A new year brings new trails, new adventures, and maybe some new gear to aid you in your travels. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite storage and organizational gear to start the new year right.
Equipt Expedition Outfitters — Alubox Aluminum Storage Cases
Alubox Aluminum Storage Cases are renowned in the overland industry for their quality and superior construction. Originally designed as military and commercial transport cases, Aluboxes are the go-to storage solution for international adventure travelers. They hold your gear securely in a water and dust-tight environment, are lockable, and can be mounted inside or outside your vehicle. Besides looking really cool, Aluboxes are incredibly light and impervious to the sun. Because of the wall thickness, they have a great interior volume to exterior dimension ratio. The cast corners on the lid are designed to allow the stacking of similar-sized cases.
Alubox also offers a great line of accessories for their cases. RuumX storage divider systems let you design your own personal organization layout. Bracket mounting systems allow you to mount an Alubox to just about any surface. These cases are a perfect solution for your kitchen kit, pantry, recovery gear, sleeping gear, camera case, fly fishing box, and even a ski case! Your kids will definitely fight over these cases when you are done.
Handmade in Denmark to IP54 standards, the cases are constructed of 1mm thick aluminum walls, with cast aluminum corners, piano hinges, spring-loaded handles, lockable cam latches, and a silicone bead seal for the lid. The 42L case is far and away the most popular size, followed by the 60L and 73L models. Aluboxes are available in over 25 sizes, from 10L to 690L.
MSRP: Starting at $240 ($355.00 for the 42L case)
GOAT Boxco — GOAT System
GOAT BOXCO is a home-to-field gear management company. The “GOAT” in their company’s name stands for GO AT. Whatever your passions are – tailgating, hunting, camping, overlanding – the company aims to help you go at it “full bore” with their products. Made in the USA, GOAT’s rugged products are made to be taken anywhere, from the tailgate to the trailhead.
The three primary pieces of the GOAT system are the CANS, HUB cooler, and RACK:
The GOAT CAN is sized to hold essential gear for any situation, including first aid supplies, backup power, hammocks, ammo, fishing tackle, BBQ rubs, ponchos, and more. Designed to securely integrate into GOAT’s RACK, HUB 50, and HUB 70 coolers, GOAT CANs are ready for action.
The GOAT HUB cooler series is an evolution in the high-performance cooler game with its integrated gear storage combined with heavy-duty rotomolded construction. In addition to its excellent ice retention, the HUB cooler hauls and protects your CANS in the field.
The GOAT RACK organizes your gear (in the individual CANS components) at home and lives in your mudroom, garage, barn, or workshop. When heading out, the CANS drop seamlessly into the HUB cooler to safely store and transport your gear. The RACK is available in premade bundle systems.
GOAT has partnered with premium brands to offer a variety of premade Kits curated by experts in the outdoor, camping, emergency preparedness, first aid, and nutrition spaces.
MSRP: $499.99 – $599.99
STEP 22 Gear — Stingray Flat Box
The STEP 22 Stingray Flat Box stands as the epitome of versatile storage, engineered to endure the harshest conditions while offering unparalleled reliability. Crafted with durable, weather-resistant materials, its interior boasts exceptional practicality with customizable dividers and multiple compartments. This design ensures that gear remains securely in place, whether navigating rough trails or enduring long highway journeys, facilitating easy access to essentials when setting up camp.
Available in two sizes and six different styles, with capacities ranging from 10 to 21 liters, the Stingray Flat box is meticulously designed to accommodate a range of items, from tools and kitchen essentials to clothing and delicate camera equipment. Its proven track record spans from the Appalachians to the Swiss Alps, a testament to its resilience and functionality. The Stingray’s vertical sides and precise dimensions allow seamless nesting and stacking of other STEP 22 modular products, creating a tailored and efficient storage solution.
Key features include a flawlessly smooth bottom to mitigate snags, highly functional internal loop strips, and semi-rigid side panels that maintain the box’s shape, regardless of its contents. Additionally, the loop tabs on each side facilitate easy reading of customizable Easy Write ID patches, regardless of the box’s orientation during storage.
For added convenience, the Stingray Flat Box swiftly folds down to a quarter of its original size when not in use, enabling effortless storage at home or within your vehicle.
