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Rooftop Solar Panels that Track the Sun

Roboteos Heliotrope 1.0

Lots of overland trucks and vans have solar panels mounted to the roof. But those solar panels are static, meaning you have to re-position your vehicle if you want to optimize the sun they can gather. Roboteous solved that problem by creating a motorized system that lifts a 400-watt solar panel off your roof and then tracks the path of the sun using GPS, optimizing the solar energy it collects.

According to the company, their system allows the panel to gather 2.5-times more energy than a static 400-watt panel sitting in one position on a roof. The smartly designed system will automatically lower if it senses your vehicle moving more than two miles per hour or if wind speeds reach more than 25 miles per hour to avoid it being ripped off your roof. When you’re driving, the system sits just six inches high so it won’t adversely affect your gas mileage.

An Expanding Off-Road Camper

ARB Earth Camper

Best known for their off-road suspension and recovery gear, Australia-based ARB teased their new Earth Camper that’s not yet available in the United States but is expected to land stateside in 12 months. The story here is that you get a compact and lightweight camper equipped with off-road suspension and tires so it can be towed up the roughest roads. When you get to camp, the trailer expands in all directions—literally—to create a truly roomy and well-equipped living space.

The amenities include a queen bed, a sitting area for dinner, a covered kitchen, a fridge, two 140L water tanks, a battery for power, and built-in solar charging. Looking at the packed-up version of the trailer, you’d never expect to get so much space and luxury, but the ARB engineers have somehow packed it all in. The trailer costs $75,000 AUD (roughly equivalent to $50,000 USD), but we won’t know the exact price in U.S. dollars until it lands here.

A More Powerful Two-Way Radio

Midland 5-Watt GXT67 Pro

This radio stands out in two important ways. First, it comes with a battery that’s rated to a full 16 hours. That means you can use the radio for several hours over several days and never have to recharge—something that’s not possible with lower-tier, hand-held radios that you’d buy off the shelf at Walmart. Second, the radio’s range is significantly better, meaning you’re  able to communicate with your friends even if they’re several miles down the road. We’re getting a pair for an extended test this summer and will be pitting them against Rocky Talkie, which also launched a 5W version.

Globe-Trotters’ Ideal Vehicle

TAV X Enduro Campers 200 Series Land Cruiser

Out of hundreds of show vehicles on display, this one caught our eye because it’s the perfect mix of capable and comfortable. All the off-road upgrades were done by Tactical Application Vehicles, which is known for making some of the most bad-ass overland vehicles on the market. This particular build—called the “Heritage Edition”—comes with everything from long-travel suspension to 35-inch tires and protective bumpers and skid plates, so it’s ready and very much able to rock crawl through Moab.

An Enduro Super Tourer camper is strapped on the back, with every creature comfort you can think of, including a queen-size bed, 18 gallons of water, a stove, fridge, and plenty of seating and storage. If we were looking for one vehicle to take us around the world safely and easily, this is it. Note: There’s no price attached to this entry because this is a one-off design for the moment. But here’s to hoping the two companies come together to build several more.

An Inflatable, Portable Awning

Airhaven 40 Vehicle Awning

Over years of testing, we’ve found that an awning is a necessary piece of overland gear, especially in the summer. No matter where you’re camping, you’re going to want to hide from the sun during the day. Airhaven just launched their version, and the innovation here is that it comes in a package about the size of a pillow but blows up via an SUP pump to 42 square feet of coverage. Using the included straps, it lashes onto any car with load bars up top. When you’re done camping you let the air out and the awning packs away in minutes.

The downside is that Airhaven’s version most likely won’t perform very well in high winds and takes at least 15 minutes to set up. We’ll also have to see how well the reinforcement arms help the awning stand up to an inevitable downpour during a summer monsoon in New Mexico.

A Smarter Battery System

Redarc GoBlock Power Station

Redarc’s entry into the portable power station market is a big deal because their version is smarter than the rest. The GoBlock can be charged at home but is designed to be wired into your car’s alternator to charge as you’re driving—and can also jumpstart your engine if your other battery runs out. It also works with nearly every 12-volt solar panel and can be topped off at a campsite with hookups without using your car. Finally, the smart folks at Redarc also added a quick-release carrier that’s made to be bolted to the bed of your truck, or cargo area of your SUV. The carrier keeps the GoBlock from bouncing around and releases the battery with one simple latch. Bonus points for the well-designed Redarc app that allows you to see the battery’s charge at any time.

