The holiday giving season is upon us once again, and who’s more fun to shop for than your favorite adventure rider (wink wink, yes that can mean you). Whether you live in an area that supports mid-winter riding, or are stuck in a part of the world where you’re already dreaming of spring, you’re sure to find something to covet in this year’s collection of gifty gear and gadgets. After all, who (including you) wouldn’t love to receive a tiny, steak-worthy, titanium cooking rack, roostable 40/60 street/dirt adventure tires or a full collection of beautifully-made physical BRD maps, perfect for fireside perusing.

GasTapper Fuel Transfer Pump

There are plenty of situations where a siphon comes in handy, but ask anyone who’s used their mouth to initiate one and they’ll tell you it sucks, no pun intended. A jiggler valve on one end of the hose saves you physical contact with toxic substances, but it’s far from a perfect solution, especially when you’re trying to move fuel from the lowest parts of a tank. Enter the GasTapper, which employs a mechanical hand pump to initiate fuel draw, allowing  you to pump uphill, rather than relying solely on gravity. It also features a safety clip, universal filter, retainer spring on exit section to prevent slippage and a 14-inch semi rigid draw section that allows the hose to slurp up the dregs of fuel or oil from the bottom of any tank. The hose is six feet in length but packs small and weighs just 6.08 ounces.    

Wolfman Tincup Pocket

When size does matter, it’s not always in the direction you’d think. Take Wolfman’s Tincup Pocket minimalist tank bag storage solution for example. While a full-size tank bag comes in handy for road touring it can easily get in the way for off-road adventure riding. We tested the Tincup Pocket when it first came out and found it very useful to carry small essential items such as wallet, keys, phones and snacks. It attaches to the bike via one of two harness systems depending on the shape of your tank.

The bag itself, which provides numerous pockets, mates with the harness of your choice using a hearty velcro panel and one quick-release strap. And it doesn’t need to ride on the tank, it can also be mounted to Wolfman’s Rolie bags or you can opt for a Waist Belt Base harness and wear it like a fanny pack. 

Coast WPH30R Headlamp

Yeah, there’s a lot of junk on Amazon, but mixed in are some truly useful products, including this waterproof, 1000-lumen headlamp. The first thing we like is that it comes with a rechargeable Zithion-X battery that can last up to 5 hours on the unit’s highest setting (23 hours on the lowest setting), more than enough time for activities around camp or dealing with after dark trailside issues. It also weighs just 5.6 ounces. If you’re unable to recharge the unit for some reason you can always pop in two CR123 alkaline batteries. One thousand lumens is wildly bright of course, and the high beam is said to reach nearly 500 ft. There are two power settings and five modes including spot and flood beams. Other features include a red light for night vision and power lock so the unit doesn’t get turned on unintentionally knocking around in a bag. 

Dunlop Trailmax Raid Tires

In last year’s holiday buyer’s guide we recommended gifting your bike some Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires, but this year Dunlop has a new, more aggressive adventure tire in its Raid offering and we’re here for it. The Raids are designed for 40% on-road and 60% off-road use and feature a compound formula brand new to the maker’s motorcycle tires. The silica-heavy mix is said to have solved the issue of “conflicting compound requirements” presented by the extreme variance between on and off-road conditions. In addition, the Raid tread pattern addresses multi-use play on heavyweight adventure bikes by incorporating tie bar treads to connect knobs, creating a more-rigid structure. Gaps between knobs in the tire’s shoulder are closer together to provide optimal grip during aggressive on-road cornering, and the gaps are also more narrow in the dead center blocks, which reduces noise during highway travel. Raid tires are available for 19 and 21-inch fronts as well as 17 and 18-inch rear wheels. 

Trail Tech Portable Air Compressor

A cordless air compressor is one of the handiest items you can take along on any ride, the more lightweight and powerful the better. Add PSI programmability and a long battery life and it becomes an MVP for those off-road adventures where you’re varying tire pressure along the way. Trail Tech’s 2 – 150 PSI range Air Compressor fits in the palm of your hand yet provides a strong 5000mAh capacity, which according to the maker is enough juice to fully inflate four motorcycle tires. This makes for countless top-offs if you’re lowering pressures for serious off-road conditions, plus the unit also doubles as a USB charger for your phone and other devices. It features a cooling fan and rugged nozzle hose and comes with a storage bag. Weight is just 1.1 lb and dimensions are 6.4 x 2.7 x 1.5 in, so small enough to stow in any bag.