With options constructed from TreadWeave Nylon, Cordura Nylon, and featuring a 1000 Denier Nylon + CRAWL (Coated Rugged All Weather Layer) base on all versions, there is not much that you can’t store in a Stingray. The HD versions feature CRAWL on both the interior and exterior, which is great for aggressive and heavy-duty items. Standard versions feature an interior built from IllumiClean Antron with Carbonate Coating, ensuring effortless cleaning and maintenance in case of spills.
Backed by STEP 22’s commitment to quality, each organizational solution, including the Stingray Flat Box, comes with a lifetime warranty. Founded in 2019 by an impassioned overlander driven by quality and innovation, STEP 22 is a family-owned small business that continually designs unique and innovative solutions, addressing the precise challenges encountered during trail adventures and camp setups.
The STEP 22 Stingray Flat Box excels in alleviating common frustrations, offering an unmatched solution for reliable and adaptable storage.
MSRP: $80.00-110.00
READ MORE: Review: Toyo Open Country M/T Tires
STōD Gear Company — WoodGaiter
A campfire is often an integral part of enjoying the great outdoors. However, transporting firewood can prove to be a tedious task that often results in messy situations. The WoodGaiter is here to make the campfire experience hassle-free, whether you prefer to bring, purchase, or collect firewood on the trail.
The WoodGaiter will fulfill all your firewood transportation needs with its “they thought of everything” attention to detail. When at capacity, it holds a little more than two standard store-bought bundles of wood and adjusts to scale as the volume of firewood inside it decreases. When secured on the outside of a vehicle, its unique design allows moisture to escape while shielding firewood from the elements, and when carried inside a vehicle, it prevents the spillage of debris and keeps the mess contained. The WoodGaiter’s innovative gaiter design makes securing longer pieces of collected firewood simple by allowing them to extend out of the ends, while still securely enveloping them.
The materials are premium quality, long-lasting, and resistant to rigorous use. It is composed of heavy-duty, marine-grade vinyl-coated polyester and high abrasion-resistant nylon packcloth. The webbing is marine-grade polyester, and the cinch cords are US-made Type III Paracord. All hardware is premium mil-spec acetal plastic, resistant to breakage, and field-replaceable with free lifetime replacement if needed.
Premium features make this firewood packing solution an all-around win. Not only does it securely pack the wood and keep all the mess contained inside, but the sewn-in tie-off points allow it to be strapped or bungeed to a vehicle roof rack. Webbing handles make it easy to carry the bundle from the vehicle to the fire ring. The enclosed kindling bag attaches to the inside providing a great way to store fire starters or small pieces of wood and provides storage for the folded WoodGaiter when it is not in use. The WoodGaiter also has a small pocket on each end that provides a place to wrap up and pack away the extra paracord when the cords are cinched. When at camp, the whole thing can serve as a wood cradle next to the fire ring. Yet another benefit is that it can also be used as a mat to sit or lay on when doing vehicle maintenance on the trail, as well as numerous other fantastic applications. The versatility of this product makes it an indispensable piece of equipment.
The WoodGaiter exceeds expectations, solving an age-old problem for anyone who overnights in the wilderness, and it is becoming an essential tool for many. It is a must-have kit for any overlander or camper.
MSRP: $138.00
SUNNY75 — cTrunk
At SUNNY75 we know how you obsess about finding the right gear so you can live comfortably on the road. We also know how frustrating it is to search for your gear through totes and duffels and that storage space is always at a premium. That is why we created the cTrunk, the first clear and collapsible gear storage solution made expressly for campers and adventure travel enthusiasts unique challenges.
With the cTrunk anyone can find anything fast. With over 80% clear visibility, you can instantly find what you need without opening or unzipping anything. Hunt for adventure, not your gear!
The cTrunk’s structured collapsibility provides form and flexibility in one clever design. Need to compress a couple of corners for tight packing? No problem! Each corner is reinforced with a flexible coated steel insert that easily extends or collapses with a simple push. Let’s see your plastic bin do that.
And don’t worry about carrying this bad boy. With multiple carrying options, including handy backpack straps, the cTrunk will be ready to go when you are.
Each cTrunk includes 120L of hassle-free storage built to contain even the most awkwardly-sized gear. You will also appreciate that these totes are easy-open, featuring no zippers, and include a rain cover to add another layer of waterproof protection. Clocking in at just under 10 pounds, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better storage solution for life on the move.
