Blue Ridge Overland Gear

is known for offering up the equipment that keeps all of your other gear organized. Whether you find yourself preparing for a weekend of camping, a family road trip, or an expedition across the continent the whole experience will be much enjoyable if you can find what you want when you need it. Founder Matt Akenhead sums up their philosophy, “At Blue Ridge Overland Gear, we start with the problem. Then we craft a product that provides a solution. Our goal and motto is to “Organize your stuff. Enjoy your time outside.” It’s our goal that each product will make the next trip a little easier.” From recovery gear to cooking equipment and the ever important first aid supplies, Blue Ridge Overland Gear has a product to keep it organized and at the ready.

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Their wide and varied product line all originates from the building affectionately known as the “Thread Shed” in the foothills of southwestern Virginia. Matt and crew design, cut, sew, and ship the entire Blue Ridge Overland Gear line from the shed. Stocked with the staples to assemble their products along with new materials and hardware for prototypes the shed is expertly arranged to maximize space and to allow the freedom to develop new products on the fly. Matt says, “One of the nice things about our operation here in the USA is that we can have an idea one day and it’ll be in production the next day.”

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Blue Ridge Overland Gear’s Thread Shed

crew has a wide range of overlanding and camping experience, and therefore knows exactly what equipment is indispensable and what just makes the journey a little easier. According to Matt, “We focus on the products we like and use. If a piece of our favorite gear needs to be protected or organized, that’s what we focus on.” Regardless if you need the first aid kit that’s always ready for emergencies, the traction platforms ready to grab when the trail gets rough, or the admittedly less exciting but equally important cooking utensils near the fridge, Blue Ridge Overland Gear has an organization solution if you have the need.

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Blue Ridge Overland Gear has recently added a few products to their line. The well known and loved Got to Go Bag has added a new member to the family in the way of the Got to Go Transit Bag that includes an abrasion and puncture resistant bottom and a reflective pattern on the front. Another new product, the MAXTRAX Transport Bag, offers a solution to a well known off road essential. The Transport Bag allows your MAXTRAX to be mounted to the roof rack or rear tire carrier and protects the rest of your gear from the inevitable mud they pick up during use.

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The hum of sewing machines and cutters isn’t the only buzz in the atmosphere at Blue Ridge Overland Gear’s headquarters. The crew knows how to enjoy a little taste of the outdoors life even when they’re hard at work creating amazing overland products. They’ve been known to fire up the TemboTusk Skottles, experimenting with new dishes on their affectionately dubbed Skottle Thursdays complete with its very own hashtag. When they do get away from the shed the BROG crew spends their time overlanding, camping with their families, paddling, and hanging out in their hammocks. The best products always come from the people that know how to use them, and that is most definitely the case with Blue Ridge Overland Gear.

You can see the rest of the BROG line HERE.

* OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible 4×4 adventure travel and outdoor recreation