Marcus Reed
Lead Gear Editor — Trail Built
Marcus is the Lead Gear Editor at Trail Built. His focus is the hardware that determines whether you get home or spend the night on the trail: recovery gear, winches, lighting, and suspension. He evaluates products by putting them through the conditions they were designed for — not by reading spec sheets. When a product fails, he says so.
His reviews cover the full range of overlanding equipment, with particular depth on recovery systems and vehicle build components for mid-size trucks and SUVs.
How Trail Built tests gear →Articles by Marcus Reed
Best Overlanding Winches 2026: Tested & Ranked
We tested 8 winches from $299 to $1,400 across sand, mud, and rock.
Best Overlanding Recovery Gear 2026
Kinetic ropes, traction boards, shackles, and full kits — ranked and tested.
Best Off-Road Light Bars 2026
From budget bars to pro-grade Baja Designs — tested on dark forest roads.
Best Skid Plates for Off-Road Trucks 2026
Steel vs aluminum, full belly vs transfer case — what actually matters.
Best Hi-Lift Jack Alternatives 2026
Safer, more versatile options for lifting your rig on the trail.
Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen Overland Build Guide
The complete build guide for the most popular overland platform on the road.
Ford Bronco Overland Build Guide
Mods that work, mods to skip, and the build sequence that makes sense.
Best Vehicle Communication Gear for Overlanding
GMRS radios, satellite communicators, and what to carry when cell service ends.