SCOTT SCHAEFER - OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST / LEITNER CUSTOMER

Hailing from Eagle mountain, Utah, Scott Schaefer is an unassuming overlanding influencer. Despite having more than 34,500 subscribers (as this is written) on his Instagram account, most of which consists of glamor shots of his 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road, and palling around with Leitner Designs Ambassador Ken Hoglund, he’s incredibly humble.

That’s one of the many things that we appreciate about Schaefer. That and the fact that he gets out in the backcountry almost every week and will camp at the drop of a hat — we’ll get to that more later.

Schaefer moved to Utah in 2003 from the mountains outside Evergreen, Colorado. Growing up, Schaefer’s father had purchased Central City, CO, an old mining community. Schaefer and his dad spent as much time as they could hiking and exploring the area around their property. It was these family excursions that instilled in Schaefer his sense of adventure and it’s what keeps him exploring as often as possible to this day.

Though he’s out nearly 52 weeks a year, his most memorable adventure so far was the White Rim Road — a 100-mile trail that winds its way through Moab, Utah. He and Hoglund tackled that trip together, and it’s one that lives in Schaefer’s mind on nearly a daily basis.

By nature, Schaefer is a very organized guy — that’s what drew him to Leitner to begin with. The first time he saw Hoglund’s Active Cargo System Forged, he knew it was exactly what he needed for his Taco.

At the time, he had a canopy over his bed. But Schaefer hated hauling bins in and out of the bed of the truck — packing to leave, unpacking at camp, repacking in the morning, etc. ACS Forged, especially the GearPOD range, has been a game changer for Schaefer.

“I love Leitner Designs,” Schaefer said. “I open up the GearPODs … my shirts, my clothes, all my stuff is there and secure.”

When we said at the outset that Schaefer will go camping at the drop of a hat, we weren’t being hyperbolic; he admitted that he keeps everything in his GearPODs that he needs for camping year round. That means when Hoglund and he are out on a weekend adventure, when they feel like camping instead of heading home, they just stop and camp. There are no, “Oh I forgot my stuff!” moments. It’s all just there ready to go.

Our hats are off to you, Schaefer.

Schaefer doesn’t just keep his clothes and camping gear in his GearPODs. He also keeps his ARB twin-scroll air compressor in his GearPOD Dual. When he first installed the compressor, it was inside the rear wheel well.  Unfortunately, there, it was pummeled with dust, sand, dirt, and other debris. It wasn’t holding up well.

Three years ago, Schaefer relocated the compressor inside the GearPOD Dual and it still looks brand new. It’s a great example of thinking outside the box … or should we say wheel well? Either way, we’re impressed with Schaefer’s ingenuity.

Big thanks to Scott Schaefer for taking the time to talk with us, for using and abusing the Leitner Designs products, and for representing the brand on a weekly basis on the trails.

If you want to follow along with Schaefer’s adventures, you can find him on Instagram @tacomamountain_ut.

Scott Schaefer’s Build List:

Platform: 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Offroad

Racks & Accessories
● Leitner Designs Active Cargo System
● Leitner Designs GearPOD Dual and GearPOD XL
● Leitner Designs HydroPOD
● MAXTRAX mount
● TrailRax Roof Rack

Lighting
● Heretic Studio 40” Amber Light bar
● Heretic Studio 30” Amber Light bar
● Heretic Studio Amber ditch lights
● Heretic Studio Fog lights
● Heretic Studio Chase lights
● Heretic Studio Rock lights
● Heretic Studio Rack handle with dome lights
● Teq Customs Headlights Halos Rgb

Suspension & Tires
● Fox 2.5 DSC at all four corners
● ICON 700-lb coil springs
● Total Chaos Upper Control Arms
● Deaver Stage 3 Expedition Leaf Springs
● Timbren Industries Rear Active Offroad Bump Stops
● Timbren Industries Front Bump Stops
● Falken Wildpeak 285/70R17 M/T Load C Tires
● SSW Off-road 17” Dakar -25 wheels Matte Bronze
● Nitro 4.56 Gears

Body Armor
● C4 Fabrication Overland Front Bumper with Full Bull Bar
● C4 Fabrication Overland High Clearance Rear Bumper with Swing Arm
● CBI Off-road full plate skid systems
● All Pro Off - Road Apex Rock Sliders

Accessories
● Long Range Automotive 33 Gallon Gas Tank
● DECKED Storage system
● Pro Eagle Jack
● MAXTRAX Recovery Boards
● ARB Dual Compressor
● Pelican Vault cases
● Seats Unlimited Truck Seat Covers
● Dobinson Snorkel
● Snorkel Pre filter
● Taco Vinyl Grill
● Trail Made Gear Shifter
● CVT Mt. Hood 56” Roof Top Tent