Going Off Brand...

[1000sAreSailing]

Apologies if this has been left. I tried the search function first. Anyway...

I know there are a lot situations where the smart thing is to go the proven brand name and I do. But in some instances my experience has shown that brand names comes with a cost premium that doesn't always mean best quality and usability...or even equivalent quality and usability. Besides, past a point I just can't go afford to go name brand on everything.

So what are some important or even essential overland kit items that you can save a few bucks on or get better performance by going off brand?

 

[Steve]

Seems there was a similar thread, but a quick search didn't find it. Time for a new one!

RTIC vs Yeti coolers: Proven quality at half the price
Walmart's Ozark Trails drinkware vs Yeti: Same product at 1/5 the price

 

[dblack]

Handy dandy $5 valve stem extensions that function as my air down tool.
Just remove the valve from the extension and thread it on. Check pressure once in a while as the pressure drops.

 

[4xFar Adventures]

Apologies if this has been left. I tried the search function first. Anyway...

I know there are a lot situations where the smart thing is to go the proven brand name and I do. But in some instances my experience has shown that brand names comes with a cost premium that doesn't always mean best quality and usability...or even equivalent quality and usability. Besides, past a point I just can't go afford to go name brand on everything.

So what are some important or even essential overland kit items that you can save a few bucks on or get better performance by going off brand?

I think it's fine to shop around and use off brand stuff for personal items like camping equipment, clothes, etc. But, the one area I never compromise on is purchasing quality recovery equipment.

 

[Onefin]

Agree with the Rtic cooler thing, can’t see why I’d spend more money than that on a cooler.

Recovery gear and tires are two areas that spending more money on proven brands/models makes all the sense in the world. I built up my recovery gear bag using online sales and Black Friday deals from masterpull and Viking.


Random expo sexy overland tacticool khaki pants and stuff? Just get Carhardtt’s from the farm supply store and be done.

I have stopped buying cheap or random cooking gear for camping. I wind up buying it twice, so it costs less to buy the better stuff to start.

Plus, there is always craigslist....

 

[Quicksilver]

Seems there was a similar thread, but a quick search didn't find it. Time for a new one!

RTIC vs Yeti coolers: Proven quality at half the price
Walmart's Ozark Trails drinkware vs Yeti: Same product at 1/5 the price

I saw a review on coolers a couple of months ago that compared Ozark Trails, RTIC, and Yeti (along with one or two others, I think). While the Ozark Trails didn't perform quite as well as RTIC and Yeti, it still did really well and is the least expensive of the three. Kept ice for several days, if I remember correctly. Which would be more than enough for me, and is certainly better than the Coleman I currently have. They also did toughness tests by doing things like dropping them off of tailgates while fully loaded to see if the latches would break. I wish I had bookmarked it.

 

[Justin Forrest]

This is a question I think about all the time. It's sometimes difficult to take a chance on an off brand unless the price is really good. For example, I purchased some cheap led pod lights off amazon about 1.5 years ago. I think I spent $20 vs $200 for a one of the big brands. Fast forward they still work, no leaks or fogging. I think to many folks just buy something because of the name printed on the box. I say get what fits your budget the best, if you spent all your money on kit how will you actually go out and use it.

 

[Quicksilver]

Agreed. I have far too many expensive hobbies, so I have to balance things out by going off brand whenever possible. As mentioned above though, there are definitely things you don't want to cheap out on.

 

[Kent R]

Sometimes the Off Brand product is actually the Name Brand product in a cheeper package. Do your research and there is money to be saved.

 

[TOMB]

Sometimes the Off Brand product is actually the Name Brand product in a cheeper package. Do your research and there is money to be saved.

I bought a no name tailgate table for my jeep. The picture looked just just like the big name version. When I opened the box it was exactly the same and actually had the name brand on the instructions. And at 1/4 of the cost.


Sent from my iPad using OB Talk

 

[1000sAreSailing]

This is a question I think about all the time. It's sometimes difficult to take a chance on an off brand unless the price is really good. For example, I purchased some cheap led pod lights off amazon about 1.5 years ago. I think I spent $20 vs $200 for a one of the big brands. Fast forward they still work, no leaks or fogging. I think to many folks just buy something because of the name printed on the box. I say get what fits your budget the best, if you spent all your money on kit how will you actually go out and use it.

I think this is what I was trying to get at a bit with this discussion. While I'm new to overlanding, I've sailed for over 15 years. If I'd made sure everything I bought was brand name or "marine grade" I'd barely have been able to afford to do it in the first place.

