Mapping Rig Gift Guide 2023

With so many gift guides and holiday sales flying around, now is one of the best times to chip away at that gear wish list. How you build out your vehicle and what goes inside is deeply personal, and even though everyone on the crew at Trails Offroad has a personal adventure vehicle, we also have a couple of full-time trail mapping Jeeps meant to be used by team members. That means each is kitted out with standardized gear for anyone to grab the keys and hit the trails without loading and organizing their gear into a company vehicle. We’re highlighting the main pieces of gear in the Trails Offroad Trail Rigs that make this possible and put them into a gift guide that’s a little different. These are items we actively use year-round between multiple team members.

General Gear Storage

In the Trails Offroad JL 4-door and 2-door, our organization system of choice is the tried and true method of bins (boxes, tubs, crates, etc.). We needed a storage solution that was highly modular, reasonably secure, shippable if necessary, and easily managed. The Wolf Pack Pro from Front Runner serves well with a sturdy design, interlocking base, and lid that make stacking secure. We label each bin with the vehicle it belongs in and the contents that can be found inside. For smaller items like radios, charging accessories, etc., the Step22 Tenkile™ has come in handy, especially as it can attach to the molle system on the JL seat backs.

Sleeping Situation and Comfort

With a seemingly unlimited amount of sleep system options, we prioritized compact and lightweight pieces of gear. The 2-door and 4-door JL have a Marmot Catalyst 2-person ground tent and a Big Agnes Rapide SL insulated sleeping pad. Sleeping bags and pillows are a personal preference; crew members bring their own for each trip. Although a rock or tree stump can work as a chair in a pinch, we've opted for a Big Agnes Big Six Camp Chair in each Jeep for a comfy seat after a long day on the trails.

Cooking and Food Storage

Keeping the priorities of compact and ease of use in mind, the mapping rig cooking systems revolve around JetBoil products that stow nicely within our Wolf Pack Pro bins. For full-size meals, the JetBoil Half Gen is a great workhorse, while the JetBoil Flash Cooking System makes boiling water for coffee, oatmeal, and dehydrated meals easy and fast. For keeping drinks and perishable foods cold, the 4-door is equipped with a Dometic CFX3 35 and the 2-door with a Dometic CFX3 25.

Communication Options

When we're out on the trails mapping with a multi-vehicle team, radios are a necessity. We rely on Rugged Radios GMR2 PLUS handhelds and hardwired Rugged Radios GMR45 GMRS units. For keeping in contact with team members, family, and SOS services outside of cellular range, our core team trusts ZOLEO Satellite Communicators.  The RAM Mounts X-Grip never lets us down when we need a solid phone mount that can support multiple device models, handle rough roads, and be adjusted or moved between vehicles without much effort.

Additional Handy Tools

We could go through every single piece of gear in the Jeeps but some items (like recovery gear) aren't one size fits all and have too many factors to consider. We'll wrap up this guide with a few final handy items that may not always be top of mind. Whether it's used for collecting firewood, clearing low-hanging limbs, or downed trees, a Silky Saw Folding Blade is present in our Jeeps and conveniently strapped to the top roll bar. We keep the process of airing up tires quick and convenient with ARB Twin On-Board Air Systems directly wired to the JL auxilary switches in the front console. Finishing off the list, each crew member gives the Jeep(s) a quick clean before handing it off to the next person, and Chemical Guys Total Interior Cleaner and Protectant makes cleaning dust, dirt, and dried mud spots a breeze.

Give the Gift of Trails Offroad this Holiday Season

Just a quick reminder: Trails Offroad gift memberships are available year-round!  Give the gift of adventure.