2026 Ram 1500 BackCountry First DriveRamIf you want options, you want a truck. Not even Porsche can touch the Detroit Three when it comes to the transparent number of build combinations. There may be more 911 trims than Ram 1500 trims, but the truck comes in two cab sizes, two bed sizes, and four wheelbases between them. Of all of them, the mid-tier Big Horn trim is the bestseller, generally in Crew Cab, short-bed, and four-wheel-drive configuration. That's why the 2026 Ram 1500 BackCountry is based on the Big Horn, and why, statistically, it's your next Ram truck.What's a BackCountry?For now, the BackCountry is an options package that pulls the best parts of two other packages together and sprinkles on the aesthetic upgrades. Eventually, it'll become its own standalone trim level between Big Horn and Rebel, the rough-and-tumble counterpart to the more luxurious Laramie trim already occupying that price range. It comes with more comfort features than the off-road Warlock, but it's not as hardcore as the Rebel.RamThat makes it a little tricky to order. To unlock the BackCountry package, you start with a Big Horn 4x4 with the Crew Cab and either bed length. From there, you must select either the $1,695 Equipment Group 1 or the $2,895 Group 2 package, at which point you should unlock the $2,995 BackCountry package (it wasn't showing yet in the configurator at the time of publication). Whether you get the 3.0-liter SST turbo inline-six or 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is up to you, but the base V-6 and high-output inline-six are not available.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition to whichever Equipment Group you choose, BackCountry combines the best bits of the $1,345 Off-Road Group and the $945 Bed Utility Group. From there, it adds two-tone paint with black lower trim (otherwise exclusive to higher off-road trims) and body-color trim everywhere else, black wheels, special vinyl seats with MOLLE panels on the back, rubber floormats all around, and a single badge on the passenger's side of the dashboard (no exterior badges, yet).RamWhat's So Backcountry About It?Mashing together those packages means you get a 1-inch lift, off-road shocks, underbody skidplates, front tow hooks, an electronically locking rear differential, off-road cruise control, and 32-inch Falken Wildpeak A/T AT3WA mild all-terrain tires with a full-size spare. In the bed, there's a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting, movable tie-downs, a 115-volt outlet, a bed step, and a movable cargo divider.Do the math, and you have a solid hunting or camping rig for about $5,400 less than the starting price of a Rebel. It ends up being a lot more than that when you start putting similar options and Equipment Groups on that Rebel, too.If it sounds like a decent compromise, that's exactly what it is. The Falkens don't make the truck meaningfully noisier on the road, nor do they materially change the way it drives on pavement except in extreme maneuvers. Off-road, they're just beefy enough to let you plow confidently through that deep mudhole or climb that loose slope. Its 9.1 inches of ground clearance are enough for most of the dirt roads and two-tracks you'd take a brand-new, full-size pickup down, and when they're not, the skidplates do their job. (Air suspension is not available.)RamTo be sure, we took it for a spin around a Texas off-road park in an old quarry after the rain. Four-hi and those AT tires were enough to get us through the mud and over most obstacles, and when they couldn't, locking the rear diff did the trick. We didn't even bother to air down the tires as it wasn't necessary, though we did inadvertently test the skidplates, and they performed as expected.AdvertisementAdvertisementTo and from the park, all the features included in the Equipment Group kept things plush. Our test truck had Group 2, so we got all the good stuff like seat and steering-wheel heaters, the good stereo, dual wireless phone chargers, power-adjustable driver's seat and pedals, dual-zone climate control, the big infotainment screen and all-digital instrument cluster, power-sliding rear window, and auto-dimming mirrors all around. The seats are Ram's usual buckets up front, just wrapped in a different vinyl and trim, which means they're as cushy and comfortable as ever.RamAll the Truck You NeedIf you're not inclined to do any hardcore off-roading, or at least not inclined to pay Rebel, RHO, or TRX money for it, the BackCountry package is pretty much all the truck you need. It's also probably all the truck you want, with the bells and whistles a Warlock won't give you. It has plenty of off-road capability and creature comforts and enough bed and engine options to hone in on your perfect combination. Although $62,410 is a lot of money, no doubt, that's for a nearly loaded truck. If you were having trouble deciding between the existing and divergent mid-tier Ram trim levels, consider your dilemma solved.Photo credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: RamAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: RamPhoto credit: Ram