Hi everyone! If you are new here, "Welcome!" If you have been here before then, "Welcome back!" How many of you have ever found yourself wanting to make mom's famous meatloaf, only to realize you have no idea how to start or what ingredients you will need? Getting started Overlanding can seem just as daunting, but don't let that worry you. In this post, we will discuss at a high level some of those ingredients one might need to make sure their Overlanding recipe is one of success.
Overlanding Essentials
Below you will find a list of the items I feel are necessary (in some shape or fashion) if you are interested in Overlanding. Many of these lists will assume you have car camping/backpacking gear, but I'm going to take the approach that you have none of this gear already.
1) Vehicle
2) Shelter/Warmth
3) Water/Water Storage
4) Food/Food Storage/Cooking
5) Recovery Gear
6) Lighting
7) Basic Hand Tools
8) First Aid/Survival Supplies
9) Navigation/Maps
10) Communication
Let's dive in with our list.
Vehicle
Many people will assume they need a Tacoma on 35-inch tires or a Jeep running 37s to start Overlanding. That is just not true. A truck or an SUV makes a great Overlanding vehicle as they are more than capable when you are just getting started. While 4wd and AWD vehicles are great, that doesn't necessarily mean you can't Overland in a 2wd vehicle. NO matter what you drive, my suggestion is to at least equip your vehicle with some all-terrain type of tires. The extra traction will come in handy in those times where muddy and loose dirt is a factor.
Shelter/Warmth
Options in this category are aplenty. I can attest that you do not need a rooftop tent nor an Overlanding trailer to start Overlanding. In most situations, an affordable tent will be more than you would need for shelter. In the event, you don't want to mess with setting up a tent night after night, opting to sleep in your vehicle is also another great choice. I can attest first hand that sleeping in your vehicle isn't as bad as it seems and it can be done while carrying other gear. It is worthwhile to explore your vehicle interior to determine where gaps and bumps might exist so you are better prepared to determine what you might need to be comfortable overnight. For example, in my Jeep, two pieces of fiberboard cover the gap between the back seats and the cargo area and provide a solid sleeping surface.
Where warmth is concerned, your gear should match your climate. Seems like a very common sense statement, but trust me... I can count the number of times I assumed my 40-degree sleeping bag would be sufficient in upper low 30 degree temps. If you are primarily Overland in a moderate climate, then a lighter sleeping bag or blankets would be sufficient. If you Overland in the fall where temps can take a major swing from day to night, then consider something a bit heavier. A wool blanket provides great warmth in those 20 and 30-degree temps, plus wool is typically water-resistant.
Water and Water Storage
Water is arguably the most important item you can take along on an Overlanding trip. Water is not only important to hydrate your body as you are exploring the world around us, but we often use it for cooking, cleaning dishes, cooking utensils, your hands, and even the occasional window wash after a run through a deeper than thought mud puddle! A good rule of thumb is 1-2 Gallons of water per day per person. While you likely might not go through all of this water, this is a good starting point and having a little more is better than not enough in this case. Personally, I keep my drinking water in a smaller cooler up in the front of my Jeep within reach and I carry what I would consider being my non-potable water in the cargo area in containers designed specifically for water.
Food/Food Storage/Cooking
What you eat while Overlanding is an obvious personal decision. Are a Pop-Tart and a Pepsi sufficient for you for breakfast, do you prefer sandwiches or granola bars for lunch, and for dinner would you rather have hot dogs or a London Broil cooked over the campfire? All of these need to be considered when you plan for your meals for your trip. If you want a 5-course meal for every meal, then you have to carry all of that food with you which is likely to take up a good chunk of valuable free space. Being conscious of your food choices helps in determining the space you will need to store that food, which brings me to my next point. Do you need a 12-volt fridge/freezer or is a good ole cooler sufficient. I recently picked up a 12-volt freezer to give it a shot. While I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to stop for ice along the way during my trip, I did add an additional expense of a battery pack to run my fridge overnight, coupled with fighting to find the perfect temperature so as to not freeze my veggies. Many of my friends that I have traveled with are still using their coolers and for many, there isn't a desire to change that any time soon. And speaking of coolers, nowhere does it say a Yeti, Orca, or any high-end cooler is a requirement. Starting out Overlanding should be about using items that fit within your budget as you gauge your interest. There will always be time to upgrade items later if you so choose. One last note about food storage. If you Overland and stay the night in areas that are prone to bears, please follow the food safety precautions. Hang your food in a bear bag if necessary, store it 100 yards away from your campsite if you have to, or keep it locked in your car. (Bears can smell food in a car, but honestly, I haven't had any issues with doing this on any of my trips thus far.)
