As the end of the year comes closer, there are plenty of gift giving opportunities on the docket, whether it be birthday, holiday, or just because. And if you’re here at Parts Via, there’s a fairly good chance that either you or a loved one is a 4x4 or off-road enthusiast.
While there are a few fortunate souls out there who can afford to give something really special – like a bumper, suspension system, or wheels & tires – they’re not really what we would consider “gifting items.” Feature like cost, size, preference, and returnability rule them out for the bulk of us. But if you want to treat a loved one to a practical (but still really special) off-roading item they’re sure to love, you’re in luck. We’ve got a few categories you should consider while shopping…
High Quality Gloves
You’d be surprised how many wheelers don’t have a sturdy pair of gloves in their kit. We know that rough hands and fingernail dirt are the signs of a true handyman but we’d rather not spend 15 minutes under a bottle of Fast Orange after an off-road session.
Whether it be from your jack, winch, or tight areas in your engine bay, pinched and burned fingers are always in the cards when wheeling. If you can cut your hand open badly enough to need stitches while washing dishes, just imagine the damage that can be done by your two-ton vehicle and it’s accompanied accessories. Plus, if you’re using hand tools (like our next idea) the improved grip can make the difference between success and failure. Doesn’t need to be fancy, doesn’t need to be super expensive—gloves from the like of TrailFX and ARB make a great stocking stuffer.
Shovel
This is an off-road accessory that many folks overlook, but those who are in the know never leave home without. This ain’t your standard digging post holes or scooping manure shovel you leave in the corner of the garage. Off-road shovels can come in many lengths but generally are compact and serve as tools for when that ditch is just too deep and your wheels start spinning.
Once you get in a situation where you need one, you’ll never forget to pack it. (In fact, we peg it as the second most important handheld tool next to your jack.) And if you’re a camper or overlander, a shovel can be integral to set up shop at the end of the day.
While round point shovels are a bit more versatile, square pointed units may be a bit handier for snow, sand, and soft dirt. Check out models from Overland Vehicle Systems, Rugged Ridge, and Rampage. They’re tough as nails and look great mounted on a roof rack.
Traction Boards
Like many things on this list, traction boards (or mats) are unassuming yet indispensable pieces of kit for the seasoned off-roader. It’s a simple concept that offers a simple solution. Traction boards are large, flat, hard plastic mats cut with channels that mimic something close to a tire’s tread. Just slide these under a tire that’s lost its grip with the earth below, and you’ve got the traction to ride yourself out of danger.
Cut it out with having to scrounge up kitty litter, your own floor mats, or spare wooden 2x4s to put under your tires. Get the right tool for the job. (And let’s be honest, if you’ve seen a 4x4 on the road with a set of these mounted to their roof or rear tailgate, you’ll know how badass the sight of these can be.) DV8, ARB, and OVS make super boards that look great and can get you out of any tire spinnin’ situation.
High Lift Jacks
If traction boards or shovels just aren’t cutting it, it’s time to move up to the king of handheld recovery—the jack. And no name is more synonymous with the category than Hi-Lift.
Hi-Lift can trace its roots back to 1895 and shows no signs of slowing. So often during off-road adventures, a wayward stump or large rock can disrupt the connection our tires have with the ground. In these instances, no amount of digging or traction boards will help you progress your journey. A Hi-Lift jack can assist with lifting up your vehicle so you can build up the ground below your tires for traction.
In addition, jacking up your vehicle can help when fixing something that may need attention in the under carriage. With many other uses, including clamping broken parts, bending metal, and winching, a Hi-Lift jack is the Swiss Army knife of tools anyone would enjoy having.
Floor Mats/Liners
Okay, so floor mats may not exactly be off-roader specific, but just as we talked about gloves for your hands, floor mats offer the same protection, grip, and dirt management for your vehicle. And while you may have had some one-size-fits all dollar store mats back in the day that worked well, the play is to go for custom, vehicle-specific mats.
Rugged Ridge, Husky Liner, and the king – Weathertech – all offer mats that fit intended applications like a glove. The engineering on these things has become so advanced that you’d think they’re part of the floor. We’re talking millimeter-measured perfection.
We’ll admit, many newer trucks and SUVs come with fairly beefy mats, or at least offer them as part of an option package. But if you’re shopping for someone who has an older vehicle, never had proper mats, or just beats the living daylights out of them, custom floor protection is something they’re guaranteed to use every time they drive. (Just make sure you have the correct YMM before buying—and since they come in various hues, know the color of the interior you’ll be buying for so you can make the best choice.)
Jump Starter
None of us are immune to the trials and tribulations of a dead battery. Why is it dead you may ask? Well, maybe your battery is under-spec’d now that you added all those power-hungry accessories? Maybe your alternator is failing? Or more commonly, maybe you flipped your ceiling light to ‘On’ to look for your wallet that dropped between the seats and forgot to flip it back to ‘Door.’
Whatever the reason, it’s a pain to seek out a jump. You might not have cables, can’t find someone who does, or perhaps you pulled into a parking spot facing a wall and angles aren’t in your favor. And sure, we pay a yearly fee to AAA, but still sometimes feel sheepish giving them a call. It’s time to ditch the traditional jumper cables and ditch relying on someone else.
Personal jump starters are a life saver and we’ve used our own way more than we ever thought possible. Check out the NOCO Boost Plus unit which has the ability to jump just about anything, small to large. It’s compact, so it doesn’t require much space and it’s easy to use—just connect the cables, hit a button and your baby’s back to purrin’. Plus, many models from brands like NOCO, Weego, and CTEK offer niceties like a built-in flashlight and USB charging. So, if you’re at the campsite and a fellow traveler has a dead car battery and phone battery, you’ll be looking like a million bucks.