In recent years, overlanding has become a bit of a hashtag darling with hundreds of thousands of people showing off their rigs, ideas, and lifestyle online. But this isn’t just a way to get likes and show off a minimalistic lifestyle. At its heart, overlanding is about traveling, adventure, problem-solving, and self-reliance.
Let’s not mince words, the outdoors can be a dangerous place - especially if you’re staying in it for a long period of time. To get the most out of overlanding, you need to be knowledgeable and go prepared.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the most important overlanding-specific items that you need to consider when building your rig and turning off the pavement. While it may take a bit of time and experience to find out specifically what you need as an individual overlander, this list is a great place to start.
Vehicle Upgrades
Beefing up your vehicle to be able to shake off knocks and scrapes should be a high priority.
Bumpers
While a select few newer vehicle trims may come with metal bumpers, most will not. An aftermarket bumper provides extra protection for all that important stuff under and around the hood. In addition, you’ll likely be adding options for mounting more lighting, a winch, and recovery points—as well as increased ground and tire clearance.
A majority of sources will tell you that a front bumper is the more important of the two, but don’t neglect the rear. A solid metal rump offers extra liquid storage, room for a larger size spare, a jack, ladder and other necessities you may find even more vital than what a front bumper provides.
Suspension
What type of terrain you plan of traversing most will determine how much you should look at upgrading your suspension setup. Anything more than the occasional park/campground access road, we recommend getting a mild lift at the minimum. This will allow you to run larger tires and traverse more varied terrain.
If you plan on using your rig like an off-roader—tackling steep, rocky inclines, heavy mud/water, or vast dunes—you’ll probably want something aggressive that replaces all stock components. Also, think about how much extra weight you’ll be adding to your vehicle in the form of aftermarket accessories and gear. If it’s quite a bit, you’ll need some stiffer shocks.
Tires
If you’ve upgraded your bumpers and suspension, logically, you’re going to want to do the same with your tires and wheels. You’ll first want to know the limitations, by seeing what the largest tires you’ll be able to comfortably fit without rubbing.
Do some research, reading, and forum browsing to see what others having similar setups are running. Remember, if you go much larger than stock, you’ll probably need to regear to maintain performance and fuel economy.
Like with suspension, if you plan on staying on pavement or an occasional dirt road, you can probably get away with a mild-tread tire like an All-Terrain. But if you really plan on getting yourself into trouble far off the beaten path, go with a Mud-Terrain. The ever-expanding hybrid tire category is a nice balance between the two that will suit a number of overlander’s needs as well.
Recovery Options
Getting stuck is part of the journey (and fun). Staying that way, however, is dangerous.
Winch
Outfitting that new metal bumper with a powerful winch will make your rig more self-sufficient and a godsend for others in trouble on the trail. A winch, along with aftermarket bumper, can add a solid chunk of weight to your front end, so keep your suspension needs in mind as well.
Speaking of weight, it’s a good idea to know the gross weight of your rig when it’s loaded up for the journey. From this, add 30-50%. That should be the minimum capacity your winch should be rated for.
In this situation, more capacity is always better, as it will not tax the winch as much when under load. Just make sure the winch you’re considering will fit in your bumper or wherever you plan on mounting it.
Along with your winch, you’ll want to have a full complement of hooks, straps, and ropes to facilitate any recovery you may need to execute. All-in-one bags are popular choices, and while they may not have absolutely everything for every situation, it’s a good foundation to build your recovery accessory kit.
Jack
If you wheel or overland enough, it’s inevitable that something underneath your vehicle will fail, need replacing, or get damaged. A proper off-road jack will let you work under your vehicle, even on rough terrain. And if you happen to get stuck on a rock, stump, or something else on the trail, a jack can throw you a lifeline in getting yourself dislodged. Like the winch, a jack can be a dangerous tool to use, so make sure to do all the learning and testing you can before using it on the trail.
Boards
Four-wheel drive is great, but sometimes you just need a little more traction to get yourself out of a sticky situation. If you’ve ever seen bright orange plastic snowboard-looking things mounted to a rig, they’re Recovery Boards and that’s what they’re for. Just slap these behind or in front of a spinning wheel and you’ll be rewarded with instant traction.
Sleeping Solutions
While many of us could sleep on a $49 futon in college without ramification, a good night’s sleep is more vital as we get older. It also sets the whole tone for the following day’s journey.
Rooftop Tent
Rooftop tents are all the rage, and if you have the cash, by all means go for one. They’re easy to setup, don’t take up precious cargo space, and make you appear as a seasoned overlanding vet to all on-lookers. Just be prepared to drop at least $1,500 for a solid unit.
Traditional Tent
If you don’t have that kind of cash, no need to worry, a traditional tent can work just fine! Of course, it may take up a little more cargo room and require more packing/unpacking, but you can get yourself an awfully large, well-made, and weatherproof tent for less than half the price of a rooftop example.
We suggest investing money in a solid mattress and/or topper. You can have a gorgeous tent, but if what you’re actually sleeping on is junk, it won’t matter. It goes without saying, but a high-quality, supportive pillow should be part of your sleeping kit as well.
Navigation
While phones and navigation apps getting better with each passing year, there are some pretty valid reasons to get yourself a stand-alone GPS unit. Firstly, GPS units use a satellite signal instead of a cell signal, so you’ll be able get service in even the most remote of locations. Plus, managing your phone’s battery can be anxiety-inducing as it is, even without telling it to run a navigation app for hours straight. A GPS unit does one thing, and does it really well.
Power
Make sure you have a way to power all the devices you and your passengers plan to use. We recommend having a way to draw power from your vehicle—like built-in USB ports or a 12V socket charger, as well as external power like a battery bank. A unit that serves multiple purposes can serve to charge devices as well as jump your vehicle and provide light.
First Aid
Often overlooked and hopefully rarely used, a first-aid or medical kit is something no one should ever go without, no matter how short the journey may be. If you’re a bit unfamiliar with what you may need, consider an all-in-one kit. Available in various sizes, most offer a convenient mountable/packable storage bag that won’t take up a ton of precious storage space.
Alternatively, building your own first aid kit is a great way to get exactly what you’ll need and have supplies that you are familiar with using. Items you’ll want to pack include gauze/bandages/tape, ointments, cold compresses, electrolyte mix, and pain-relief medication.
Alongside first aid, ensure that you have bug spray, sunscreen, and any other first aid-adjacent items to improve your trip, depending on what you’ll be doing and where you’ll be doing it.
Don’t Forget…
While each person and vehicle will prefer to keep slightly different accessories on board, there’s one thing everyone should carry with them—knowledge.
You can purchase all the top-of-the-line, expensive equipment and supplies, but it will mean very little if you’re ignorant of function and situational operation of everything you carry. Like with anything, experience, repetition, and trial and error are the best teachers, but a certain baseline knowledge is needed with a risky activity like overlanding.
Be sure to know your vehicle inside and out, seek out all of its weak points and what to monitor. Joining online groups/forums is a great way to talk with other people who have your vehicle. Even the most unconventional of rigs often have large groups of fans and wrenchers who as a whole have done everything imaginable to their vehicle.
When it comes to accessories and gear, the same things hold true. Items like jacks, winches, and compressors do hold some inherent dangers in their operation. Read manuals, watch videos, and practice operation in low-leverage situations. The last thing you want is your first interaction with new equipment to be out on the trail or campsite when the pressure is on and an audience is watching.
Gear can be expensive, and while knowledge may take a little time to acquire, it’s free and will make you and those around you feel infinitely more confident, comfortable, and secure in your overland adventure.