We scoured the over 300 vendors at Overland Expo West 2021 in Flagstaff, AZ to find the latest and greatest new overland gear. We had to dig pretty hard to find truly interesting and new items, but we found some gems.
Now, let’s dive into the goods worthy of your next overland adventure.
AutoWise Top 10: Overland Expo West 2021 Gear Picks
onX Offroad App
OnX OffRoad has quickly become the go-to navigation aid for overland and off-road explorers in North America. The app continues to improve, and the latest upgrades really caught our attention.
The new “Active Fire” layer is available on all versions of the program. It is super accurate and offers up-to-date info on where fires are and how they are affecting travel.
The “Current Weather” feature allows you to touch anywhere on the map and get the local weather. The cool part for photographers is info like sunrise/sunset and the phases of the moon.
The new feature that knocked my socks off is the new “3D View” for mobile. The feature allows you to explore just about anywhere in an immersive 3D view that is super realistic. Think zooming in on a section of desert and not only seeing the off-road tracks but also seeing the arches in the sandstone along the cliffs. You have to play with it to understand just how cool this feature is, especially to have at your fingertips on the phone.
I was also shown some REALLY cool new features coming soon, but they were told to me under embargo, so you’ll just have to wait a few weeks. The continiual, extremely useful, upgrades on offer from onX Offroad are impressive.
Mosko Moto Woodsman Pant
Think of the Mosko Moto Woodsman Pant as a 3-season ride your motorcycle anywhere pant, which will also look good when you go out to dinner after a long ride.
These pants feature an abrasion-resistant (even on pavement) Scholler fabric, mechanical venting, 4-way stretch, and waterproofing to just above leg pockets and butt (so upper legs and groin area are super ventilated).
The Woodsman Pant can be purchased directly through the Mosko Moto website, $300 for the in-boot version and $350 for the over-boot option.
FPG Adapter Shade Panel SweetSpot Kit
The Forceprotector Gear Shade Panel SweetSpot Kit is an evolution of a tried and true military shade/shelter/tarp (known as the ‘Field Blanket’) that has been applied to the overland vehicle market. The tarps are far from basic, as they are wind-proof, water-resistant, 100% UV blocking, and fire-resistant.
The kit offers up an Adapter Shade Panel and one Field Blanket, including poles, straps, and stakes, to create a super versatile shelter/shade system that easily attaches to your vehicle (in a variety of ways). The entire kit only weighs in at 2.2-pounds.
The included ‘Belly Band’ strap is a quick and easy way to secure this product to your vehicle, usually through the windows or doors. This simple strap and the padded corners of the Adapter Shade Panel enable you to create the shade you need where you need and without damaging the vehicle or installing permanent mounting points.
If you’re like me, then the ‘Coyote’ color on this unit might be a bit ‘tacticool’ for you. Luckily FPG has heard that cry enough and I’d wager to bet another color or two will be on offer soon.
The FPG Adapter Shade Panel SweetSpot Kit costs $550.
Maxtrax Hitch 50
Yes, it looks a bit obscene, but the Maxtrax Hitch 50 is a super strong and reliable hitch-mounted vehicle recovery point specifically designed to work with soft shackles. Each is individually Xray inspected for integrity, so you know it won’t fail during a recovery.
You can buy the Hitch 50 directly for $249.99 HERE, along with more new recovery gear and the tried and true recovery boards from Maxtrax.
NISMO Off Road Parts
Nissan, like all automaker lately, have hopped on the off-road bandwagon. While Nissan has always had impressive off-road capable vehicles, they haven’t always offered off-road parts from the factory.
They just launched their NISMO Off Road line of parts for the last gen Xterra and 2022 Nissan Frontier. Up first are lights, a high bed rack, and wheels.
Up next, in early 2022, are tents, bumpers, sliders, etc… Next on the docet to get NISMO Off Road parts is the Titan.
MITS Alloy
Another top-quality aluminum flatbed company has made its way to the U.S. market. Mule Expedition Outfitters, in Issaquah, WA, now sells and distributes MITS Alloy products.
This Australian flatbed and canopy specialist offers a range of flatbed/tray products. The big difference from many of the competitors is the included built-in features, like a headboard water tank, full-length rear drawer, and side undertray boxes.
The big MITS Alloy advantage is that the storage configuration in the canopies is bolted into a T-slot system, versus welded in like many competitors. This allows for a ton of adjustment throughout your ownership of the product, as your gear-hauling and overland needs change.
MITS Alloy flatbeds start at about $10,000.
67 Designs Bar Clamps
Securing all your electronics close at hand and in an area not obstructing your view can be hard. Luckily 67 Designs continues to release U.S.-made high-end vehicle mounts to solve those problems.
One of the latest products that caught our eye is the new bar clamp mounts, which are perfect for UTV and Jeeps.
A big range of sizes is on offer, and pricing ranges from $30 to $38.
National Luna Power Pack DC25
Equipt Expedition Outfitters continues to bring into the U.S. market the latest and greatest from National Luna. The newest product is the Power Pack DC25.
This power unit for your overland adventures offers built-in DC to DC charging, can manage up to 42 volts, can manage up to 375 watts of solar, holds up to a group 31 AGM battery (can handle lithium), and so much more.
It even has an ignition Sense plug which allows you to maintain battery charging through the auto start/stop technology built into all modern consumer vehicles.
The National Luna Power Pack DC25 recently became available, through Equipt, for $1,195.
Expedition Essentials Quick Paper Towel Holder
Something you always want handy around your overland camp is a roll of paper towels. Expedition Essentials has possibly built the ultimate paper towel holder.
The new aluminum unit folds flat, is spring-tensioned, and bolts or magnetically mounts (with paint-safe magnets) to just about any surface in your vehicle.
The Expedition Essentials Quick Paper Towel Holder retails for $55.
ALP Propane Generator
The ALP Propane Generator has been on the market for about 2-years now, but I’m just now discovering it and think it’s worthy of a look.
The 1,000W portable power unit only weighs 30-pounds and runs on 1 or 20-pound propane tanks. It offers super quiet (<53 dBA) and efficient (60 hr run time on 20-pound propane tank) operation.
The ALP Propane Generator is a great power option for life on the road and costs $499. It also comes in a variety of fun colors.
More Overland Expo Gear Picks
If you crave even more new stuff from Overland Expo West this year, have a look at this article I put together for our sister site GearJunkie.com: Best of Show: 15 New Pieces of Gear Spotted at Overland Expo West 2021.
Over at GearJunkie, you can also check out the 20 Best Adventure Rigs at Overland Expo West 2021. I found some really cool rigs for overland advenure travel.
