It is no secret that overlanders are gear heads. One of our favorite parts of Overland Expo is exploring the hundreds of vendors in search of cool new products to support upcoming travel. Overland Expo PNW 2026 exceeded expectations with a healthy collection of new and notable gear, including a first peek at the long-awaited book on Loren and Patty Upton’s lifetime of travel adventures. Here are ten things that caught our eye that we think you should check out.
Patty Upton – Road’s End to Road’s End: The Epic Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery
In the overland community, there are few people more impressive than Patty Upton and her late husband, Loren, who spent thirty years traveling the world in their 1966 CJ-5 Jeep, the “Sand Ship Discovery”. If you’ve had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Patty’s presentations at Overland Expo, you know what an epic collection of travel adventures she and Loren had, including a Guinness Book of Records entry for the first all-land crossing of the Darién Gap in that very Jeep. With writing partner Misti Tokarsky (an impressive adventurer in her own right), Patty has released a much awaited book, Road’s End to Road’s End: The Epic Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery documenting her legendary adventures with Loren. While they quickly sold out of books at Overland Expo PNW, you can order a copy from Amazon now. Those of us who have already started reading it can confirm that it is a book well worth adding to one’s library.
Freedom Recovery Gear – Stage 5 Vehicle Recovery Kit
We’ve long been fans of Freedom Recovery Gear’s kit for their top quality materials and manufacturing, as well as their thoughtful design and attention to engineering as well as providing loading and limitation documentation. Recently they released their Vehicle-to-Vehicle “VTV” Stage 4 Recovery Kit that is a one stop collection of all the gear you need to get your vehicle out of a bind in a VTV scenario. They offer four versions of the set matched to the weight of your vehicle, with the equipment in the package tailored to the loading and forces of the differently sized vehicles. Each kit contains eight items: their TuggERR kinetic energy recovery rope, two screw pin bow shackles (with a 6:1 safety factor), three TuffX Soft Shackles with chafe guards, a TuffX Winch Line Extension/Bridle, and a gear storage bay with YKK zippers. They are currently offering a very nicely machined receiver recovery adaptor and a waterproof and tear resistant VTV Field Reference as a bonus.
Agile Offroad – Agile Vehicle Diagnostic
The INEOS Grenadier has become increasingly more popular as a modern expedition vehicle, but with its growth has come some growing pains. As with many modern vehicles, more and more of the vehicle systems rely on dealer intervention for maintenance, troubleshooting, and system configuration and depending on where you are in the world, a Grenadier service provider can be hours or days away.
Agile Offroad is preparing to release software that provides owners and independent service providers access to vehicle diagnostics and maintenance functions that have traditionally required dealer-specific diagnostic equipment, with additional features planned in future software updates. The software connects to the vehicle through the OBD-II diagnostic port and provides access to electronic control modules needed to perform maintenance, troubleshooting, and system configuration. Key functions include reading and clearing diagnostic trouble codes, performing both quick and comprehensive vehicle scans, resetting and customizing service intervals, and generating diagnostic reports for maintenance records or technical support. The software also provides advanced TPMS configuration options, allowing tire pressure parameters and warning thresholds to be adjusted for different tire and wheel combinations. In addition, users can view, save, restore, and modify selected vehicle configuration settings, enabling customized operating profiles while preserving original factory settings.
Stay tuned for more information and the release of the software and corresponding hardware mid-July.
Pelican – Crate
After hearing about the new Pelican CRATE storage containers, we finally got to see them in person, and we feel comfortable predicting that they are going to be very popular among our crowd. For those not familiar, the Pelican CRATE line is a recently released family of heavy-duty storage containers designed for securely transporting valuable gear. They are manufactured from injection-molded HPX polymer providing a durable enclosure that resists impacts and is moisture and dust sealed. The product line is available in multiple capacities, including the 45-liter and 90-liter models they had on display this weekend. They have a common design that allows the containers to be stacked and secured for efficient packing, even with dissimilar sizes. They also come with a removable lid that can be positioned in multiple orientations, an automatic pressure equalization valve, and provisions for padlocks. An integrated ModRail attachment system enables accessories and organization components to be mounted to the exterior of the crate without drilling or other permanent modifications. Color us excited to see another high-quality storage option available.
