Overlanding for Practicality

[GLOCKer]

My wife is not a very big fan of my hobbies, because they cost money. While I'm not using this is an excuse to buy cool stuff, I've done some reflection and realized that overlanding as a hobby has a lot of practical aspects to it. A lot of the purchases I've made have practical applications outside of the hobby of overlanding.

Truck - 2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4 - I needed something I could tow my boat with. I wanted something in 4x4 for instances of inclement weather; I want my wife to be able to hop in a vehicle she could feel comfortable driving and safely get to and from work. That's why I didn't get an F-150, by the way. Too big for the wife.

Recovery Gear - Warn winch, straps, ropes, shackles, etc. - All of this gear comes in handy for all kinds of emergencies too!

Generator - Propane powered and easily portable - I purchased a generator that is small in size, pretty quiet, and is capable of running for approximately 24 hours on a 20 lb cylinder of LPG. My thoughts are I can use it to power a small fridge/freezer on trips, power lighting, charge batteries, etc.. I can also use the LPG to fuel my camp stove and camp grill. But, if we ever have a power outage, I can use that generator to power my refrigerator OR some lights, TV, laptops, and cable modem.

Camp Kitchen - Ways to prepare food - Cooking (and eating) is a huge hobby for me and I'm currently piecing together a camp kitchen so that I can enjoy cooking and eating out on trips. Practically though, I can use that camp kitchen during power outages for food prep. The gear will also aid in one of my other hobbies; competition BBQ!

Portable fridge/freezer - 53 quarts - I don't own this yet, but it's high up on my priority list. This will be great for emergency use. It'll also be great for out on the boat. But mostly, I can use it in my office at work so I don't have to share the fridge with the people who leave sketch old food items in there for months! It'll be really helpful for BBQ competitions for holding raw meats at safe temperature levels without it drowning in melted ice.

I would love to hear your experiences with how you've used your overlanding gear outside of the hobby!

 

[grubworm]

My wife is not a very big fan of my hobbies, because they cost money.

Ha...the most expensive hobby I ever had was a wife!

as far as overlanding gear goes, i totally agree that it can be very practical outside of its intended use of traveling and camping. i live in a hurricane prone area and power goes out a lot...back in 2011 we lost power for right at 2 weeks due to all the downed trees after a hurricane. having the camp trailer with solar is great because i have a lot of 12v power for charging phones, batteries, operating 12v fans, lighting at night, etc. also having the LP stove is nice. a lot of overlanding gear is for off-grid camping and when a hurricane or any bad storm hits, we are essentially off grid.
the camp trailer is also nice to house people when all the kids come to visit at once with their girlfriends/boyfriends and need an extra place to sleep.

it was really handy having the camp trailer when the covid restrictions initially hit and we were quarantined and the stores were empty. we had lots of extra stuff out in the camper and it was like having a convenience store on wheels in our driveway

 

[ruralpunk]

Oh @GLOCKer you are speaking my language

I work in Emergency Management and live in the Canadian Rockies. Here, having a overland capable rig is just practical. In the winter it's normal to get two or more snowfalls a year in excess of 12 inches. in the spring flooding is normal in any low lying areas near a water source. In the summer, the risk of forest fires is extreme. Year round, power outages of 8 hours or more are fairly common, usually experiencing 4-12 a year.

Having a vehicle that can handle the windy winter roads and the common gravel side roads is mandatory. The gold standard of regular day-to-day on-road driving is the Subaru. I don't actually know, but probably 30-40% of vehicles out here are Subaru's. Hell, me and my girlfriend each have one.

Having a camp set up is great for when the power goes out, just pull out the Coleman stove and a headlamp and dinner is on the way. Have a portable fridge? fill it with the critical items you really don't want to thaw. Or power your fridge/deep freeze with your power bank/generator.

Also, if you need to evacuate because of flood or fire having a trailer or packed boxes and turn evac into a few minutes. And if you cant leave through one of the main highways (most communities are in narrow valleys and only have one or two main exits) if you have an off-road capable setup you can escape through logging roads or trails.

I'm not one to prep for some impending apocalypse or a civil war breaking out to my south, but being ready for the real world possibilities of being snowed in for a few days or having to evac for a forest fire is just good common-sense out here. I'm really feeling for those families down in Texas right now. I don't blame any individual for not being prepared for the cold and power outages, but you know that the ones that tend to get out in the woods more (overlanding or otherwise) are likely doing better that most right now.

 

[Mtnmn99]

Ha...the most expensive hobby I ever had was a wife!

Quote of the day!!!!!!! Made me laugh out loud!!!!

 

[FishinCrzy]

What Grubworm said. Always better to have alternatives to unforeseen circumstances. Being able to easily change locations and comfortably survive has always been appealing to me. Now, if I could find a good woman that has her own rig, can tie flies, and put the lure in the right spot...I might modify my lifestyle accordingly. Right now I have more use for a roof rack, swinging tire carrier, a winch (the mechanical kind), gps/mapping notebook, what else... oh, new tires soon. Wish I had better advice dealing with your wife. That's never been a strong part of my repertoire.

 

[Sparksalot]

I've been using a lot of my camping/overlanding gear at home in the last week dealing with green energy falacies.

 

[J.W.]

I've got a lot of friends in Texas that have been messaging me about my setup this week.

Just sayin'

 

[Clrussell]

I use my fridge quite frequently for groceries. Truck every day for work. Cook stove for CrossFit event cooking. Tent for sleeping.

