Our, And Your, Opinions On Some Popular Overlanding Gear

[MOAK]

This was a fun way for me to start my day. I love these kind of threads. No real arguing, just different points made by people who have different experiences. When I started reading this, I asked myself, who would respond? The newer people or the battle hardened adventurists?
Heh, guessed correctly.

Most of the people who responded appear to have been doing some form of camping their whole life. Yea, that means what works for me may not work for them. One thing I did notice with all this overlanding stuff was, how many "new" people told everyone what they "need" based on the fact that the item's in question were sponsored or they just got it and think its cool because their actually new to all this.

I would love to ask (don't normally want to piss people off by actually asking)(OK sometimes it fun to ask) "How many years have you used it and how many different types (of that product) have you compared it to?" OH!!!! you have been overlanding a whole 8 months and you found a way to make money off of it by pushing what you think works for everyone. Well, I guess if I could do this for a living I would do it too.

Even though I don't normally watch these kind of videos, I did because I got tired of the "This is how you build a proper Overlander" videos. I think the newer trend seems to be now the "this is what you don't need for Overlanding" videos. It's almost like the new people have figured out what they got didn't actually work for them and they need to tell everyone else, so others don't make the same mistakes.

My life experience has kept me from stacking anything too high or too heavy on top of my vehicle (Long time suspension guy here). When I got tired of a tent, I bought an RTT ( got it when they first started importing them 10 odd years ago) and put it on my M-100. Still ran my harder trails and now I've moved on again to a small hard side trailer due to the amount of wind I normally get. So, don't buy an RTT and expect to sleep in 40mph winds. OH yea, mounted to the top of your vehicle, they really suck on side hills. Looking at it in a positive way, when mounted on top of your vehicle they keep the tree branch's cut back.

Cooking/kitchen wise, simple with a smattering of cast iron. I was chastised when I commented on a guy cooking with a WOK on a trip once. IT'S A SCOTTLE. NOT A WOK. ok my bad, still looked like stir fry. BTW, don't bother telling me the difference, I have been "schooled" several times. That doesn't mean I wont say "WOK" just to see their reaction. Some people get soooo upset.
@Boostpowered, when I learned of them (Skottles), the first thing I thought of was, what did they do to the "plow disk" market. You confirmed my suspicions.
I have a small sink, tables, portable water heater (mostly for shower). I cant see me with a huge pull out kitchen. I look at them as a will break over time item. My stuff has lasted for decades. I cant wait to find someone who has had a big pull out for more than 10 years.

Awnings? Heh, I'm cheap and have cloth/canvas/leather working tools. Got a good tarp, added in some new rings, a couple of painters poles and...poof, cheap sun shade. This was something I've used on my Jeeps for three decades. My new trailer got an ARB with a room.

See, I can actually have cool "overlanding" stuff too.

Disclaimer...
No Overlanders were injured during the writing of this. (feelings don't count).

Ah yea, we have a wok we use at home on our gas stove. If I put legs on it and a propane burner beneath it, it would still be a wok. It’s kinda like Kleenex tissues, they are, after all, nose wipes. LOL

 

[2dub]

Overall I liked the video. I think the whole point is find out what you like and what works for you and it's all just opinion from there.

The key take-a-ways are you don't need everything in the catalog, remember how important weight and weight placement is and just go out and do it.

I too am getting tired of YouTube videos of people hacking what ever they get a sponsorship from or an affiliate link for. THOUGH I must say one of the reason's I bought the Gazelle T4 Tent was the Overland bound video review on it as well as the discussion on the site about it. THEN I ended up buying it here in the Overland Bound Store to support the community.

I basically look at those review Sales videos when I'm researching stuff, but if I already subscribe to them and I see a sales video I skip it.

