Jeep. The very name conjures up images of rugged off-road adventures, tackling rocky trails and muddy slopes with ease. It's no wonder that the Jeep brand has become synonymous with adventure and the great outdoors. But where did this iconic vehicle come from, and how did it become the go-to choice for outdoor enthusiasts around the world?

The G-Class's origins can be traced back to the late 1970s, when Mercedes was approached by none other than the Shah of Iran to develop a military vehicle. The Shah was a major shareholder in the German automaker at the time, and he wanted a ride that could handle the rough terrain of his country's mountains and deserts. Mercedes turned to Austrian company Steyr-Puch, which had a reputation for building tough, reliable vehicles, to get the job done.

Founded in 2007 by Brad McCarthy in Brisbane, Australia, MAXTRAX was created to provide a simple, lightweight, and easy-to-use solution for off-road vehicle recovery. The first MAXTRAX product, known as the MAXTRAX MKI, used a proprietary blend of UV-stabilized, engineering-grade nylon and it was designed it to be stackable, easy to carry, and able to withstand extreme temperatures.

The Toyota Land Cruiser was first introduced in 1951, just a few years after the end of World War II. At the time, Toyota was a relatively small and unknown car manufacturer, and was looking for ways to establish itself in the highly competitive automotive market. One of the ways the company did this was by developing a rugged and capable off-road vehicle that could be used by both civilians and military organizations.

The Raptor R comes in as a heavyweight with only minor revisions from its Ecoboost powered brother. The 3.5L Twin Turbo H.O. Ecoboost V6 is replaced with a revised GT500 sourced Supercharged 5.2L 32v V8 putting out 700 horsepower and 640lb-ft of torque. Keen eyes will note lightly different power numbers than the GT500 via a tuning revision, slightly smaller supercharger pulley and revised cast-stainless steel exhaust manifolds.

The Super Duty was last updated fully in 2017 with the introduction of the Alumiduty, where it picked up the aluminum body architecture from its half-ton little brother F-150. Since then, it has received incremental updates and minor refreshes, but has remained largely untouched physically and mechanically.

Brad McCarthy, founder and creator of MAXTRAX, discusses MAXTRAX, outback exploration, guidebooks, and more on the latest episode of the Overland Journal Podcast.

Affordable, powerful, and most importantly reliable. The 2010 Toyota Tundra Rock Warrior was a no-brainer for our next touring rig.

From the Mountains to the Desert, we've been driving the Adventure Imports Jeep Gladiator to its limit testing new gear and finding amazing views.