For example I bought West Marine VHF radio for a hundred dollars less than the expensive brand name ones. Works great, serves me well to this day. When my original tiller broke, a chandlery wanted $350 for a new teak tiller. I bought a $10 axe handle from a hardware store. It's still working great after exposure to the elements ten years later.

One example I've run into with overlanding is traction boards. To hear it from some, if you don't get Maxtrax you've wasted your money on a crap product waiting to fail you when you need it most. But after spending some quality time researching I bought some knockoff Maxsa's instead. They were almost $200 less and had great reviews on Amazon and on forums around the web. There's even multiple videos on YouTube showing them performing just fine compared to Maxtrax. And they definitely perform better than some more well known names putting out board like the Smittybilt ones.

I think the subtle distinction that's been misunderstood here a bit is not 'what can I cheap out on and without dying' but 'what can I avoid paying an unnecessary premium for and still get equivalent quality?'

 

[1000sAreSailing]

Sometimes the Off Brand product is actually the Name Brand product in a cheeper package. Do your research and there is money to be saved.

I'd heard this about Sear Diehard Platinums. Apparently, they were private labelled Odyssey's. I couldn't find any evidence of it with the new Diehards, so I went ahead with the Odyssey. I don't want to second guess electrical. But man, it would've been nice to get Odyssey quality for a hundred bucks less...

 

[Quicksilver]

Sometimes the Off Brand product is actually the Name Brand product in a cheeper package. Do your research and there is money to be saved.

Yup, my wife's lift kit was like that.

 

[dziner]

Seems there was a similar thread, but a quick search didn't find it. Time for a new one!

RTIC vs Yeti coolers: Proven quality at half the price
Walmart's Ozark Trails drinkware vs Yeti: Same product at 1/5 the price

Maybe you were thinking of the official Ozark Trail Overland thread we started after Overland Expo East? We were discussing just this thing, and were having fun with it.

 

[trikebubble]

I always try to consider the "trendiness factor" when making my purchases as well. Factor that against the name brand vs no-name brand.
For instance, IMO the world was built using $30 shovels, people have been wheeling for decades all over the world using $30 shovels, a $30 shovel has never let me down.......which is why I carry a $30 well used generic shovel and couldn't for the life of me justify spending a couple hundred on a fancy red and yellow shovel with teeth cut into it.

I also purchased a Dometic fridge a few years ago, and it has been one of the best investments and most used items in my arsenal. It has always worked well and cost me 1/2 what the equivalent ARB fridge would have cost. On my old rig I had a Superwinch which performed flawlessly every time it was asked to be put into service. When I bought my new truck I decide to go with a Smittybilt as I read a number of good reviews.

Having said that I've just ordered a set of Maxtrax, and when I was deciding on suspension for my new truck I went with pretty much the best option available.

 

[Ripley1046]

I find the challenge of making the cheap stuff work fun. For instance, I just designed an awning that I can make for about $45 that will serve all the needs I have, and cost me 1/4 of what a pro model one would. Will it be perfect? Nope, but I know how to fix it, and have the cash for another project I can’t make myself.

Heard a piece of advice a while back. Never skimp on what seperates you from the earth. Shoes, sheets, tires.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I usually won't skimp on a knife or multi-tool either....

 

[Ripley1046]

Yeah, I carry a gerber fixed blade, spiderco folder, and leatherman wave most days. I did however carry a $4 Ozark Trail folding knife for about a year and a half trying my best to make it fail. It’s now in one of my emergency kits because it held up so well.

Speaking of ozark trail, I have a fair amount of gear from them, and I’ve never had a piece of their gear fail on me. Maybe I’m just lucky.

 

[TerryD]

I have a couple OT cups and their 73qt and 26qt coolers. They all work as advertised! We also had one of their 10 man tents for several years and it did what we needed it to do.

When it comes to knives, I try to buy decent quality stuff. I have a Mora I carry in my EDC pack, that's probably the cheapest knife I own anymore. It's a carbon blade I found at a thrift store for $12. Couldn't leave it sitting for the price. My personal EDC is a Kershaw Blur S30V and my bushcraft/camp knife is a Benchmade Bushcrafter S30V with the green scales. I also have a Ka-Bar I've carried and a few other like Buck and CRKT that were gifts from my Dad, who's a knife guy.

I'm sticking to the big names for recovery gear as I stock up. ARB straps, Warn winch, Hi-Lift brand jack, ect. I might cheap out on traction boards (Maxsa instead of Maxtrax) just because I've never owned or used a set and I'm not sure of their utility yet. If I get them and it works out that I use them a good bit, I'll probably upgrade and sell the cheapies or stick them in my pickup.

 

[Andy G]

Yeti vs RTIC comparison...wow.