I'm researching a potential purchase right now and the company has on their FB page a review of the product that the company sent the YouTuber a free one to review and that review is glowing. However, that video is like 9 months old and when you visit the persons channel you get a second review that it broke and they're not getting any support. So take all of the YouTube video "reviews" with a grain of salt, tequila & lemon

 

[Desert Runner]

I'll begin with the Skottle. I agree! It is bulky, difficult to even think about packing, and then, even if you do reorganize your packing system it is a steel disk, designed to cut into hard packed soil. How long till that disk cuts through anything that is near it. Cripes, our cast iron is slowly wearing through the drawers of our trailer.

Hi-LIft ? I can't tell you how many times ours has been used to lift a tire up high enough to pile rocks beneath, in order to get moving again. Not for our vehicle, (yet) but for others along with us. It happens almost every time out. It is also the only thing that can pick the rear of our trailer up so we may shove it around to get through tight switchbacks or to lift the trailer in order to do a spring or axle replacement in the field (I'm embarrassed to admit that we've done that more than once). Bottle jacks are just about useless in hard rocky terrain, mud, or tight off camber situations. And forget using one to lift the trailer up so that you can push it to one side or the other. We carry a bottle jack for ordinary jack work, (think; flat tire on graded road or highway)

Max Trax? We purchased a competitors set several years ago and they've never been used. They live in the garage now. I'll sell them. Then I'll do a little research and purchase a pair of traction boards that can be used as a bridge. Here? My High-Lift is being utilized to get him up off the frame, so we can pull him forward up and over the big rock. It took multiple lifts on three corners to get him through. The same held true for the lifted blue Chevy behind him. We worked for nearly 5 hours to get them through. A bridge type traction board would have made it all very easy.
View attachment 200486


Roof Top Tent. I'll agree that a lot of people purchase them to make a stylish statement and are now suffering from buyers remorse. The beginning of the end with our love affair with a very good ground tent began 5 or 6 years ago. I dare anyone to pitch a free standing tent, in the wind, at Guale' campsite, Gooseneck St Park, and/or a multitude of BLM or National Forest sites that we have inspected, then regretfully, had to move on. A trip last year was the final straw as 5 or 6 campsites had to be passed because of ones inability to drive a stake into the ground. Being stubborn, I put off getting an RTT until this past winter. I had broken a rib the previous autumn and my dear girl had to do most of the packing and setting up with very little help from me. It was taking the long side of 2 hours which ordinarily was a 45 minute job. We did invest in a top of the line RTT, I didn't want any regrets. We broke it in on this last trip, and subjected it to sandstorms with winds of 30 mph and 50 mph gusts, heavy rains, and hard core wheeling to get to some spectacular campsites that would have been impossible to drive a stake into the ground, let alone all the rocks under foot. I'll put it this way, for the typical " american overlander " they are correct in their opinions about the whys and wherefores of RTTs and who uses them. Of the 29,000 members on this site I've never run into any of them where we usually travel.

(note); We couldn't drive even two stakes at this campsite, let alone half dozen or more.
View attachment 200487

Awnings? Can I tell you how many times my family has attempted to use a tarp? We even used a tarp years ago for shade and rain protection. What a complete PITA it was. I mean really. I suppose if weather conditions are perfect the tarp would be no problemo. We even still carry a couple extra tarps, just in case. The case hasn't come up in over 6 years. We might have paid 250 for our Frontrunner awning 6 or 7 years ago. Anyone want to pitch their own tarps in high winds or heavy rains and expect it to hold up through the night? Be my guest.



Vehicle choices? They are absolutely correct. drive what you like, or can afford, but, by all means never be ashamed to get out, walk the trail ahead, then turn around. However, one must discover what it is that you enjoy doing. Want to get to some of the most remote campsites in the lower 48, or planning to be on 100s of miles of washboard roads, then you better start with a body on frame. Case in point, our kids had a Subaru Outback while living in New Orleans area for 4 years. After only 30,000 miles, because of the dilapidated roads and streets, they had to replace the shocks and every suspension bushing on the vehicle.
Bottom line? Don't ask your vehicle to do things that it isn't designed, or slightly modified, to do. I could go on and on about how some "overlanders" over build their vehicles to the point that they are no longer dependable. 2.5" suspension upgrade provides more than enough clearance to traverse 99% of all trails in North America.

