRE Global.
Aluminess ‘The Backpack’
Aluminess continues to innovate and refine quality hardgoods for van life. The brand adds to its Base Unit rear-door tube frame mount with the new The Backpack gear-carrier system. This system allows for a wide variety of gear to be mounted a ton of different ways on the rear doors of a Transit or Sprinter, with ProMaster options coming soon.
The Aluminess Base Unit and Backpack setup will run you $1,945, with additional mounts for the system sold separately.
Skinny Guy Campers
The new Skinny Guy Campers slide-in truck camper is an impressive feat of engineering. It’s cab height and only goes about halfway down into the bed of the truck. This allows for good aerodynamics, a lower center of gravity than cab-over designs, and extra storage room under the camper in the truck bed.
It’s a full-featured camper (furnace, fridge, sink, shower, table, etc.) made of aluminum with a single-layer, breathable tent that folds out. The cantilevered bed is rated to 600 pounds and tested to 1,000. A fully optioned full-size truck version of the Skinny Guy Camper weighs 1,030 pounds.
Skinny Guy Campers are made in a few sizes to fit a variety of trucks. Pricing starts at about $12,000 for a shell and around $34,000 for a fully loaded unit.
Off The Grid Surplus Destroyer Flannel
Who doesn’t like a comfy flannel shirt? Off The Grid continues to refine wardrobe staples with durable materials, stylish designs, and tons of features useful for travelers.
The Off The Grid Destroyer (men’s) and Campbell (women’s) flannel shirts are super soft 100% cotton. The shirts have a super useful zippered chest pocket that you won’t find on other flannel shirts.
The Destroyer comes in four colors and the Campbell in three, both retailing for $68.
FrontRunner Wolfpack Pro
The FrontRunner Wolfpack storage/organizer boxes have been a staple for overland travelers for decades now. While the boxes are great at organizing and securing your gear while on the go, they aren’t very water- or dust-resistant.
The Wolfpack Pro fixes this by integrating a seal into the lid of the box with more secure latches and tougher construction. The new box has the same volume as the original and is still stackable, but not stackable with the original.
The first Wolfpack Pro boxes in the U.S. recently sold out in about 4 days, but FrontRunner expects more stock in 2-3 weeks’ time. The FrontRunner Wolfpack Pro retails for $55.
Redtail Overland RTC
We’ve talked about the Redtail Overland rooftop camper before. But now the company is in full production (three made and 14 on order currently), and we finally got to see a finished product in person. This hard-sided pop-up rooftop tent is packed with features like lighting, heat, power, and more.
This impressive overland shelter of carbon and milled aluminum weighs 300 pounds for a fully loaded large and about 225 pounds for a small base unit. The Redtail Overland RTC is offered in three sizes and will set you back between $19,500 and $34,000.
GooseGear Bronco Tailgate Table
GooseGear is the leader in overland vehicle storage buildout systems. Think seat deletes, drawers, sleep platforms, etc. While the brand has a few new cool products for a variety of vehicles, the new Bronco Tailgate Table caught our eye.
This new drop-down table installs on the tailgate of the new Bronco. It offers a ton of usable space for brewing your morning coffee, preparing a meal, or even as a desk for remote work. It’s made of aluminum, with a stainless steel table surface and a pull-out bamboo cutting board.
The GooseGear Bronco Tailgate Table retails for $499.
RacksBrax
Awnings are great for shade and for getting out of the weather when out exploring. They’re also relatively heavy and usually need to be hard-mounted to your vehicle roof rack.
Adventure Imports just started rolling out the RacksBrax product, which allows you to have a quality, secure awning mount with a quick-release feature. Unlock it from the rack with a key and pop your awning off or on in seconds.
You can also add an accessory for your garage to wall mount your awning when not on your vehicle, keeping it safe and out of the way.
The RacksBrax awning mount will set you back $149, with additional rack fit kits and garage wall mounts available.
RubiconEP Corral Rack
Hitch-mounted, upright, multi-bike racks aren’t new. There are quite a few on the market, actually. But the RubiconEP Corral Bike Rack caught our eye because of its impressive build quality, cool looks, and unique pivot system.
This tire contact-only rack has a no-pin lowering mechanism that integrates a cam-over design with a trigger. It locks in both the up and the down positions. Locking in the down position makes loading bikes extremely easy, as the rack doesn’t move when you’re mounting your bikes.
The Corral is offered in two-, four-, and five-bike versions. It’s available in seven colors and two finishes and is made in the USA. It’s rated to hold up to 60 pounds per bike (works great for e-bikes) and weighs 72 pounds.
The RubiconEP Corral Rack is new this year and ranges from $1,699 to $1,800.
TailGater Tire Table Aluminum
The TailGater Tire Table is a fun and useful table that mounts on your vehicle’s tire. It’s been sold in steel in one size for years but is now offered in two sizes (a new larger size) and in a new lightweight aluminum build.
The Standard Aluminum TailGater Tire Table will set you back $175, while the standard steel size costs $140.
Snow Peak Takibi Hexa Tarp Medium
Snow Peak continues to bring useful camping products to market with its signature clean Japanese design. Its latest Takibi Hexa Tarp Medium caught our eye at Overland Expo. It comes with both stakes and poles (not typically included with Snow Peak tarps) and has a fireproof inner liner.
The Snow Peak Takibi Hexa Tarp Medium offers coverage for four to six people around a fire. It will set you back $500.
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