Rucker Knives – Fireside Cleaver
We are suckers for a good knife, especially when they are made by hand. Pair that with a family business that represents three generations of knife making, and you have us hooked. If you aren’t familiar with Rucker Knives, you owe it to yourself to peruse their website. They have a broad array of hunting, camping, and kitchen knives that have a unique design flair that will appeal to both collectors and the EDC crowd alike. Of the several hundred knives they had on display at Overland Expo PNW this last weekend, the one that most caught our eye was their Fireside Cleaver. The blades are made from recycled timber mill blades that have a unique story to accompany their eye-catching design. The carbide steel promises a sharp edge that holds up well to use. The knife comes with a handmade leather sheath and free lifetime sharpening. For those smitten with the design and story behind the cleaver, they also have a kitchen knife and cleaver combo that comes in a beautiful leather knife roll sure to up your camp kitchen cred.
RollerCam – Sandstake
If you’ve ever had the displeasure of using a traditional stake in sand, you know how poorly they work. RollerCam has a solution in their new SandStake that is a dream for anchoring tents, awnings, and other gear in that unforgiving substrate. The SandStake works by providing a widened stake face that better distributes the load from the line across the sand and takes the connection of the line down into the sand where the forces work for you instead of simply pulling a traditional stake out. The stakes are manufactured from corrosion-resistant aluminum and provide a secure attachment point for ropes, straps, and guy lines used for anchoring. If you find yourself in the desert or at the beach, these are worth picking up. They really are a game-changer for staking in sand.
RalliTEK – Subaru Hidden Winch Mount
RalliTEK had an impressive array of suspension, armor, and recovery equipment for Subaru platforms on display at their booth this weekend. One of the things that really stood out was their hidden winch mount, which integrates seamlessly with the OEM front bumper design for an array of Subaru models. The winch mount is made of 3/16″ powder-coated steel and accommodates a wide array of winches while also providing hard recovery points. Best of all, they are surprisingly affordable and can be ordered with or without the winch. If you are ready to push the capabilities of your Subaru platform, it’s well worth checking out what RalliTEK offers.
STōD Gear Co. – Woodgaiter
If you transport fire wood on your overlanding adventures, you know what a pain it can be to transport it and clean up the aftermath of debris. STōD Gear Company had a solution to this predicament on display at their booth this weekend – the WoodGaiter. The WoodGaiter is a reusable firewood carrier designed to transport, store, and contain firewood while minimizing the spread of bark, dirt, insects, and other debris. It is constructed from heavy-duty, weather-resistant fabric with reinforced stitching and integrated carry handles and it is designed to support repeated loading and transport of split firewood. Adjustable closure straps secure the load during transport and allow the carrier to be rolled into a compact package for storage when not in use. When opened flat, the WoodGaiter also functions as a durable utility mat that provides a clean work surface for campsite activities, vehicle maintenance, or equipment storage.
Forage and Thrive – Eat Off the Land Cookbook
We were lucky enough to sit in on Sharon Tramell’s class this weekend, “The Forage and Thrive Approach: Ethical, Safe, and Flavorful Wild Foods for Every Overlander,” which piqued our interest in wild foraged food. Fortunately, a trip by her booth revealed her new cookbook Eat Off the Land. The tome covers safe plant identification, food preservation, camp and home cooking techniques for foraged food, and more than 170 recipes for integrating wild foods into your diet and cooking routine. At only $25, it’s hard to pass up if you are curious about the world of wild foods.
Fjallraven – Splitpack
The Fjällräven Splitpack is a travel duffel backpack with a couple unique takes on the classic design. The bag features a clamshell design that divides the interior into two equal compartments separated by zippered mesh panels, allowing contents to remain organized and accessible while helping distribute the load evenly. The bag is constructed from durable, abrasion-resistant fabric with reinforced handles and heavy-duty zippers, the Splitpack looks and felt like it will withstand years of travel and outdoor use. Padded, adjustable shoulder straps allow the bag to be carried as a backpack and can be stowed when not in use, while multiple interior and exterior pockets provide additional storage for smaller items. Our favorite feature was the end grab handles that make pulling it out from the back of a vehicle easy.