This video is a good conversation starter, no doubt.

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Love your post,..........to the point:

It has become fashionable to 'diss' a High Lift jack, yet as you have posted, they really do come in handy. Some of that dislike might be because of all the PLASTIC the manufacturers are putting on vehicles! You didn't say if you used a bumper, or their wheel 'spoke/wheel lift' with the jack. Either would work, and as has been shown, they truly have a place in your kit. I carry the wheel lift accessory for just that reason, having factory spoked OEM wheels. ARB front bumper, but thin flimsy OEM steel step bumper, that would easily bend from the trucks weight.

"Of the 29,000 members on this site I've never run into any of them where we usually travel.

Been a member for about 2.8 years, and I have yet to run into another OB member at all, Per Badge requirements, that is supposed to be a random act When ever i am just out, I do look for other members around town,....badge or sticker! Eventually that connect will happen.
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On the bottle jack, what about a self made 'cradle, ' .......much cheaper than one that is store bought. Made with a piece of cut-off welded pipe (stem locator) welded to a piece of channel iron to stabilize the jack more? I have read that a lot of people swear that it has worked better than most alternative methods.

Totally agree that a driver should realize the limitations of their rig. Expensive towing or repair bills is not a welcome expense. Drivers should realize both their, and vehicles, limitations beforehand.

I have never run into natures cement pad, but I have run into close proximity versions, that needed upgraded tent stakes. Being older, the thought of navigating stairs in the middle of the night, just is not going to happen Gatorade bottle or not .

 

[Autism Family Travels]

My take on the blingy stuff:

HIGHLIFT JACK = Priceless. I use mine for winching mostly. But it also makes a nice stabilizer when I'm in an RTT or camper. Electric winches are very heavy. Sit way outside the wheelbase of the truck messing up weight balance. And snow and salt means I get to repair and maintain them 10X more often than I get to use them. If I go from tent to hard side camper someday, then an electric winch will be added because it'll be harder to store a high lift.

SNORKLE = Useless bling for me. I can ford 30" of water over pavement. Any more and I'll get stuck. I don't ford water on any trail. I'll turn around. Experience has shown that it's not worth it. Dust? I carry an extra air filter. I tow heavy from time to time, and the power loss of the snorkel isn't acceptable. I'm making 407hp on a dyno, I'd like to keep all of that. I don't want to retune for a snorkel. If you're into snorkels, I'd recommend an airbox that can be opened up to bypass the snorkel during regular use. Or select an engine with no AF ratio woes, like a diesel.

MAXTRACKS = Fine, but I use Truck Clawz instead.

TRASHAROO = I'm in a truck, not an SUV. I just use contractor bags, and usually fire. Less plastic, more paper.

RTT = I love hard case versions like Bundutec. But ground tents are still more effective usually. I want to move up to a hardside camper one day. I'm doing less and less tight trails. State Parks, regular RV campgrounds at dive sites, beach and sand dunes were all of last years meager overlanding.

AT TIRES = Hate them with a passion. At least try some something as grippy as a F550's dump trucks tires. I might run hybrid designs like a Cooper ST Maxx to cut down on noise and heat. But thin wall car tires are the first thing I avoid.

4X4 AND LOCKERS = PRICELESS. ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS.

BLINGY VEHICLE WRAPS = Actually practical. There's no harm in protecting the paint on a brand new ride. But beware, they're expensive. Everybody knows they are. And then your truck becomes a target.

FANCY KITCHENS AND SUCH = Weight. Weight on your truck, weight on your waist. Fat on your wife. YMMV. I can do without fancy food for a few days (weeks?). Gives us an excuse to visit the local restaurants along the way.

Speaking of adding to you and your wife's beltline. We would much rather cook some heathly meal at the campsite. Also, I have never seen any awesome resturants in the back country! ha ha.

 

[Desert Runner]

This was a fun way for me to start my day. I love these kind of threads. No real arguing, just different points made by people who have different experiences. When I started reading this, I asked myself, who would respond? The newer people or the battle hardened adventurists?
Heh, guessed correctly.

