Do you "pack light" or heavy?

[Ethan N]

Some folks bring only the bare essentials to survive, some need a little more. What do you bring (or leave behind) that's unique to you?

I like to bring an extra tent for... meditation.

 

[grubworm]

nice! you have room for your ice chest and a big screen tv in there, too

sure beats "hot boxing" in one of these...

 

[North American Sojourner]

Some folks bring only the bare essentials to survive, some need a little more. What do you bring (or leave behind) that's unique to you?

I like to bring an extra tent for... meditation.

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Got to have a pot to piss in. Great setup.
Zim

 

[NMNomad]

I have a family of five. So, while I would prefer to pack light, that is not an option at this time.

 

[OTH Overland]

Seems like its not the camping gear that is the issues on our trips, we have that down to just what we need. It is all the 'just in case' stuff that is heavy and bulky. Keep going through the gear and my first responder / survival mentality refuses to leave these emergency items home, even though 90 percent of them have not had to see service.

 

[Ethan N]

Very true, I've never had to change my tire on the trail in over a decade. But I always bring it!

 

[DintDobbs]

I'm somewhere in between. I'm with @OTH Overland on the just-in-case stuff, and that stuff is basically all that I take. Axe, shovel, jumpers, spare tire, fire extinguisher, first aid kit... the list goes on. I've never needed to use half of it, but I'm smarter than to leave home without it!

One item that is probably not commonly carried is a flare gun. Have I ever needed it? Nah. But when you're REALLY out of all ranges, it's always there...

 

[Z Adventures]

I pack heavy. I have that may need/what if mentality. I'd kick myself endlessly if I left something behind that I could have brought and needed it. If in a group it's a little less an issue.

 

[El-Dracho]

I try to travel light. I traveled with a dual-sport bike for many years, so a 4x4 gives me more space than I need. But that also tempts me to take more with me. And to be honest, I also like a bit of comfort on the road and take one or two pieces of equipment that are not essential now. From time to time I go through the rig and see what I no longer need for a long time, these things I then no longer take with me (or maybe I do, it depends).

 

[rgallant]

I yoyo between light and heavy, in my 20's very light now in my 60's heavier. It is the comfort things and, the just-in-case extra clothes, blankets, food, pup tent, hiking pack that add up. As I am often well out of everything but satellite range, and that can be iffy in mountain valleys under the trees I carry stuff in the event I have to move to somewhere by foot to be found.

Mostly to find a clear patch of sky on the road for satellite messaging or downhill to a more "main" FSR sort of thing, no wandering through the woods.

 

[MOAK]

Every time I figure out a way to lighten up a bit something else gets added. The heaviest things we carry are the tool bag about 40 lbs, and the 28lb high lift. We’ve used the highlift 4 times in 25 years. Thank goodness we had it. The tool kit? I’ve used wrenches & sockets on the trailer suspension three times in 25 years. Just about the time I’d leave any of that stuff behind, I’d kick myself for not having it. My drawer system weighs less than the second and third row seats, which are gone. But then again, we have a 50 gallon gasoline capacity, which eliminates the need for 3 jerry cans, a pair of AGM batteries, heavy bumpers & sliders, and a 16 gallon water tank on board for showers. We always pack way too many clothes, just in case. Everything else is in the trailer. Yet, each winter, I sit down with a list and continue to dump the things we don’t use. I think there is more junk on my shelf than in or on our truck & trailer.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

I’d say “heavy” is reserved for the folks that have no idea they are 100s to 1000 lbs over the vehicles rated payload.

 

[MOAK]

I’d say “heavy” is reserved for the folks that have no idea they are 100s to 1000 lbs over the vehicles rated payload.

Hmmm, interesting, I think you are generally correct, ours is a 7,000 lb vehicle and a 1500 lb trailer- loaded and about 200 lbs under GVWR. I’ve seen quite a few overlanding vehicles way overloaded.

 

[MidOH]

Light. But with a 1 ton, it hardly matters.

I ain't sitting in some hot stinky poo tent. If ya'll can't help but stare at my butt, that's your problem.

 

[Ethan N]

Light. But with a 1 ton, it hardly matters.

I ain't sitting in some hot stinky poo tent. If ya'll can't help but stare at my butt, that's your problem.

It's actually snowing in my picture and the tent was to help block the wind as we were on a mountain top. Haha, I just thought it was a fun conversation starter!

 

[DintDobbs]

@MOAK 4 times in 25 years? I use it every time I rotate the tires and otherwise any time the truck comes off the ground. So much easier and faster than fighting with a floor or bottle jack, just throw that heavy sucker under the bumper and up she goes; then all you need is jack stands, and only when multiple wheels are coming off! Mine is some off brand; if I can break it, I'll buy a real Hi-Lift.

@HighVoltOverland I saw a thread once... "How do I increase my vehicle's GVWR?" ALL the bells and whistles went off and I was like, "You either buy a truck that can do what you want, or literally die trying." People can be astoundingly stupid when it comes to the physical properties of the materials these vehicles are made of, and how it destroys the suspensions and transmissions and bends the frame when you overload 'em. Try explaining "dynamic load", how tread pattern affects traction, etc. It's frightful how people operate a machine without the smallest idea of how it works.

 

[MOAK]

@MOAK 4 times in 25 years? I use it every time I rotate the tires and otherwise any time the truck comes off the ground. So much easier and faster than fighting with a floor or bottle jack, just throw that heavy sucker under the bumper and up she goes; then all you need is jack stands, and only when multiple wheels are coming off! Mine is some off brand; if I can break it, I'll buy a real Hi-Lift.

@HighVoltOverland I saw a thread once... "How do I increase my vehicle's GVWR?" ALL the bells and whistles went off and I was like, "You either buy a truck that can do what you want, or literally die trying." People can be astoundingly stupid when it comes to the physical properties of the materials these vehicles are made of, and how it destroys the suspensions and transmissions and bends the frame when you overload 'em. Try explaining "dynamic load", how tread pattern affects traction, etc. It's frightful how people operate a machine without the smallest idea of how it works.

Well, I did use it to pull up some fence posts, and lift the corner of the barn up. But yea, 4 times on the trail or highway. 3 times with the trailer and once for the old heep. I’ve got two floor jacks in the barn for maintenance work. The old one is a 3 ton heavy old iron jack, the other a newer one rated at 4 ton.

 

[Ebrinker]

Family of three here. We tend to pack heavy, especially in the colder months. Organization is key and I am still working to dial in my setup. Having drawers has been a total game changer along with the RTT. Always looking to improve.

 

[grubworm]

Haha, I just thought it was a fun conversation starter!

you did fine...
anything "poop" related will always do well on here!

 

[AviatorJones]

I'm sure we pack 'heavy' compared to what we actually use/need, but I'm firmly in the "just in case" camp. Hopefully as we get more trips under our (family of 4) belt, we'll narrow down the bulk of the 'just in case' items. The problem is, with a Silverado, you can almost always squeeze 'one more thing' in. It's kind of like my laptop bag I use for work - I found that if I used a big backpack, I always found something to fill it with, but I downsized to an over the shoulder messenger bag and turns out I still have everything I 'need' with less than half of the capacity that I had with the backpack.