MSRP: $249.00
Zarges — K470 40568 Premium Aluminum Case
For 90 years, ZARGES has protected what matters most. No matter whether you’re battling the elements, on location far from home, transporting gear from peak to peak, scoping out overaggressive baggage handlers, or even encountering a grizzly bear in the wild—those who need the best in protection have learned that there’s no substitute for ZARGES.
The stylish flagship K470 aluminum case sets the standard for protection. The most popular model, the 40568, measures 22.95” W X 15.28” D X 9.72” H and fits perfectly into a bivouac or a back seat while weighing in at just 10.5 lbs—lighter than any plastic molded case on the market. ATA 300 approved, lightweight, rugged, and dust- and water-resistant, its durable construction provides optimal protection for any contents.
Constructed of extra strong 5005 alloy aluminum sheeting, the 40568 distances itself from the competition with a reinforced lid with stainless steel hinges, snap fasteners, and two lid straps tested through thousands of opens and closes. Its all-around polyurethane seal protects precious cargo from dust and water, while the four cast-aluminum stacking corners and three fully-welded aluminum profile frames reinforce the case and withhold over 2,000 pounds of stacked weight. Riveted joints and beading ensure the 40568’s structural integrity, while additional corner beads only serve to enhance its stability.
ZARGES Cases are tested in a wide range of elements to ensure that precious cargo arrives at its destination in the same state in which it was packed. Every case ZARGES produces is drop-tested at our international headquarters in Germany, while the easy-to-carry snapback handles have been proven to withhold over 150 pounds each. The secure snap fasteners are tested to withstand over 20,000 opens and closes.
The 40568 can achieve optional UN Certification for HazMat transport. IP 54 protection comes standard, and IP 65 protection is also available. ZARGES also offers a wide range of standard and custom foam choices to enhance your cargo’s protection, utilizing only the highest quality industrial-grade extruded polyethylene foam.
Adventurers who want to achieve another level of organization know that the 40568 allows them to pack and unpack with unmatched efficiency or simply locate what’s needed at their fingertips in seconds.
Whether your journey is from home to a campground or from base camp to the mountaintop, ZARGES is the benchmark for protection of what matters most.
MSRP: $388.00
READ MORE: How to Find Overland Trails
Alucab — The Wood Box
Sometimes, you just don’t have enough space in your vehicle, or there are things best left out of your interior. Alu-Cab offers an elegant, well-engineered, and durable solution – their Wood Box. Offered in their small (200 liters) and large (250 liters) sizes, the unit is a great way to get firewood, trash, or anything else you don’t want in your cabin up and out of the way.
MSRP: $999.00 for the 250-liter model
Goose Gear — Camp Kitchen
Goose Gear’s Camp Kitchen builds on their modular storage system designed around a vehicle-specific deck plate. This module allows you to securely mount your stove and refrigerator in a modest footprint, allowing plenty of space for a drawer system, sleeping platform, or good old fashioned cargo space. When the locking slides are extended, the module allows full access to both the stove and refrigerator, effectively deploying a full camp kitchen in just seconds. The module weighs in at a comparatively svelte 83 lbs. and is constructed of their maxlite aluminum extrusions and proprietary panel system.
MSRP: $1795.00
ROAM Adventure Co. — 95L Rugged Case
Combine 95 liters of space, a weatherproof exterior, an elegant design, and a lightweight package, and you have the ROAM Adventure Co. 95L Rugged Case. Made of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and outfitted with locking steel latches and their great nylon rope handles, this cargo box is a great way to add some secure storage to your rig that you can reasonably mount and dismount at camp. No more reaching over your head and trying to feel for what you are looking for or attempting to pirouette on a tire.
MSRP: $399.00
Thule — Chasm 75L Duffel Bag
Whether you are an unapologetic overpacker or packing for an entire family, sometimes you just need a big ass bag. Enter the Thule Chasm. At 75 liters, there’s room for a good-sized sleeping bag and more than a week’s worth of clothes with some room to spare. Alternately, maybe your four-year-old daughter can pack three outfits a day she insists upon and peace can return to your overland journeys. Whatever your situation, you’ll appreciate the full-length zip open top, padded bottom, and TPE over 840D nylon construction. If that’s really not enough space, there’s even a 90-liter option.
MSRP: $169.95