Most of the people who responded appear to have been doing some form of camping their whole life. Yea, that means what works for me may not work for them. One thing I did notice with all this overlanding stuff was, how many "new" people told everyone what they "need" based on the fact that the item's in question were sponsored or they just got it and think its cool because their actually new to all this.

I would love to ask (don't normally want to piss people off by actually asking)(OK sometimes it fun to ask) "How many years have you used it and how many different types (of that product) have you compared it to?" OH!!!! you have been overlanding a whole 8 months and you found a way to make money off of it by pushing what you think works for everyone. Well, I guess if I could do this for a living I would do it too.

Even though I don't normally watch these kind of videos, I did because I got tired of the "This is how you build a proper Overlander" videos. I think the newer trend seems to be now the "this is what you don't need for Overlanding" videos. It's almost like the new people have figured out what they got didn't actually work for them and they need to tell everyone else, so others don't make the same mistakes.

My life experience has kept me from stacking anything too high or too heavy on top of my vehicle (Long time suspension guy here). When I got tired of a tent, I bought an RTT ( got it when they first started importing them 10 odd years ago) and put it on my M-100. Still ran my harder trails and now I've moved on again to a small hard side trailer due to the amount of wind I normally get. So, don't buy an RTT and expect to sleep in 40mph winds. OH yea, mounted to the top of your vehicle, they really suck on side hills. Looking at it in a positive way, when mounted on top of your vehicle they keep the tree branch's cut back.

Cooking/kitchen wise, simple with a smattering of cast iron. I was chastised when I commented on a guy cooking with a WOK on a trip once. IT'S A SCOTTLE. NOT A WOK. ok my bad, still looked like stir fry. BTW, don't bother telling me the difference, I have been "schooled" several times. That doesn't mean I wont say "WOK" just to see their reaction. Some people get soooo upset.
@Boostpowered, when I learned of them (Skottles), the first thing I thought of was, what did they do to the "plow disk" market. You confirmed my suspicions.
I have a small sink, tables, portable water heater (mostly for shower). I cant see me with a huge pull out kitchen. I look at them as a will break over time item. My stuff has lasted for decades. I cant wait to find someone who has had a big pull out for more than 10 years.

Awnings? Heh, I'm cheap and have cloth/canvas/leather working tools. Got a good tarp, added in some new rings, a couple of painters poles and...poof, cheap sun shade. This was something I've used on my Jeeps for three decades. My new trailer got an ARB with a room.

See, I can actually have cool "overlanding" stuff too.

Disclaimer...
No Overlanders were injured during the writing of this. (feelings don't count).

Another good post, 'WOK' castigation,..........$29 vs $350 =buyers price remorse .....JUSTIICATION
A summer and a inexpensive winter sleeping bag, upgraded with a couple of quilts/ blankets good to zero' degrees.
Basic kitchen gear
Basic Coleman stove
a couple water jugs and some military 5 gallon water containers
some food coolers, no $$$ fridge cooler/ or freezer.
Coleman ..........stove has a gas and a propane conversion, lantern's= gas and propane. Grew up with the gas pressure sound.
Backup= 1 burner ;rocket stove'

And of course other assorted gear. Good Thread! As mentioned this is a good reminder of what works for basic activity, without burning a hole in your wallet.

 

[MOAK]

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Love your post,..........to the point:

It has become fashionable to 'diss' a High Lift jack, yet as you have posted, they really do come in handy. Some of that dislike might be because of all the PLASTIC the manufacturers are putting on vehicles! You didn't say if you used a bumper, or their wheel 'spoke/wheel lift' with the jack. Either would work, and as has been shown, they truly have a place in your kit. I carry the wheel lift accessory for just that reason, having factory spoked OEM wheels. ARB front bumper, but thin flimsy OEM steel step bumper, that would easily bend from the trucks weight.

"Of the 29,000 members on this site I've never run into any of them where we usually travel.

