Anya Murphy January 26, 2024 New Products
Back in September, the Tread editorial staff had the opportunity to head out to Holcomb Valley Ranch in Big Bear, California to spend a few days playing in the woods with our friends at Tread Agency and Kahn Media as well as some awesome overlanding brands. The second event in Tread Agency’s Traction Series for 2023, the aim for the trip was to give media representatives, like the Tread Mag team, and brands you’ve seen on these pages quite a few times, the chance to get to know each other, form relationships, and test new products ourselves. We also spent time watching and taking part in demonstrations from each brand as well as subject matter experts who gave talks on topics like fire safety, remote first aid, and vehicle recovery.
Sponsored by Optima Batteries as well as Tuff Stuff Overland, Hellwig Products, Hitchfire Grills, Milestar Tires, MORRFlate, Canyon Coolers, Lance Campers, and Rigid Industries, just to name a few, the event featured tons of products that landed right at the top of our wishlists. From camping necessities to automotive accessories that had us rethinking our rooftop setup, here were some of our favorite products from the event.
Just about every overland build you’ve seen on these pages has been powered by an Optima battery, so when the Optima Batteries sponsored Rivian pulled into camp, we were stoked. Curious to see what they were planning, we chatted with them for a while to find that the trailer the Rivian was pulling was stacked with Optima innovations, and had the capability to power all of these lights using solar energy. It’s rare that a vehicle spec box in Tread doesn’t list an Optima Battery, but in case that wasn’t enough of an endorsement, we actually watched the team, Michael Weiss and Cam Douglas, tear one apart, literally, to show how tough it was. First of all, the battery had been sitting on the ground underneath the Rivian’s tire for quite a while. As we prepared for the demonstration, the team rolled the truck off of the battery, then pulled out a skillsaw and began slicing open the battery. As they began to break it down into its individual components, they hooked up a small toy, a monkey clanging a tiny set of cymbals, to demonstrate that even under heavy duress, the battery would still be outputting power. They finally spared our ears by disconnecting him from the terminal several hours later. It’s no surprise to us that Optima is the leading battery source for so many overlanders.
To say that night rides with Rigid representatives Justin Pederson and Ritchie Schatz were a highlight of the trip would be doing them a disservice. In true Overland Summit fashion, they were both educational and a whole lot of fun. As night fell, the Rigid team, led by Mitch Williams, flipped their lights on and illuminated the whole base camp in a wash of bright colors. Taking turns riding along as the guys skidded around corners and flew through dust clouds got our heart rates up for sure, but we were also excited to see how the latest innovations in lighting from Rigid were making night driving and dealing with dust safer and more fun. With their new amber technology, it’s truly as though the dust clouds aren’t there. We also got a chance to see a new ground light beacon that shone so brightly that it looked like something out of a Star Wars movie, as well as a series of multicolored lights that gave us some design ideas for our own vehicles. And as we expected from a leading brand, their rock lights, chase lights, light bars, and more all provided the highest quality illumination throughout our rides.
Canyon was a new brand to us, but we may consider ourselves converts after enjoying ice-cold beverages all trip long thanks to Canyon Coolers’ icy tech. We were more than impressed with just how well their coolers performed, keeping ice cold far longer than we expected. Brand representatives Jason Costello and John Martin filled us in about their product – as outdoorsmen, they trust that their brand builds coolers designed to thrive, not just survive, on adventures. A motto of theirs is: “We like dividers that double as tables, We like baskets that stack, rotate, and double stack. We like latches that have easy cam action and stay flush and out of the way. We like seals that work better and actually insulate.” A lifetime no-fuss warranty is just one piece of evidence towards that. As a team who spends a lot of time outdoors, we have a special appreciation for the mission. Plus, their brand, established in 2011, is still growing and has expanded into double-walled vacuum-sealed metal tumblers and water bottles that kept us refreshed. Modeled here by your friendly neighborhood Tread Managing Editor, take my word for it: these cups (and coolers, of course) are the good stuff.
The Tuff Stuff Alpine Rooftop Tent is something we’ve been excited to see in person for quite a while, so when Chris Petter of TSO started opening up this beauty atop the TSO Bronco, we had to get a closer look. We were already familiar with a lot of the specs of this unique pop-up tent, but seeing it in action had us writing a letter to Santa. It was surprisingly easy to pop up for something so sturdy, and we were interested to hear that it has a cargo capacity of about 1,200lbs, even when popped up. (Yes, we jokingly asked if they’d tried to double decker them. Being reasonable people, the answer was obviously no. However, if the weight of the second tent was the only concern, then it may technically be possible.) But that does mean it’s an incredible storage solution, giving you access to the best of both worlds, storage and sleeping space. It was absolutely massive inside, with an impressive amount of headroom. The folks at TSO know what they’re doing. The RTT is outfitted with enough doors and windows to give it great airflow, and the blackout fabric is truly blackout – we climbed in after lunch one day and had a hard time not staying for a nap. We’re also major fans of this tent’s versatility, since you can use it as either a wedge or a pop up, so it’s adaptable to basically any weather conditions.
We absolutely can’t wait to try out the MORRFlate system on our own rig. We were able to get a firsthand look and feel for just how quickly and easily MORRFlate makes airing up and down before hitting the trail on the Jeep and Tacoma that we rode in for the trail ride. Their 4-tire closed system is self-equalizing, meaning you can air down full-size tires (we’re talking 40s here, people!) in under 10 minutes. The craziest part is that the system actually also enables those same tires to air back up in about the same time. How? Well, if your compressor is sending out 6.5CFM, but your tires can only take 2.5CFM, then air goes to waste. Sending air to all four tires at once enables you to use every bit of CFM that your compressor is putting out. With the 4 tire system, all 4 tires are accepting all the air they can at the same time. We were wowed, but skeptical, until we watched brand rep Tyler Lawsen air down the massive tires on his Jeep in under 10 minutes, then air them back up again just as quickly a few hours later.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in TREAD Jan/Feb 2024.
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