by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
You feel it every time you step outside these days. Well, most of you do anyway. The chill. The crisp air that turns your breath into a white ghost-like fog every time you exhale. The blowing wind that sounds more like some kind of angry demon looking to chill you to the bone.
That’s right, winter months are right on the cusp of our calendar and have forced nearly everyone to secure those soft or hardtops, hide away bimini versions and shove tubular doors into the garage for a long spell.
Of course this also means, once again, it is the holiday season. And a chance to review your Jeep gift list to see just exactly what you need, as well as what friends, family and anyone else in your gift-giving circle may want.
Well, we’ve also been compiling notes and have curated a list of our six top categories this year, as well as some items from each category that have proved extremely popular.
All to complete our ninth annual gift guide and provide a roadmap to navigate this holiday season.
Interior
Floor Liners
The carpeting inside a Jeep, whether still factory or some aftermarket version, is usually fairly durable, mildew resistant and can effectively handle a lot of traffic —as well as plenty of water, snow, mud, or other debris.
But just because that carpeting has those features doesn’t mean it should always be tested to see how well it works, or continually be subjected to a ton of foot traffic. Like anything else, the more it takes abuse, the more it wears down and shortens its lifespan.
So an ideal gift this holiday season are protective floor liners to give Jeep carpeting its best chance at long-term survival.
These liners easily fit over the existing carpet in the driver and passenger foot area, and are also available for back passenger footwell coverage as well as cargo area protection. And what it means is most exposed carpeting areas now will have a ‘shield’ designed to protect against just about anything. Not to mention liners will also keep feet from rubbing against the carpeting and prematurely wearing out the material.
Additionally, floor liners these days are not just some generic overlay that is just shoved into place. Most liners are now custom designed to exactly fit your specific vehicle, and are available in a multitude of materials like rubber, thermoplastic and high-density tri-extruded vinyl — all with the ability to trap and hold water or debris into place.
Plus, they are simple to remove and clean when needed, which makes things so much easier than continually removing drain plugs to get water out of the vehicle.
Seat Covers
A Jeep’s seats are affected by the elements more so than just about any other type of vehicle seating. Not only do drivers and passengers cozy up to the material, but whenever that top is down, those seats can be assaulted by weather, the sun, or other things like mud and sand.
This is why seat covers make a solid holiday gift option for many Jeep owners this time of year.
Whether it is neoprene, vinyl, nylon, or some other material, seat covers shield and protect factory seats and will definitely help increase their overall longevity. Plus, with all kinds of color combinations available these days, seat covers can also provide a nice way to customize the vehicle's interior and make it stand out from everyone else.
Storage
Taking a nice off-road or overlanding trip can certainly be a fun time. However, whether it is you or someone on your holiday gift list, these trips may only be as fun as how much can be taken along for the ride.
After all, a Jeep isn’t really known for storage space. And in summer months it can also be a security issue when the top is removed.
Sure the Jeep may have a glove compartment, or center console, and a cargo area behind the rear seat, but these all can fill up fast with essentials.
So items like underseat metal locking units, larger, lockable center consoles, locking metal glove boxes, cargo security enclosures, roll bar bags, MOLLE panels, cargo area bags and even tailgate locking boxes are all helpful products to provide extra storage space as well as to augment security.
Many of these applications can be installed without drilling and, once in place, cannot be opened without a key, while others attach with hook-and-loop fasteners or neatly fit into unused areas in the vehicle’s cabin.
Grab Handles
If you, or those on your holiday gift list are new to the Jeep world, you’ll shortly learn that getting inside a Jeep can be a bit different than just about any other vehicle - especially if it has been lifted and now sits even higher.
That extra ground clearance is perfect when off-roading, but it does make things a little more challenging when climbing in the vehicle. Things can be even more difficult on the trail if/when the Jeep is parked off-camber.
That’s why grab handles are a perfect gift solution to make sure everyone on your holiday shopping list can have something to hold on to when climbing aboard his or her Jeep.
Some handles are metallic, some nylon. Some even have a foam handle to make gripping a bit easier. They also can fit in the front and rear so all passengers can have adequate ability to use handles for vehicle entrance.
Lighting
Headlights
It’s hard to really get going anywhere if the road ahead isn’t properly illuminated. And make no mistake, the weak factory halogen lights really just do not cut it these days with all the great available aftermarket lighting headlight options.
So, unless you or those on your holiday gift list have already upgraded to LED headlights, why not make the switch and improve your visibility during these long, cold winter nights?
Not only do LED headlights have a better light output and less battery draw, but they also throw a more accurate beam that is closer to actual daylight, are safer and make for less driver eye strain than current factory halogen headlights. Plus, LED headlights have an almost unlimited lifespan.
In traditional halogen bulbs, a thin filament of wire emits a bright light when current is passed through, which over time can degrade and eventually fail. An LED light makes use of a semiconductor – a material that releases photons of light when charge is applied. The main benefit — there is no filament to burn out, so they shouldn’t ever need replacement.
