Essential Tools and Gear for Overlanding

[bagos]

Hello

As I prepare for my upcoming trips; I'm curious about the must-have tools and gear you always take with you on your overlanding adventures.

Whether it’s recovery gear; cooking equipment; or safety items; what do you consider essential? Also; are there any items that you thought were necessary but ended up not using?

In addition; I’d love to hear about your experiences with multi-functional tools versus specialized gear. Have you found certain items to be particularly versatile? I have referred https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/forums/overland-bound-one-app-q-a.437-msbi guide but still need help.

If you have any links to resources or guides that outline essential overlanding gear, that would be fantastic as well. Lastly; if you’ve ever faced unexpected challenges on the trail; what gear helped you the most in those situations?



Looking forward to your insights!


Thank you!

 

[MOAK]

A lot of people will provide a laundry list of things you “ must “ bring along. However, when I started doing this back in 74/75 I used a beat up old 65 VW bug, an army surplus sleeping bag, a good pair of boots, an old Coleman cooler, and a small tool kit consisting of 17-15-13 and 10 mm wrenches, pliers, a couple of screw drivers, a ball peen hammer. a spare tire, the stock jack, lug wrench, a couple gallons of water, some Gatorade, bologna, bread, cheese and some stuff back then known as gorp. Later on I found a Coleman stove and some other stuff to prepare eggs and coffee. This arrangement served me well for about 3 years during my exploration of the Mohave Desert. Then- I got married.

 

[smritte]

Then- I got married.

And then sleeping on the ground under a tarp turned into a camper.

The best list is one you make yourself. Those of use who go more remote will have a bigger must have then others. Having 100000 pounds of tools is useless if you don't know how to work on your vehicle. Knowing your limits is going out to someplace simple and realizing what you forgot. My garage is full of things I don't use that someone told me or I thought I needed.
Start simple. If you have a new enough vehicle that's properly maintained, you really only need to be able to change a tire.

Remember, its just driving and camping.

 

[grubworm]

its very cliche to say, but it really does depend on what youre doing...

the wife and i will basecamp somewhere like vogel state park in georgia where we take our bigger camp trailer and live out of it for a couple weeks. we basically get up early and leave to go hiking and exploring and return very late. we have the security of the park for leaving our camper unattended all day and there are stores all around if we forgot something, so for that kind of trip, we really only need to worry about having good hiking boots and a credit card will take care of everything else...

for desert camping out in the remote for a week or so, we will focus more on having multiple totes of water/fuel and make sure i have plenty of solar and battery since we wont have any hook ups. for remote camping we'll take a shower tent and a portable loo since we dont have the trailer.

i find that there are two main things that i really need to address for ANY trip to be a "good" trip and that is good sleeping and good footwear. if its hot and i dont have a fan or power to run it, and i dont get a good sleep...then other stuff doesnt matter as much if im really tired and not able to enjoy things. same as good boots...we did a trip and i wore a pair of expensive Bates hiking boots i never hiked in before. i got a few miles into a hike and got a blister so bad that i had to hobble back barefooted. nothing else really mattered after that since i was not able to walk very well.

so i guess my "must haves" would be good sleeping arrangements and good footwear.

ive been hiking and camping for well over 40 years and i have carried a lot of tools and gadgets that ive never used. never used a fire starter stick even though i have several and out of all the guns and knives ive carried, ive never used one. the one time i ran into trouble i was 18 and three guys tried to rob me at a rest area and my knives were locked in the car. i had to rely on my brain and some fast thinking to get out that one unscathed. hummm...maybe THATS the best "tool" to have...a good brain with the right mindset. if youre going out to enjoy nature and that is your mindset, then that plays a big part of how you perceive the trip to be going. some people go on trips with the mindset to not be inconvenienced, so when inconveniences do occur...the trip is considered a failure. we go to enjoy nature and to purposely do without modern conveniences...so with that mindset, we can have a lot go "wrong" and we are still happy and enjoying the trip because no matter what, we got the opportunity to unplug from the matrix and enjoy the wonder and simplicity of nature.

 

[Ragman]

I am also in the camp that it really depends on what you are doing. If you are remote there are more things I think necessary (think communications, medical preparation, stable food) that you would never need if you are going to a state park that has other people around. Be honest about the situations you may face and plan accordingly-and ignore all the YouTube hype on gear.

 

[FishinCrzy]

He who travels fastest travels alone. Weight is often the determining factor in physics. Hunger erases all fear. Trout don't live in ugly places.

That's all I got.

 

[grubworm]

He who travels fastest travels alone.
Hunger erases all fear.
Trout don't live in ugly places.

each one of these is a "bumper sticker worthy" quote...!

 

[FishinCrzy]

One more: "Don't start no chit there won't be no chit"

 

[Sea Diamond]

So...not sure if you're gettin' what you wanted but here's my take. The most important item in my camping arsenal is my tarp. You can plunk me down just about anywhere and as long as I have my tarp...everything is gonna be just fine. Don't get all caught up on batwings and those fancy roller do-hickies. Get a couple of suction cups...some good poles (I prefer bamboo) and plenty of lines...and beware of storm fronts.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Tarps. I second that. Under a tent. Overhead as an awning (no batwing needed). Over a tent as added rain protection. Tie it vertical between 2 trees for a wind-breaker. Over gear in an open bed truck, tied down...

Towel...dont forget to bring a towel (that is true, AND is two pop culture references in one statement).

Tent. Ground? Rooftop? Up to you and what works for you. If you have an SUV or pickup with a covered bed, you might decide to sleep in the back.

Sleeping bag (s)

Maps of where you are going

Full size spare tire.

Water & food commensurate with how many days you plan to be gone +1 at least. Individual Nalgene water bottles I like. If going multiple days you may also need a 5 gallon jug of water. Food: freeze dried Mountain House meals are good to start. Boil water. Pour it in the pouch, wait a few minutes and eat. As you get better, you can decide how much other food and cookware works for you.

TP. Keep some in a zip lock in your vehicle and keep some in your pack. If you are beyond facilities, pack the waste out in a special bag.

Even cheap GMRS radios to start with. Get some with NOAA weather.

Flashlight

Camp stove w fuel.

Some sort of metal pot to boil water

Some way to start campfire.

Clothes that are versatile and you can layer and that dry quickly.

Tell someone where you plan to be and when you plan to return. When you do return, let them know. If you get stuck out there, hopefully they come looking for you.

That's a good start