Photo by milehightraveler via iStock
This article was last updated on May 9, 2024.
One of the best things about overlanding is the ability to hit the road and enjoy the freedom of the outdoors.
Of course, to be able to do so, you need to have the right gear.
Now, overlanding isn’t just about gear, but having the right overlanding gadgets at your disposal will certainly help you make the most of your trip.
There are hundreds – perhaps thousands – of interesting overlanding gadgets that you might invest in to make your trips more organized, more functional, safer, or more fun. In other words, I can’t make recommendations of all the possibilities out there…
However, what I can do is highlight a few of the most interesting, innovative, and helpful overlanding gadgets that I’ve encountered over the last few months. That’s exactly what I’ve done below!
Table of Contents
- Elf Offroad Universal Mounting Clamps
- Aiden James Customs Gear Plate
- Tackle Tuff Premium Recovery Kit
- Bonus Gadget: 67 Designs Series 55 Rail System
- Other Overlanding Gear I Highly Recommend
Overlanding Gadgets: Elf Offroad Universal Mounting Clamps
Last week, I wrote an article about the importance of securing the load on your trailer.
In that article, I highlighted one of the most innovative overlanding gadgets that I’ve seen for some time – the Elf Offroad Universal Mounting Clamps.
What makes these clamps unique is that they serve as an anchor point anywhere on a flat surface. So, if you have a motorcycle on a flatbed trailer, you can use these clamps at any point on the trailer rail to secure the bike without having to use existing anchor points on the trailer (which may or may not be in the spots you need them to be).
It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s such an innovative concept, too!
How to Use These Clamps
All you have to do is put one of these clamps on one side of the trailer, another clamp on the other side of the trailer, and connect the two clamps with a strap.
Then, as you tighten the strap, the clamps lock down into place. And trust me when I say that they are locked down. There’s no moving these overlanding gadgets once they’re locked down.
When you arrive at your destination, simply unlock the clamps and you can use them over and over again to secure different loads by anchoring your straps anywhere you like.
Of course, that’s just what you want when you’re securing a load. And it doesn’t have to be a large load like your Harley or a dirt bike that you’re bringing along on your overlanding adventure.
Instead, if you have something like a hitch-mounted cargo carrier with lockboxes of gear inside, these clamps and a strap will help secure that load and ensure it stays put on the cargo carrier.
These clamps come in two sizes – small, which have a working load limit of 600 pounds and a break strength of 1,800 pounds each, and large, which have a working load limit of 2,000 pounds and a break strength of 7,200 pounds.
In other words, these overlanding gadgets make the task of transporting loads much simpler and easier. And best of all, you don’t sacrifice the safety and security of your gear!
Overlanding Gadgets: Aiden James Customs Gear Plate
When investing in overlanding gadgets, you certainly want to spread the love between gadgets for the exterior and the interior of your rig.
One of the most interesting overlanding gadgets I’ve seen for interior spaces is the Aiden James Customs gear plate.
As you can see in the images above and below, this gear plate is designed to make storage and organization much easier in your overlanding rig.
Just like the Elf Offroad clamps, the gear plate from Aiden James is a simple, yet completely innovative concept…
Mounting Options
Aiden James makes these plates for a variety of makes and models. In each case, these gear plates secure to the floor of the vehicle or mount on a rail system.
The gear plates offer multiple mounting options that allow you to customize the space for your particular needs.
For example, you can add a refrigerator, mount a jack, add slide-out drawers for smaller items like cookware, or whatever overloading gadgets you need. These plates also have multiple tie-down points that allow you to secure gear for your trip.
As I mentioned earlier, securing your gear is of the utmost importance for your safety and the safety of others, so having a tie-down system like this in the back of your vehicle will give you peace of mind that your gear will stay put when the road gets rough, in the event of hard braking, or in minor accidents.
Better still, these overlanding gadgets can be used with any accessory. Aiden James Customs doesn’t use proprietary components, so you’re free to add whatever components you want. All you have to do is let them know what mounting points you need, and they’ll accommodate those needs.
These plates are ultra-durable, too – they’re Baltic birch (as you can see above), and a 3mm Rhino Lining adds additional durability.
So, there’s immense benefits in terms of safety, organization, and functionality. Beyond that, these plates are easy to install – just about five minutes is all you need – and no drilling is required. What’s not to like about that?!
Overlanding Gadgets: Tackle Tuff Premium Recovery Kit
One of the most recent overlanding gadgets that I’ve added to my kit is the Tackle Tuff Premium Recovery Kit.
Obviously, when you’re overlanding, you never know what kind of sticky situations you might find yourself in. You might get stuck in mud, snow, or sand and need help getting out. Likewise, you might find that you are the one that needs to rescue someone else. Either way, having a good recovery kit is essential.
What I like about this kit is that it includes lots of recovery gear bundled into a small, easily portable package.
There’s a 30-ton capacity snatch block and two 3/4-inch shackles, each of which has a 15-ton capacity. Both the snatch block and the shackles are carbon steel. Furthermore, these components are go through all sorts of tests to ensure their capability of performing in any recovery situation.
Additionally, this kit comes with a 30′ x 3″ recovery strap with a 5-ton capacity and a 10′ x 3″ tree saver strap with a 5-ton capacity. Both straps are 100-percent nylon and have reinforced eyelets for additional strength and better load capacity. The kit even comes with kevlar reinforced gloves to help you spare your hands during the recovery process.
All this gear comes in a premium carry case, which just so happens to double as a dampener bag. Talk about useful overlanding gadgets!
You can get a first-hand look at this awesome kit in the video above.
Bonus Gadget: 67 Designs Series 55 Rail System
The 67 Designs Series 55 Rail System is an ingenious product. As you can see above, it’s a dash-mounted bracket for keeping your devices organized and in view.
The obvious benefit for me is that I now have my phone, my iPad, and my GoPro mounted on the dash, right where I need them. No matter if I’m on the freeway or deep in the mountains on a rough trail, this rail system keeps my gadgets fixed and in arm’s reach.
Better yet, the install process couldn’t be simpler. The rail mounts directly into the dash tray. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.
The result is a much more organized command center. The cherry on top is that my devices sit low on the dash, so I have a clear view out of the windshield.
Check out the rail install and my review in the video above. Spoiler alert – this rail system is awesome!
Other Overlanding Gear I Highly Recommend
As I said earlier, there is a ton of gear you can invest in for your overlanding adventures. And while the options listed above are some of my favorites, there are other overlanding gadgets that I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention them:
- NEBO Flashlight (shown above)- an ultra-bright flashlight that doubles as a power bank. Check out my review!
- Planar Heaters 4kw Portable Diesel Heater – this sucker puts out a ton of instant, dry heat, is highly portable, and is easy to use. Check out my review!
- Tops Knives Silent Hero – quite possibly the best knife you could have with you on your overlanding adventures. Check out my review!
- ALP 1000-Watt Propane Generator – clean, quiet generator that uses fuel that won’t spill everywhere and smell up your truck. Check out my review!