The Shop Grew Out of the Truck

September 29, 2026

Red 1990 Land Cruiser HDJ81 with an Alu-Cab pop-top, parked on black sand below a bank of pines

The last Field Notes post went up in January 2023. This is the first one since, and it comes with a shop. Here is why the shop exists and what to expect from it.

The photos are from a run to Bend in the 80, and back through Santiam Pass. Black sand, a sharp peak through the pines, and a camp tucked into the trees.

Aerial view of the red Land Cruiser on tire-tracked black sand, a man in a Roaming Lost hoodie walking toward it

A sharp volcanic peak above a line of pines, framed by the Land Cruiser's spare tire and rear quarter

/WHY A SHOP

Roaming Lost is a photo and video studio. I shoot for outdoor and adventure brands, mostly in remote places, and the truck gets me there. It is a 1990 HDJ81 Land Cruiser: my daily, my camp and my mobile studio.

Gear has always been part of this site. Build lists, gear reviews, what is in the camera bag. You read about a part here, then went somewhere else to buy it.

The shop puts the notes and the gear in one place. Everything in it earned a spot in the truck, or I would put it there tomorrow.

Picking is the part that matters. Listing a thousand products is easy. The useful work is the comparison: which one, for which rig, and what the catch is. The shop does that work so you do not have to.

Where I can, I shoot the gear where it gets used and write the notes myself. Catalog photos are for catalogs.

A man in a Roaming Lost hoodie and HWY cap crouching in black sand, the Land Cruiser parked on the slope behind

/WHAT IS IN IT

Three sections for now, sorted by where the gear gets used.

Camp is where the day ends. A folding chair and table, a rope lantern and three power stations from Sasquatch Outdoor.

Trail is off the pavement. A winch and recovery rope from Carbon Offroad, cam straps and a traction board tie-down kit from Rollercam, and the ARB twin compressor.

Road is the build. For now that mostly means 80 Series Land Cruiser parts from Overland Custom Design and Perry Parts, because that is what sits in my driveway.

Where there is more than one option, like the three power stations, each page says who it is for and points to the others. Every product page also has a section called /KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY. If something is heavy, slow to ship or fits one truck only, it says so there.

Drone view of camp in a pine forest: the Land Cruiser with its pop-top raised and a man at a table by a small fire

Side view of the Land Cruiser in low sun with the pop-top raised, parked among pines on a dry meadow

/HOW ORDERS WORK

There is no Roaming Lost warehouse. I partner with the brands directly, and your order ships from theirs. That shapes a few things.

An order from two brands arrives as two packages, each with its own tracking.
Shipping is calculated at checkout, before you pay. Each brand sets its own rate by size and weight.
In-stock gear leaves the brand's warehouse in 2 to 5 business days. Some vehicle parts are made to order and take 2 to 4 weeks to build.
Returns are open for 30 days from delivery. Camp gear carries no restocking fee. Some vehicle and recovery brands charge one, up to 20%. You pay exactly what the brand charges, nothing added, and you get the figure before you ship anything back.
Made-to-order parts are final sale once the brand starts building them.
US shipping only, for now.
Sold out means the brand is out. When their stock comes back, so does the button.

Questions, returns and the rest come to me, not the brand: hello@roaminglost.co. The full shipping and return policies have the details.

Rear of the Land Cruiser at dusk, tailgate open on the drawer system, an aluminum box and a tool organizer, pop-top raised