Been a member for about 2.8 years, and I have yet to run into another OB member at all, Per Badge requirements, that is supposed to be a random act When ever i am just out, I do look for other members around town,....badge or sticker! Eventually that connect will happen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the bottle jack, what about a self made 'cradle, ' .......much cheaper than one that is store bought. Made with a piece of cut-off welded pipe (stem locator) welded to a piece of channel iron to stabilize the jack more? I have read that a lot of people swear that it has worked better than most alternative methods.

Totally agree that a driver should realize the limitations of their rig. Expensive towing or repair bills is not a welcome expense. Drivers should realize both their, and vehicles, limitations beforehand.

I have never run into natures cement pad, but I have run into close proximity versions, that needed upgraded tent stakes. Being older, the thought of navigating stairs in the middle of the night, just is not going to happen Gatorade bottle or not .

Oh jeeze, we used to carry every known tent stake, including 8” lag bolts. With the RTT we carry only the heavy traditional stakes and the sand stakes. Lightened our stake bag by a few lbs.

 

[leeloo]

I had an Autohome Columbus hardshell RTT. They are one of oldest companies in the world that were making RTT's since the 50's. Great stuff that was sitting on a pair of cross bars. The most conforatlbe sleep I ever had outside. I never had the illusion of safety in one, ground tents are perfectly safe, but for me it was just comfortable and extremly easy to deploy and pack, both operations under 2 minutes.
But my kid grew up, he is still a kid, but the size of a small adult, and we no longer fit inside, so I sold it. I found no Hardshell that can fit 3 people in comfort. So I got a couple of swags now. Not bad, but not the same thing. When the kid will grow up and he will no longer want to come with us, probably it will be the first thing I will buy. I did notice immediately a improvement in the off road handling the moment I took it down. I so I get both sides of the argument, they are real.


The one thing that I think are useless in 90 % of the use cases are roof racks. And the roof racks in combination with an RTT specially for me makes no sense.The RTT will cover all of it, or most of it and you are left with almost nothing. So on top of the RTT weight, you now have 27 kg of useless in worst place up top. Get 2 cross bars , even 3 if you like and your are done. You can get or make brackets to put on cross bars awnings , shovels, some lights , what ever other small things you can have after you took all the space on the roof rack with your RTT , because onece you put an RTT on a roof rack, this is the room you have left, maximum a shovel, a some lights, that is about it.
Even if you have no RTT, get a couple of cross bars at 1/4 of the cost and weight, get a bloody roof box, you fuel economy will increase, less or no wind noise, your stuff is secure when you park at a hotel or a supermarket, and out of the elements. But you dont look so cool. Never seen a picture with lifted jeep with a roof box on top. doing some rock crawling . :) I would buy that guy a case of beers of his choice. :)
In play comes the safety issues. One roof rack + RTT, specially if you have a hardshell and on 99 % of the cars you are over the rated weight of the roof of the car. There are a few exceptions Landcruisers, both prado and the full size one, Defenders, and a couple of others that I can't remeber now. Most pick -up are rated at 75 kg. Many others even less. And than at page 17, with fine print, on the foor rack manual, its says for off road use you deduct another 1/3 usually. Than you have somehting like this guy
And that was lucky. It gets weaken off road, and on the higway you kill some one. It is as simpe as that.

 

[Desert Runner]

I had an Autohome Columbus hardshell RTT. They are one of oldest companies in the world that were making RTT's since the 50's. Great stuff that was sitting on a pair of cross bars. The most conforatlbe sleep I ever had outside. I never had the illusion of safety in one, ground tents are perfectly safe, but for me it was just comfortable and extremly easy to deploy and pack, both operations under 2 minutes.
But my kid grew up, he is still a kid, but the size of a small adult, and we no longer fit inside, so I sold it. I found no Hardshell that can fit 3 people in comfort. So I got a couple of swags now. Not bad, but not the same thing. When the kid will grow up and he will no longer want to come with us, probably it will be the first thing I will buy. I did notice immediately a improvement in the off road handling the moment I took it down. I so I get both sides of the argument, they are real.


