How We Research

I'm Erik Lundgren — GIS analyst, Duluth, Minnesota, overlanding since 2014. My rig is a 2019 4Runner TRD with a Sherpa rack, iKamper Skycamp 2.0, ARB bumper, and 33" BFGoodrich KO2s. I run about 30 nights a year in the Boundary Waters and the Upper Peninsula. That's the context behind everything evaluated on this site.

Buying guides on this site are compiled from manufacturer specifications, current product listings, and publicly available documentation. Because overlanding equipment is expensive and no single source covers everything, recommendations are built from published specs and comparisons across a wide range of products rather than hands-on field testing. This site earns a commission when you buy through affiliate links on qualifying purchases, and guides should be read as shopping research to inform your own decision — not as the result of independent product testing. Where a recommendation reflects a particular type of sourcing, that context is noted.

I'm also straightforward about cost. A lot of overlanding content glosses over price because the gear is expensive and acknowledging that feels uncomfortable. I'd rather note when a product is a significant investment and be clear about whether the premium is justified by the use case — and for whom.

When product specifications change or new listings become available, I update the article. This site earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through links on this page; guides here are intended as shopping research to help you compare options before you buy.

Affiliate links

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we earn a commission. Our buying guides are compiled from manufacturer specifications and current product listings — they are shopping research, not hands-on tests. For full details, see our full affiliate disclosure.