Best Gear at Overland Expo PNW 2025

Nomad Wheels – 504 Field Wheels

We’ve always appreciated the look of Nomad Wheels’ designs. Their design approach provides a contemporary form that looks at home on a wide variety of vehicles and eras. Their new 504 Field wheels continue this wide appeal with Nomad’s take on a classic steelie that would feel just as at home on a brand new Land Cruiser or on a fifty-year-old 40 series. The decidedly vintage-modern wheels paired with their optional chrome center caps kept catching our eye throughout the event.

The wheels — manufactured using a Formlite process and made of A356-T6 aluminum for a combination of strength and weight savings — are available in both 16″ and 17″ sizes in a variety of bolt patterns. Expect these to be a popular wheel choice in the overland community.

Exploro – Classic Mark 8

It’s no secret that overlanders love knives and there were some great examples to be found throughout the show. The one that stood out to us the most was the Exploro Classic Mark 8. The photos don’t do it justice; this knife is a work of art — one of those things you can’t help but say “wow” when you come across it. It’s a beautiful example of great design, careful material selection, and one that just felt right in the hand.

Designed and produced by Exploro’s Elias Fedorowski, the Classic Mark 8 is a full flat grind, MagnaCut steel blade complimented by a titanium bolster and all titanium hardware. Our favorite Mark 8 had vintage micarta scales but there were a number of other options on display. Check out more examples of Exploro knives on their Instagram page here.

Jumping Jack Trailers – Tent Trailer

The folks at Jumping Jack Trailers have something truly extraordinary in their tent trailer line. Meant to transport ATVs to adventures beyond the reach of four-wheel drive vehicles, the trailers springs to life with spacious pop-up tents that offer seven feet of headroom in a matter of less than a minute. The trailers are offered in a range of sizes to fit between one and four ATVs with the largest offering space for 8 beds inside. The tent shells are made of a heavy duty 13 oz. marine canvas with double stitched seams and reinforced corners. Each tent configuration has seven large windows to offer plenty of cross ventilation and near panoramic views.

Overland Glovebox Guide App

The biggest buzz of the weekend was the release of the new Overland Glovebox Guide app which made its debut at the event. “OGG” is the brainchild of long time Overland Expo instructor and former director of training Graham Jackson, who brings over 30 years of expedition experience to your phone for easy reference when you need it. The app, which is available for both Android an iOS devices, provides a single point of reference for critical vehicle information, trip notes, maintenance tracking, and Graham’s pre-expedition and daily checklists.

Additionally, the app houses a growing collection of technical guides based on Graham and his team’s vast expedition and training experience. This is the app the overland community has long needed and is well worthy of a spot on your home screen.

Midland Radio GXT67

Overland Expo PNW gave us some hands-on time with one of Midland Radio’s new handheld GXT67 GRMS radio. The 5-watt radio expands Midland’s range of repeater capable GRMS radios while providing up to 4 days of battery life in a rugged, IP67 water and dust proof design.

Despite its laundry list of advanced features, including microphone automatic noise cancelling, the radio seemed to be easy to use, especially with its large, well laid out screen. For those looking to customize the interface, Midland offers an optional programming cable. The radio retails for $199.99.

Kairos Seasonings – Rubs and Sauces

If you came anywhere near Kairos‘ booth, chances are that you caught the aroma of meat on the grill and you probably tried one of their tasty sauces. Our favorite was their Chipotle Hot Sauce, but the others were quite popular as well. The sauces, along with their line of rubs, are locally produced in the Pacific Northwest and are the result of the founder’s desire to find sauces and rubs with high quality ingredients devoid of artificial fillers to go with the direct-from-source beef he was sourcing, as well as with the wild game he was hunting.

They advertise their products made of high-quality ingredients to “the outdoor chef, adventurer, and home BBQ connoisseur” obsessed with the details of their craft. That sounds like a lot of us and we were impressed with Kairos’s offerings.

Kakadu USA – Revived Recliner

Kakadu USA showed off their new (to the US) Revived Recliner. Our team was impressed with both the comfort and the quality of the chair. The new recliner’s four adjustable positions provide a wide variety of options for seating around camp. The canvas of the chair is made from 77 recycled plastic bottles and the bamboo armrests continue the eco-friendly construction. The aluminum legs keep the overall weight of the chair low. The Revived Recliner comes with a heavy duty canvas carry bag and will be available soon for $169.00.

Sandy Vans Port/Starboard Rack and Surf Rack

Sandy Vans’s new surf rack caught our eye as a great addition to their line of Sprinter Van products. The rack mounts to their rear door-mounted port or starboard racks and allows you to carry up to three surfboards securely mounted to the back of your van. The rack is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and weighs in at just 40 pounds. When not in use, the rack folds down and protrudes just a few inches from the rack. If you are looking for a way to securely transport your boards, this seems like a great solution from the engineers over at Sandy Vans.

Geotrek Vans – 2025 Bear Peak and Flatiron Van

Geotrek Vans has a growing reputation for building robust, thoughtful van build outs that are ready for adventure from day one. They had their 2025 Bear Peak and Flatiron vehicles on display this weekend. Both models are built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144 platform. We were impressed with the clean layouts, attractive materials, and thoughtful integration of the systems. Both models share the same materials and layout with the Flatiron adding some additional systems and capacities such as a larger base battery size and air conditioning standard over the less expensive Bear Peak platform. Both offer a wide variety of optional build upgrades to dial in the van to your specific needs.