The one thing that I think are useless in 90 % of the use cases are roof racks. And the roof racks in combination with an RTT specially for me makes no sense.The RTT will cover all of it, or most of it and you are left with almost nothing. So on top of the RTT weight, you now have 27 kg of useless in worst place up top. Get 2 cross bars , even 3 if you like and your are done. You can get or make brackets to put on cross bars awnings , shovels, some lights , what ever other small things you can have after you took all the space on the roof rack with your RTT , because once you put an RTT on a roof rack, this is the room you have left, maximum a shovel, a some lights, that is about it.
Even if you have no RTT, get a couple of cross bars at 1/4 of the cost and weight, get a bloody roof box, you fuel economy will increase, less or no wind noise, your stuff is secure when you park at a hotel or a supermarket, and out of the elements. But you dont look so cool. Never seen a picture with lifted jeep with a roof box on top. doing some rock crawling . :) I would buy that guy a case of beers of his choice. :)
In play comes the safety issues. One roof rack + RTT, specially if you have a hard-shell and on 99 % of the cars you are over the rated weight of the roof of the car. There are a few exceptions Land-cruisers, both Prado and the full size one, Defenders, and a couple of others that I can't remember now. Most pick -up are rated at 75 kg. Many others even less. And than at page 17, with fine print, on the floor rack manual, its says for off road use you deduct another 1/3 usually. Than you have somehting like this guy
And that was lucky. It gets weaken off road, and on the highway you kill some one. It is as simple as that.

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I saw this video a few months back, when this issue with him went viral across the world. Honestly, i wonder why it took so long for this issue to become front and center in the off-road world consciousness. You would have thought such problems would have manifested it self before.

For those who use pick up trucks, why not buy a full bed work rack with the 'over-cab extension' that still puts most of any and all stress on the bed and rack? I have seen model's that can be used....OVER a camper shell if so inclined A much stronger method than even up 'strength reinforced camper shells'. The only camper shell that I know of that is strong enough for many years of use, are the aluminum CARAVAN ones out of Reno NV. And that is because they are basically a custom offering $$$$.
I am sure their are other's that could possibly be almost as strong, and others who have not had issues, But for the sake of argument, the video does bring up some serious concerns.

it will be interesting to see how manufacturers address this now... front and center..... in owners manuels or at the dealer level.

 

[Billiebob]

When I first saw a skottle, I thought chinese wok, and I love cooking in a wok but it uses a different process, it is light and uses a big burner to heat food incredibly fast.
for sanity, leave the sound off

 

[leeloo]

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I saw this video a few months back, when this issue with him went viral across the world. Honestly, i wonder why it took so long for this issue to become front and center in the off-road world consciousness. You would have thought such problems would have manifested it self before.

For those who use pick up trucks, why not buy a full bed work rack with the 'over-cab extension' that still puts most of any and all stress on the bed and rack? I have seen model's that can be used....OVER a camper shell if so inclined A much stronger method than even up 'strength reinforced camper shells'. The only camper shell that I know of that is strong enough for many years of use, are the aluminum CARAVAN ones out of Reno NV. And that is because they are basically a custom offering $$$$.
I am sure their are other's that could possibly be almost as strong, and others who have not had issues, But for the sake of argument, the video does bring up some serious concerns.

it will be interesting to see how manufacturers address this now... front and center..... in owners manuels or at the dealer level.

I have been using cross bars only since 6 years ago. I was not aware of the safety factor, truth to be told, but for me I was just trying to have less weight up top, which is always a good idea. On top of it, I was using often the vehicle for other stuff and most cross bars you can remove/install in 10 minutes, as opposed to a roof rack. This is something I also try to bake in all my builds. I work, and I live in west europe, so camping season starts in may the earliest up to September for me. So why would I carry 27 kg on top and suffer from wind noise all year when I do maybe 2 long trips /year each of them 3 weeks on average... This is another + for the cross bars..