A Comfortable Seat Anywhere

Hest Foamy Seat Cushion

Yes, this is just a simple seat cushion, but we’re very excited to have one in the car at all times this summer. That’s because,  thanks to high-quality memory foam, the cushion makes anywhere a comfortable place to sit. Don’t have enough chairs at the campsite? Throw this on a cooler and you have a seat that’s just as comfortable. Tired of your old, cheap camp chair that’s not that comfy? Throw this on your seat and all of a sudden you have the plushest chair in the group.

Those of you who drive old trucks with worn-out seats will also appreciate one of these under your butt when you have to spend hours driving on pavement and bumpy roads to access your favorite off-grid location. If you get the cushion dirty, you can unzip the cover and throw it in the wash. When not in use, the pad rolls up tight to store in any corner of your car or garage.

An Easy-Access Camera Pack

Hill People Gear Cargo Kit Bag

Those of us who love to hike and carry a camera face a conundrum. Should the camera go in our pack where it’s comfy to carry but hard to access? Or should we just carry it on our shoulder, ready for quick use, and put up with the discomfort of the strap? Hill People Gear solved this problem with the Cargo Kit Bag. Their bag sits on your chest and carries comfortably thanks to a harness that wraps around your back but also allows for quick access to a camera as large as a DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

It can be used as a stand-alone pack, or you can remove the back harness and strap the bag to the shoulder pads of your larger pack to create an integrated system. You can also buy a sling strap that replaces the back harness.

A Lightweight Pull-Out Kitchen

Tembo Tusk Kitchen Slide 

A kitchen slide, while not necessary, is a really nice upgrade to an overland truck. You just pull up to camp, pull out the slide, and have a full kitchen with a sink, stove, and cutting board for food prep. Other overland kitchens we’ve seen are bulky and can weigh several hundred pounds; Tembo’s ultra sleek version is less than 60 pounds, making it ideal for overlanders who are watching their truck’s overall weight. Tembo’s version also has space for a fridge, and the system is rated to hold 500 pounds, so it won’t break when fully extended and packed with gear. The only downside is that Tembo’s slide doesn’t come with any built-in storage for pots, pans, and other cooking gear. The kitchen will launch on Tembo’s website this summer at a reported price of $1850.

A Slim-Profile Kitchen Slide

Nomad Kitchen LT

This kitchen slide also caught our attention thanks to its slim profile and easy-to-install design. At just 7.5 inches tall, the slide won’t eat up precious vertical room in the back of your truck so you can easily stack things like a fridge on top. And unlike most other slides that need to be bolted down, this one uses ratchet straps to attach to your truck’s tie-down points for quick removal if you need to use your truck to haul things like sand and gravel.

We were doubtful that the slim design would come with enough storage, but a quick tour revealed it has just enough room for exactly what you need including a slot for your two-burner stove, a sink, storage for your pots and pans, and a bamboo cutting board. At 59.5 inches long, it will fit in any truck with a 5-foot or longer bed, and weighing just 75 pounds, it can be installed or removed by one person. Bonus: Nomad also sells a slide-out drawer that installs on the other side of your truck bed and more than doubles your storage.

A Fisherman’s Friend

Benchmade Instersect Knife

The news here is that Benchmade now makes an entire line of knives specifically for fishing. They’re fishing-specific because the blades are made from corrosion-resistant CPM-MagnaCut stainless steel and each one comes with a handle made from an ultra-grippy, rubber-like Santoprene material that stays in your hand even when wet. It was a little weird to stand in the middle of a Ponderosa pine forest in Arizona and look at knives made specifically for use around the water, but the technology was not lost on us. Fresh and saltwater anglers alike will love that they never have to worry about corrosion when they get their blades wet. We liked the Intersect version best because the 2.75-inch drop-point blade is big enough for gutting the trout we catch here in the Southwest and small enough for everyday carry thanks to the well-designed sheath that it comes with.

Affordable Car-Powered Cold

Dometic CFX2 Fridge Freezer

We love dual fridges/freezers made for cars because they eliminate the need for ice and keep everything cold for weeks on end if hooked up to a power station and solar panel. The only downside is that they’re typically not cheap. So we were excited to see that Dometic is launching a more financially approachable option for those who want to buy a fridge but are scared by the price.

The CFX2 series debuted on June 5 in four sizes—28, 37, 45, and 57 liters—and each one costs a chunk less than a similar-sized fridge in their CFX3 line. The main differences are a lower-resolution control screen, ABS instead of metal handles, and a small compartment inside the cooler above the compressor that doesn’t come with internal cooling walls (but still keeps your food plenty cold). Anyone who’s planning to overland frequently, or for longer periods of time, can stick with the CFX3s, but those who are just getting their feet wet and want to upgrade from a cooler will be plenty happy with the CFX2.