Contributor III
I am about to get my first truck and am interested in trying Overlanding. I don't know much about it yet, so I was wondering what are some essential pieces of equipment that are required or highly recommended?
Overland Gear
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Wow, that is a loaded question! In simple terms you'll have to decide on sleeping arrangements, cooking arrangements, lighting, seating, shade/shelter from rain/snow, etc.
Contributor III
I plan on getting a tent that goes over the bed. Not one on top of the rack but just one where I sleep in the bed. I have a few pieces of basic camping gear like a 2 burner stove and pots and pans. I was wondering more about the vehicle side of things. I’ve heard about recovery boards and air compressors and tire deflators. I’m just wondering what are some must haves vs optional things that just help make things easier.
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tire plug kit, fix a flat, shovel and ax, YES to some sort of Air Compressor and GOOD tire gauge, gas can, snacks and and cooler.
MAPS
BUG SPRAY
FIRST AID KIT
TP
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Contributor III
Do you know of any good websites or stores that offer these kinds of things together?
Expedition Master I
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the list after that is endless from base camp beverages to getting a trailer, some people like coolers other want a portable frig.
I think the crazy thing we pack for most trips is our tobogan, sand or snow, it brings out the 8yo boys in us
I think the crazy thing we pack for most trips is our tobogan, sand or snow, it brings out the 8yo boys in us
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Grab a shovel too. It's not about stuff it's about traveling and camping. Get the basic camping gear and go to a meetup. Get out you'll figure out the rest. Don't be trying to kit your rig when you don'know what you are getting into. You would be buying stuff that you may or may not like or use.
Expedition Master I
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most of it you can run to Acadamy on 380. and your fav auto parts place for the tire kit and gauge. You can go down a fun rabbit hole on Napa auto parts web page by searching Maxi Trac, they have a whole line of cool stuff that is affordable and can be shipped to the house or your local store. If you have AAA you can save 10% at checkout
good sleep gear is a priority for me...if im well rested, i can handle a lot of other inconveniences a lot more easily
Explorer I
Vehicle recovery gear if you plan on going to remote places. Bathroom gear. Cooler/fridge.
Spend a few days reading the forums to get a better idea of what others are doing.
Spend a few days reading the forums to get a better idea of what others are doing.
Contributor III
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I always recommend starting out with basic camping gear if you are looking for overnight trips, a trip to an overland store/website will fill your mind and empty your wallet in no time, until you decide how YOU want to explore and where you are going, you won't know what to spend your time and money on. Helpful sales people will happily sell you expedition level gear just to get to a state park. Make sure that you carry a minimum of gear to ensure safety on any trip. (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, shovel, food, communications, navigation, basic tools etc.) First aid kits can get pretty involved, but a good basic kit should do, and I allways encourage people to actually open it, become familar with what is inside, and get some basic first aid training. Three days of food and water in case you get stranded, communications can be a simple as a phone if there is service, or a satellite device if your going alone into somewhere remote. Navigation can be done on your phone with a number of apps (OB-1 is a good mapping app that comes with your membership) and a paper map is a good backup. Having at least a basic tool kit that fits your vehicle can help get you back on the trail after a minor issue.
This is a great group, and you will find lots of valuable information as your browse thru the forums, however getting out and meeting people in person at meetups, or on trips will be the best way to learn what works and what you enjoy doing. A stock rig and basic gear will take you to a huge number of great places.
This is a great group, and you will find lots of valuable information as your browse thru the forums, however getting out and meeting people in person at meetups, or on trips will be the best way to learn what works and what you enjoy doing. A stock rig and basic gear will take you to a huge number of great places.
Food, eating, sleeping gear, drinking, going to the toilet, everything else is optional. Take what you have and go out for a night or two. The more you go, the more you will know what you want.
Let me add here that maybe 1/2 the folks hear maybe get out 1 weekend a month and a couple weeks per year. You can kit out your rig and still not use it. Make sure the life style is for you. I don't wheel very hard, I don't like spending a bunch of money fixing my mistakes. I do go to Baja almost monthly for 3 to 17 days per month.