 

[FishinCrzy]

I've been using a lot of my camping/overlanding gear at home in the last week dealing with green energy falacies.

You guys down there have had it hard. Glad you are surviving ok. Having most all of Texas on a separate grid was good until it wasn't. I can understand not wanting to deal with the FERC but...Maybe ya'll can setup something with Mexico!

 

[Anak]

I am trying to think of what gear I have that isn't used in other aspects of life...

The Varmints like using the tents/sleeping bags just to camp out in the back yard. Sleeping bags have also been required for church youth trips.

Coolers serve at picnics and were extremely useful when we moved.

My Hi-Lift jacks see more use around the property than they do anywhere else.

As to my vehicles, well I bought my first 4x4 Suburban when I was 23 and have not been without one since. They are my favorite vehicle for all around versatility. I now DD my XJ more than anything else, and The Bride drives the Suburban. I don't see myself ever not having a capable 4x4 SUV. They are just too useful.

I guess my Coleman stoves and lanterns don't see much use other than camping, although, now that I think of it, I did use one of them for pre-heating some steering knuckles for welding. The Bride should appreciate that because it meant I wasn't using her kitchen for car parts.

And yes, all of this gear is dang useful in the event the world goes wonky. Sleeping bags and pads were much appreciated when we had friends staying at our house when they were evacuated due to wildfires in Kali.

The only problem I have with justifying my gear is when The Bride notices that I have multiples of the same thing. I have always been a fan of the Department of Redundancy Department. It helps keep ol' Murphy somewhat at bay.

 

[egilbe]

As primarily a hiker, I can attest to being prepared for off grid, SHTF scenarios. I always have an assortment of non-perishable food stuffs, iso-butane fuel canisters, stoves, water filters and bottles, warm clothing, shelters, foul-weather gear and the like. Pretty much anyone who spends any time off grid has the capability and the knowledge to remain alive for an extended period of time. I guess its part of our nature to spending time in nature, to be prepared.

 

[Sparksalot]

You guys down there have had it hard. Glad you are surviving ok. Having most all of Texas on a separate grid was good until it wasn't. I can understand not wanting to deal with the FERC but...Maybe ya'll can setup something with Mexico!

There were and are valid reasons for it. And Texas actually does have a two way interconnect with Mexico for power sales at times.

 

[DMS1]

Having most all of Texas on a separate grid was good until it wasn't. I can understand not wanting to deal with the FERC but...Maybe ya'll can setup something with Mexico!

They will fix it and it will be better than ever.

 

[Billiebob]

We get hit with power outages often. We are not on a "grid" we are the end of an extension cord. In the summer a forest fire can leave us without power for days, last month, January, a wind storm fell trees across the power lines leaving many without power for a week. But we are sparsely populated, and used to adversity without complaint. Everyone, yes literally everyone has a wood stove. We all have a years supply of firewood. Many have a generator at least capable of powering a fridge, freezer and a few lights. And most of us have an old fashioned touch tone phone which work without power.

My wife keeps the basement freezer well stocked. Even without power for 2 days in July, we never opened the door and it stayed below freezing. I was just ready to run a cord from my work generator, a Yamaha 2800 when the power came on.

Cities with 100K people are a different matter, we elect people to keep us safe. They hire people to give them good advice to keep us safe. When those we elect screw up..... unfortunately people die.

Texas is going thru a unique problem. The 3rd warmest state is frigid. Sure there might be blame and fault but ultimately this is a wake up call. Hurricane Katrina was devastating. As was Sandy. Could Texas have been better prepared of course and hopefully they will be proactive. But it'll cost money, taxes will rise, and many elected to lead will fail and refuse to vote for the funding to be better prepared. Vote wisely and get rid of the chickens who fly out when the going gets tough.

 

[grubworm]

well, igloo is now under contract to start building houses in texas from recycled wind turbine blades....

 

[GLOCKer]

I just thought of another use for my RTT. I started overnighting with my BBQ team at competitions, and I was sleeping in the back of my 1998 Ford Explorer. My wife made me get rid of the Explorer when I bought the Ranger I'm in now. :( I loved it but it was only 2-wheel drive.

 

[Shokgoblr]

I make money to spend how I see fit. My partner has her own. We split certain things, and the rest is none of her concern, nor are her purchases mine.

I realize most couples dont work this way, but I am not sure why not.

 

[GLOCKer]

I make money to spend how I see fit. My partner has her own. We split certain things, and the rest is none of her concern, nor are her purchases mine.

I realize most couples dont work this way, but I am not sure why not.

I certainly understand that sentiment, and I have a few friends whose households work that way. We more subscribe to the idea that our resources are the households and we consult with each other before "major" purchases. The thing is, my wife is very, very conservative with money. Years ago she got very sick, was in an ICU for months, and ran through most of her savings in bills. Today, she feels guilty about buying clothes for work and then returns the purchases. It's insane to me! Me; I work hard and want to spend the fruits of my labor on cool stuff! LOL

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I dont carry everything in the truck all the time but yes, a lot of Overlanding stuff is obviously very practical. Coolers, camper, seeping bags and tent, propane Coleman 2 burner stove, little single burner butane stoves and m ou untainted House meals. I love it all and its practical or it wouldnt be hike and camp gear.

Ball hitch or pintle. Camper shell. Truck or SUV, or Subaru. Shovel and hatchet.

I'm 50, so I'm starting to take a serious look ahead so I'm better prepared for retirement. I hope some overland and road trips are a big part of that future