Just getting started
Howdy
This is our first blog post, as the site hasn't even gone live yet. Firstly, let me introduce myself, and explain what we have in store for you. My name is Sean, from Arizona, and I am the man-behind-the-curtain at Gearlanders.com.
Working with a small, but mighty team, we dreamed up the concept for this site after being frustrated trying to find a bed rack, suitable to transport an eleven-foot paddle board on the roof of my 2018 Toyota Tacoma.
Searching online for a simple device to literally just support the back end of the board was insane. You either needed to bolt (meaning drill holes) the ugly contraption to your bed directly - and permanently. Or spent big bucks to get a specialized, aluminum doohickey, which pulled double-duty and could also be used to support a rooftop tent (which I didn't own). There had to be a better way.
So we got to thinking that many people like to Camp, Fish, Hike, Snow, Bike, or Paddle on the weekends, but getting from your home to the activity often involved questionable (and unsafe) transportation methods, when it came to strapping down a kayak, or a bike to your truck. We've all seen people driving down the highway with their arm out the window holding down something tied to the roof!
It struck us that there didn't seem to be an online retailer that let folks search by activity, or for gear for their specific truck.
The second reason for starting Gearlanders.com is that certain individuals (myself included) like to modify their trucks, with after-market gear. Overlanding is hugely popular here in the western US, and folks spend hours looking for suspension system parts, winches, rock sliders, light bars, and thousands of other goodies to trick out their rig.
But most of the sites out there on the internet look terrible, are hard to navigate and, in some cases, have questionable descriptions - making it difficult to know if the tonneau cover you want to order will fit your 2015 Ford F-150 or not. Who wants to deal with the hassle of ordering a bulky part, only to find it doesn't fit? Nobody.
The plan for Gearlanders is to build out an intuitive site, where you can easily search by activity, or by the exact model of truck you own, to quickly find what you need. We're building it to include large images, and detailed tech descriptions (so you can see and read about what you're buying), and will back it all up with honest pricing and good old-fashioned customer service.
We are currently finalizing the design, and the branding and adding more and more top-notch suppliers. We hope to launch in the fall of 2022 - just in time for one final camping trip, or just before the flakes start to fly again at higher elevations.
Wish us luck, as we try to kick this thing off. We look forward to serving you and hearing all about your adventures soon.
Cheers! Sean
Ship's Cook, and Bottle-Washer