And the best part of this whole thing as far as gift giving — replacement LED headlights don’t require much work to install. Simply take off the front grille, unplug the factory lights, remove from the factory buckets and plug in the new ones.
Fog Lights
Even though everyone loves driving in the best possible weather possible, we all know there are those days when rain or fog take over which makes things just a bit more challenging.
For those times, fog lights can help illuminate the way.
Every Jeep has them, but like factory halogen headlights, the stock fog lights are quite a bit underpowered. This is why affordable LED fog lights have become one of the most popular light solutions out there. You, or your gift recipient will definitely appreciate the added light quality, but also the ease of installation. And it is also the perfect compliment to LED headlights.
Tail Lights
Some would say taillights are simply taillights. They light up when you press the brake and announce to everyone around that you are braking. That is, until the weather turns, and suddenly that dim factory red light doesn't penetrate the fog or rain well enough.
Well, there are plenty of great LED tail lights that make perfect sense for your Jeep, or someone on your holiday gift list.
These LED tail lights are specially designed to provide the most brilliant light around so trailing vehicles know exactly when that Jeep is braking. And the best part, they work with factory wiring and contain everything needed for installation.
Auxiliary Lighting
If those on your holiday gift list love spending time out on the trail, or doing some back-country adventuring, then sending some auxiliary lighting is the perfect way to help complete that list.
Auxiliary lighting can be spot or flood style that mount to the Jeep's windshield hinges and help accentuate light thrown from headlights or fog lights. Or they can be placed on front aftermarket bumpers with mounting brackets for better straightforward lighting assistance.
Additionally, most auxiliary lights are normally smaller, come in round or cube styles and can be wired to auxiliary switches so they activate only when you need that extra brightness.
Soft Goods
Summer Combinations
The holiday season may seem like a weird time to talk about summer products, but these warmer weather combination soft accessories can make for excellent gift ideas for soft top as well as hardtop owners in order to better enjoy nicer days.
These kits consist of a half- or full-length bimini top, windscreen and tonneau cover that all work together to provide an effective, but still somewhat open-air summer driving solution as well as a different look to the vehicle.
They will also either work with existing soft top hardware, or include new mounting pieces for those with hardtops. And the fabric is weather-resistant against stuff like pop-up summer showers, while being thick enough to prevent flapping during windy conditions.
Mesh Bimini Tops
If a full, three-piece summer combination seems like too much coverage for those warmer days, another excellent holiday gift is a half- or full-length mesh bimini top.
Unlike a full fabric overhead top, mesh has more of a see-through appearance that allows a bit of light penetration without compromising on UV protection. So anyone who loves that open-cabin appearance during summer months will love this top idea.
Each top attaches to the windshield frame with an optional no-drill header channel, and then either use hook-and-loop fasteners to secure to the roll cage, or specialized rubber straps.
One thing to note — while not entirely waterproof, the mesh material does protect against overhead water leakage and reinforced material designed not to flap around while driving.
Jeep Covers
No matter if it is warm rainy weather with the top off, or winter months with a snow or ice storm approaching, any Jeep can use some protection when inclement conditions are in the forecast. Or, perhaps it is something needed to keep stuff like dust, pollen or tree leaves out of a cabin Jeep when the top is off.
Whatever the reason, if additional vehicle protection is a high priority before next summer, or you know someone on your holiday gift list who could use this, a Jeep cover does provide several practical shielding solutions.
These simple-to-use soft covers are weather-resistant and can be quickly thrown over the Jeep and secured with straps or a cable kit when rain approaches and the normal soft or hardtop is not easily available.
Then, when the storm clears or you are ready to get back into the vehicle and continue your trip, you simply detach, shake off any water or debris, and get on your way.
Additionally, this cover works well during colder months to protect the soft or hardtop against snow and ice — especially vulnerable soft windows.
Best of all, when not in use, these covers can be rolled up and placed inside a carry bag, then tossed into the back seat or cargo area for no-hassle storage.
Storage Bags
Whether it is soft top upper doors and windows when swapping to a hardtop, or full doors during warmer summer months, it is never a good idea to just take these things off the vehicle and find a spot in the garage, basement, or wherever to store.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen when these products are off the vehicle and improperly left somewhere. And dented doors or door pins, or severely scratched plastic windows, are usually the result.
So if you have someone on your holiday gift list who does do this, then think about getting them a good set of storage bags.
Soft storage bags are perfectly designed to house soft top windows, giving them their own individual felt-lined pockets to preserve plastic glass, while half- and full-door bags easily hold one steel door per bag so there is no chance they clank together. Cushioned foam bottoms also protect the door’s bottom lip when stored upright.
Additionally, these bags utilize heavy-duty straps so they are easy to move around and door bags can be placed right over the doors when on the Jeep, simplifying the removal process.