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Like was said before, just go with a minimal setup, and find out what's stopping you from doing things that you learn you would like. From our car camping days with our Subi (we now have a 4Runner) we learned that we really like desert and unpaved roads, so the very first thing we did on the 4Runner was replace the stock tires with sturdy ones, and took a really great camping trip to the Red Rock Canyon State Park area. We did some fun rocky trails there, but had to turn around in a few places for fear of damaging the car. That led us to replace the running boards with rock sliders. Later we added an RTT so we could easily and quickly set up camp in rocky areas, a jerry can for extra water and a bucket with peat moss for a toilet so we can camp dispersed, and a Garmin Explorer for extra security in remote areas. Every trip we learn something new, and we'll add what makes sense to us. And all trips have been really enjoyable! Just turn around when there are obstacles you can't (yet) tackle. We've been surprised how little we use 4WD and 4-low now that we have good tires. We're glad we have it, but there are many roads you can take just with stock high clearance, good tires and 2WD. So a suspension lift is not high on our list, so far we've been able to go to most of the places we wanted to.
Explorer I
Not sure if it has been said before, but thought of this last night. Overland/camp with others and see what they are doing. Take note of items/processes that make sense to you and replicate them.
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If you really want to find out what Overlanding is all about go to one of the Overlanding Expos, looks like the Mountain West Expo is closest to you. Everything you can imagine for Overlanding will be on display there and they have classes to help you learn different skills. Attend this and then you'll be able to decide just how far you want to go!
About MOUNTAIN WEST — Overland Expo®
Something else to know about getting into overlanding. We all make mistakes, buy the wrong gear or misuse it, overextend the rig, bury it to the frame. That is how we learn. thebenmobile there is a lot of good advice here, remember many of us have our way, it might not be for you however.
Member III
Start with the basics and take baby steps. Camp out in the back yard a couple times first. This will get you familiar with how to set up/take down your tent and gear before you are out in the boonies. My wife and I have camped for decades and we still do this whenever we get any new equipment. Last thing I want to do is try and figure out how to operate something for the first time when it's dark and raining.
Next, spend a weekend at a local state park. This will give you an idea of what you do/don't need before you head off on a much longer trip, where you may not be able to just run out and pick up something that you didn't think about or got left behind. It will also help you determine just how much you can carry and the best method of packing it all up.
There is a very good checklist available on the site. (I've attached a copy) Use it as a starting point and tailor it to your specific needs. I personally didn't need some of the items listed, and yet also added many things that are not listed.
As for your rig, unless you plan to do rock crawling or mud bogging, you don't need any real modifications. Just make sure you know your truck's (and your own) limits and be smart about what you do. The best modifications in overlanding is knowledge & common sense.
Finally, you did the best right thing by asking. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on here who are happy to help out fellow OBers.
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/attachments/overland-checklist-pdf.102750/
Next, spend a weekend at a local state park. This will give you an idea of what you do/don't need before you head off on a much longer trip, where you may not be able to just run out and pick up something that you didn't think about or got left behind. It will also help you determine just how much you can carry and the best method of packing it all up.
There is a very good checklist available on the site. (I've attached a copy) Use it as a starting point and tailor it to your specific needs. I personally didn't need some of the items listed, and yet also added many things that are not listed.
As for your rig, unless you plan to do rock crawling or mud bogging, you don't need any real modifications. Just make sure you know your truck's (and your own) limits and be smart about what you do. The best modifications in overlanding is knowledge & common sense.
Finally, you did the best right thing by asking. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on here who are happy to help out fellow OBers.
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/attachments/overland-checklist-pdf.102750/
Contributor III
Thanks for all the insight. I’ve been camping quite a few times but usually I’m very easy to get to places. With my new truck I’d like to push a little farther into some cooler places off the beaten trail. You talked about knowing your trucks limits. What’s a good way to find that out? I’ve never owned a truck before but my dad had a four wheeler and a Polaris ranger so I’ve done off roading with those but they were made for the sole purpose of off roading. I want to go and practice but I don’t really know where I can do that or what specifically to watch for or what things to practice. Any recommendations on that front?