We covered food, now how do we cook those delicious meals? Campfire cooking is honestly hard to be beaten, but also hardest to master. Cooking over a campfire (especially things other hotdogs and burgers) takes patience and attentiveness to prevent ruining the meal you worked so hard to prepare. A one or two-burner camp stove is a great addition to the gear you bring on your Overlanding trip. These stoves can run on a bevy of different fuels and have temperature adjustments that hopefully prevent burning and scorching. A backpacking stove is also another great item to carry along. I never believed the hype about these little units until I saw one work firsthand. My oldest brother is an oatmeal for breakfast kind of guy and I thought there was no way his little stove was going to boil water for his oatmeal before another friend was finished boiling water for his coffee (especially when the coffee water had a headstart). Boy was I wrong. The backpacking stove boiled water like a champ and was done well before the water for coffee had come to a boil. There might be a new piece of gear in my loadout soon!
Recovery Gear
Recovery gear is definitely something to keep in your Overlanding gear. You don't have to break the bank here, but a simple shovel (fold-up to save space) and a tow strap will big resources for you if you ever find yourself in a precarious situation.
Lighting
Ask any of my Overlanding buddies and they will tell you I have a thing for lights. Frankly, it's probably the one thing I will actually splurge on whether it's auxiliary lighting for my Jeep or flashlights around camp. Oh, and you can never have enough in my opinion. While scene lighting attached to your rig isn't necessary as you are starting out, but a couple of quality flashlights and a headlamp will go a long way, especially if you arrive at camp late and have to cook after dark!
Basic Hand Tools
A set of basic hand tools are another must-have. You don't need to bring the entire Craftsman product line along with you, but having an assortment of sockets, screwdrivers, and pliers can be very helpful. I for one, tend to overpack in the tool department and typically it just adds unnecessary weight. Finding a good deal on a toolset from one of the home improvement stores (that comes in a nice hard case typically) would be a great bet in the tool department.
First Aid/Survival
A quality first aid, coupled with a few other essential survival tools should be near the top as you compile your list of items you want to carry in our Overlanding load. A quality first aid kit is a low-cost peace of mind when it comes to providing care to someone in the event of an emergency. Another thing that I always have in my Jeep is a fire extinguisher. I once watched my own car burn to the ground while I waited for the fire department to show up. Do I feel like I could have saved the car completely if I had a fire extinguisher? I'm not sure, but I would have at least given it a helluva shot. From a survival perspective, I always have something that I can use to start a fire when necessary. While this seems like a no-brainer when considering Overlanding, I have seen situations where someone forgets a lighter, or dryer lint in a toilet tissue rule just aren't getting the job done starting a fire. (Cheap plug here: Check out the firestarters and arc lighters from Black Beard in the store. These are legit and I promise they will provide the 'spark' you need to keep from being left out in the cold!)
Navigation/Maps
Having a map or some sort of navigation can be the difference between a miserable time and an epic adventure! I typically rely on technology to navigate my way around. My app of choice is Gaia, which I use on my LTE-enabled Ipad. With Gaia, I can preload all of the routes and way-points prior to departing on my journey and use the built-in GPS receiver of the Ipad to keep me heading in the right direction. A lot of non-cellular enabled devices do not have an internal GPS receiver, but don't fret as there are tons of add-on options available. I will do a future blog post where we dive into the usage of Gaia. We will discuss how to create a route in Google Maps, convert it to the proper file format, and load it to Gaia for navigation. You won't want to miss that one! I also highly recommend keeping a paper (or fancy laminated map) handy for those times where technology just isn't your friend!
Communication
Lastly, on our list, we will talk about communication. Our cellphones are extensions of our everyday lives and they are the best tool for communicating your plans with your loved ones and with emergency personnel if an emergency issue arises. There are, however, times where your cell phone signal is marginal or non-existent. One thing I did splurge on was a Spot X. This is a two-way GPS communication device. For a nominal monthly charge, the Spot X allows me to share my location, send messages, and alert emergency services all at the touch of a few buttons. My wife loves the fact she can check in on my progress if she hasn't heard from me in a bit to see where I am and make sure I am ok. No matter what communication tool you have at your disposal, please always remember to let people know where you are going to be and what your travel plans are.
As we wrap up here, I want to apologize for the long read. As you can see, even in a condensed version there is a lot of information to share about the items you might want to consider as you embark on your Overlanding journey. In future posts, we will go into detail about some of these topics and even get into reviewing some relative gear. Remember, you are only one step from adventure and Hillbilly Overland is here to help you along the way.
Thanks,
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