GIVI GRT722 Auxiliary Bags

Italy’s GIVI luggage has been around since the late 80s and no one will forget the brand’s rounded plastic top cases that were such a thing in those days. But just like today’s range of motorcycles, GIVI luggage has evolved, offering a line that works for a variety of conditions and intentions, including adventure riding. We like these 8L cargo-style roll-down dry bags because they can attach straight onto your bike’s engine guards, filling a space that’s otherwise unused. They can also be applied to the traditional side bag locations using GRT721 Canyon Base harness or added to the outside of the 25L GRT720 Canyon saddlebags for a bump in packing space. The black auxiliary bags attach using the included adjustable nylon straps with clamp closures to maintain tension. Each 8L bag is sold individually. 

Butler BDR Map Collection

Butler Maps’ curation of Backcountry Discovery Routes has changed the way adventure riders travel. Remember the old days when we were blindingly poking around looking for exciting off-road routes and detours? Following green or dotted lines on paper maps created for automobile travel? The BDR era has unfolded right alongside an ever-expanding line of adventure bikes and this bundle of all the maps available so far is a must have, especially for a new rider ready to dream of their next adventure. The beautiful set of waterproof, tear resistant physical maps, including AZ, CO, ID, NM, UT, WA, NV, WY, OR, Mid-Atlantic, So Cal, and Northeast BDRs is on sale for the holidays and comes with its own custom nylon Mosko Moto map case. Each map folds to 4.25 x 9 inches so they are easy to pack and a great backup to e-generated maps that may not be available when you’re off-grid. Truly the perfect gift to inspire next-season adventures! 

REV’IT! Stratos 3 GTX Winter Touring Gloves

Winter motorcycle adventures are a rite of passage for any rider, but if you have the right gear it doesn’t have to be painful. The front line defense against being miserable on a cold ride is wearing a high-quality pair of winter gloves. REV’IT!’s Stratos 3 were created for that purpose. The outer is supple goatskin leather, which remains a terrific choice of material if you’re looking for both weather and abrasion resistance. Inside there is a full lining of breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex in case that winter ride is also a wet ride, while 3M Thinsulate adds insulation. This combination of thin, high-end materials negates the need for the puffy insulation that would make these gloves feel bulky, a real drawback if you’re doing anything more interesting than droning along on a straight highway. Other important features include phone-friendly fingertips, Temperfoam at the palm and thumb knuckle, and REV’IT!’s patented hard shell outer knuckle protection. 

Alpinestars Techdura Tactical Pack

One can never have too many backpacks, which makes them an evergreen gift. And this Techdura Tactical style pack from Alpinestars stands out for a level of adaptability that makes it perform like several backpacks in one. Pointed straight at off-road adventure riders, its strongest selling point is modularity. There is a fixed main pack compartment, plus detachable lower chest and lower side pouches that can be subtracted or added for 9L of total capacity. This allows for better weight distribution on your body, yes, but also customized packing. For example, when you’re out on a shorter off-road ride, you may not want any bulk in front, or if you’re riding long distance with a tail bag, you can reduce the bulk in the back and avoid your backpack rubbing against it by packing items in the front and  sides.

This pack offers a high degree of fit adjustability as well as Molle webbing for extra items you might want to access quickly. Color choices are gray/black or black with white details. 

Vargo Titanium BiFold Portable Camp Grill

It’s pretty darn sweet to be able to grill up a fat, juicy steak over an open flame when you’re out there adventure bike camping, especially during the chilly season. Here’s a compact, easy-to-pack option that can make that fantasy meal a reality. It’s made of 0.75 mil gage titanium, so it weighs just 3.7 ounces, yet it’s also durable and easy enough to clean. All you need to do is unfold the grill and place the legs over a small fire and you get a 60-plus square-inch cooking surface.

It’s not super tall, so wouldn’t work with, say, a Pocket Rocket gas stove setup without propping it up with a few rocks, but it will work perfectly over Vargo’s own Hexagon Wood Stove. When closed, the BiFold measures just 4.4 x 7.75 x 1.25 inches, making it easy to slip into your panniers. There is also an included protective case to keep the grill from sullying your other gear.

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.