A trip down to Appalachia to compete in the Red Clay Rally offered a perfect setting to test a new piece of kit from the folks at GSI Outdoors. After waking up in a frost covered tent, especially when it’s below freezing, the first thing on my mind is a hot cup of coffee. Well, […]
outdoor adventure
Vinyl Wrapping the FJ Cruiser at Podium Ink
Well, the FJ Cruiser is now the official mobile billboard for The Gear Bunker. And I can already tell it’s working. People are commenting on our YouTube channel that they saw us somewhere. Folks are looking up the website from the sidewalk as they check out our little Overland rig. And it’s all because of […]
2021 Red Clay Rally Video | Competing in the hills of Kentucky
Last October, I flew to Chattanooga to link up with a friend that I met at Overland Expo. Our half-cocked plan was to compete in the infamous 2020 Red Clay Rally. A 3 day, 700 mile Overland Rally that spans both Kentucky and Tennessee. And eats vehicles for lunch. Loaded into his 80 Series Land […]
Epic Colorado and Utah Campsites in the FJ Cruiser
August 2020 was spent mostly on the road in The Gear Bunker’s FJ Cruiser. Spreading the word about our website while exploring some of the great trails that weave their way through the Rocky Mountains. From historic passes built by early settlers to rugged forrest service roads that access our beautiful National Forests. With a […]
Briggs flannel from Dakota Grizzly | The perfect Autumn companion
North of the 45th parallel, the days are quickly getting shorter as a colorful palette of leaves decorate my yard. And falling faster than the leaves are the ambient temperatures. It’s the start of flannel season in Northern Michigan. Meanwhile, almost 700 miles south in St. Louis, MO, Dakota Grizzly is busy designing some of the […]
LIFESAVER Jerrycan | Best water filter for long term Overland travel
The past few summers have exposed me to the whole Overland movement. Exploring and camping right out of my Toyota Tundra. With any capable four wheel drive vehicle, one can not only explore the beauty of this country, but less accessible areas close to home. With a nice stretch of favorable weather, my 15 year […]
Breeo Introduces the Y Series Portable Smokeless Fire Pit
THE MOST CAPABLE SMOKELESS FIRE PIT. Breeo invented the first smokeless fire pit, and from that day until now we have never stopped innovating. The Y Series is the latest step in the journey and brings with it the potential for adventure. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FRIDAY 9.2.2022 for $495 That’s right. We’re taking smokeless fire […]
Hillsound BTR 14” Folding Camp Stool | Better Than a Rock
Lightweight and packable, the Hillsound BTR Stool is definitely Better Than a Rock. I’ve used folding stools previously when attending training or working in situations that required me to be on my feet for long hours. With limited places to sit other than the ground, a nice packable stool can be a lifesaver. The one […]
Baking off-grid with the Omnia Oven from Sweden
One of the many things we enjoy about Overland travel is our ability to eat well. In our vehicle, we have a fridge, two burner stove with a bomber skillet and a propane cylinder. Pretty much everything we need for great meal preparations. We’ve tried different “camp ovens” in the past with limited success and were […]
Coleman Camp Oven Review: Is it worth $50?
Falling under one of my 3 pillars of successful overland travel, “good food”, the Coleman Camp Oven may be the next item we add to our Overland loadout. The other 2 pillars are “comfortable sleep” and “epic locations” if anyone was curious. Anyhow, back to “good food”. With the limited space available in our FJ […]
OLIGHT Olantern Classic 2 PRO | New Technology with a Classic Look
The OLIGHT Olantern Classic 2 Pro is the second OLIGHT lantern/lamp that I’ve used. One thing I liked right away about this lantern is the classic style and old school copper color. It looks just like a lantern found in a farmhouse or hunting cabin years ago. It has two light settings, a warm white […]
Midland’s T71 X-Talker Portable 2-Way Radio | Now USB Rechargable
One of our biggest supporters, Midland Radio, recently set us up with a pair of T71 X-Talker 2-Way Handheld Radios for our trip to Costa Rica. The mission: to rent a pair of Overland equipped FJ Cruisers from Nomad America and explore the Pacific Coast of the country for a little over a week. With […]
Nomad Cooking Kit | Folding Travel Knives from Opinel of France
In the quest to fine tune our Overland kit, we constantly come across unique items that find their way into our lives. Lately, we’ve been downsizing. We switched from a full-sized Tundra to a much smaller FJ Cruiser. Now, with this smaller platform, we must also downsize what we pack. As I look to our […]
Side Sleeping with Nemo’s new Fillo King Camping Pillow
If you’re like me, and a large percentage of the human race, you prefer to sleep on your side. I try to avoid falling asleep on my back in fear of snoring my wife awake. Or even waking myself from a comfortable slumber. So I typically roll onto my side, curl up and drift off […]