If you caught the adventure bug early, chances are, your dad had something to do with it. Whether he was an experienced outdoorsman or could barely assemble a tent, he appreciated fresh air, green trees, a campfire, and fitful sleep (just me?). My own dear ol’ dad knew more about knots that I knew about Pokemon, and could turn canned food into gourmet cuisine.
But if you’re anything like me, traditional camping doesn’t hold a card to automotive adventure. Building up my 80 Series Land Cruiser and overlanding parts of the western U.S. unlocked a world of off-grid thrills I never knew existed. Now I want to share that experience with my knot-guru father. First, he’ll need a rig of his own, but maybe your own father is a few steps ahead. If so, here are some sweet father’s day off-road goodies to inspire a trip together.
Help dad take his rig from ‘commuter’ to ‘camp’ mode in less than 10 seconds. These quick release systems get roof rack accessories on or off in no time. The hitch system allows for awnings, Maxtrax, or anything else to be securely locked onto a roofrack or roof bars without hardware, searching for that 10mm wrench, or fiddling with tiedowns. Additional benefit is that the garage can be that much more organized once the trip is done to, as awnings can be mounted on the wall with a RacksBrax HD Wall Mount.
DSLR cameras, GoPros and drones are being utilized more and more out on the trail. The Tenkile Tech Pouch will help keep all that gear organized, safe and clean. The innovative diagonal zippered opening creates a clean ‘deck’ for swapping batteries or SD cards while also allowing easy access to all the internal pockets. Perfect for the dad who wants to document the adventure without risking their gear at the same time.
These new recovery ropes produce increased kinetic power compared to flat snatch straps, with up to 30% elongation providing a smoother, safer dynamic recovery. Changing the game a bit, Maxtrax is offering these in 2, 3, 5 and 10 meter lengths. In some terrain, shorter lengths are needed but these can be linked together easily to cover more distance when needed.
Ok, these are not new, BUT they are the absolute gold standard for self-recovery gear. Dads around the world have been relying on the MKII (for over 15 years) to get themselves out of trouble and sticky situations out on the trail. The proprietary, fiber-reinforced material won’t break and resists wheel-spin. With 13 different colors and a handful of mounting options, lots of ways to make these a perfect gift that will save Dad’s bacon whenever he or a buddy get stuck!
onX Offroad recently released their new Elite membership option. Users can now view private landowner information in their onX Offroad app, in addition to all the trails and features you love with a Premium account (offline maps, custom waypoints, 500k recreation sites, etc). New map layers show landowner names, property boundaries, and lot sizes. Being able to see landowner data is one more useful tool when out on the trail. Curious who owns the land next to an off-road park? Or wondering about an easement that goes from public through private, and back to public land again? With Elite, you know exactly where you are.
