Only you will know what is best for you. A stock Jeep is so much more capable than what people seem to give it credit for. Too many people feel that they have to get a lift, tires, gears, lockers and other assorted doo dads to make it capable. I myself am more of an overlander. My Jeep is still fairly stock. I travel with my Jeep, camp, ride trails etc... I have the max tow package so my factory suspension is pretty stiff to begin with. I recommend loading up your camping gear and whatever else normally would carry and enjoy the Jeep. If you are by yourself, a winch, recovery gear, portable air compressor with a plug kit and tools is highly recommended. Even though you have a spare, it is not unheard of to blow two or more tires. As you go to different places, you will discover the items that will fit you best. You will then be more informed through personal experience as to what kind of lift, tires, and equipment you want.
AEV was suggested as and overland oriented company. While that may be true, there are many qualifiers needed. Most don't know that the 2.5" differs from the 3.5"-4.5" as far as ride stiffness. The 2.5" is designed around lighter weight rigs and rides pretty well but still a little stiff for many. Swapping the shocks out is common. As was stated previously, the 3.5 and up are very stiff due to being designed for heavier rigs. A friend of mine put an AEV 3.5 and 35" tires on his stock Jeep and was very unhappy. He had me drive it to help him figure out how to soften it up. I thought my kidneys were going to bleed if I drove it any more than a few minutes. My first response to him was, "You bought the wrong lift for your setup." I like AEV but it's not always the answer. In this case, Rancho 9000 shocks made a huge difference and now he is looking at EVO plush ride coils. He could have just bought an EVO kit or one of the other kits designed for plush ride. The moral is, don't run out and buy things until you have some experience with the stock Jeep to decide what is right for you.
(just kidding)
