Overland Basics: Choosing Gear, Routes, and the Right Mindset

Taking The Road Less Traveled

Overlanding is all about vehicle based self-reliant adventure travel, where the journey is the primary goal. It many times involves crossing international boarders and traveling to remote destinations for extended periods of time, but doesn’t require either of these things. The key to overland travel is to take the vehicle you have and enjoy taking it down the road, or lack there of, less traveled.

A wide variety of factors play into the gear choices you make and the tools you should have with you. The following is an overview of some of the key choices you need to make, pieces of gear you should have and resources you should bring with you on an overland excursion.

“THE KEY TO OVERLAND TRAVEL IS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE YOU HAVE AND ENJOY TAKING IT DOWN THE ROAD, OR LACK THERE OF, LESS TRAVELED.”

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Vehicle Choice

Your choice of vehicle will have a large effect on what you can, can’t and should bring with you.

If you’re in a huge Unimog with custom composite camper on the back, you’re not going to worry about things like a bed to sleep in or how you’re going to keep your groceries refrigerated, but you are going to worry about roadway height restrictions, bridge weight restrictions and safe places to park up each day.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you decide to do your overland travels by motorcycle, you’re very much going to need to figure out where you’re going to lie your head each night and how you’re going to transport your food, but probably not worry about things like Hi-Lift jacks, winches or vehicle restrictions along your route.

Your vehicle choice really comes down to finding a balance between comfort and capability. This is a very individual decision to make, with compromises that will have to be made. Other major factors when deciding on your personal overland adventuremobile are budget, number of travelers and personal style.

A Place To Lie Down

A good night’s sleep is key to life in general, and can be especially so on the road. Keeping your mind and body in top order should be your number one priority on your travels. The more acute your senses the more you’ll be able to avoid danger and appreciate the experience.

RTT: A roof-top-tent is a go-to staple for many overland travelers. It gets you out of the mud, away from the animals and can offer incredible morning views. The flip side is that they add a lot of weight high atop your vehicle and aren’t inexpensive.

SWAG: An Australian-style Swag is basically a really spacious, burly and comfortable bivy sack. They come in a wide range of styles, but usually offer up a super comfy mattress and setup, and breakdown incredibly quickly. The main down sides to the swag are the large packed size, which takes up interior volume in your vehicle, and not being able to sit or stand up inside.

“A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IS KEY TO LIFE IN GENERAL, AND CAN BE ESPECIALLY SO ON THE ROAD. KEEPING YOUR MIND AND BODY IN TOP ORDER SHOULD BE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON YOUR TRAVELS.”

GROUND TENT: The traditional ground tent comes in nearly infinite configurations and constructions, but offers up a great versatile place to get out of the elements and stretch out. Ground tents can however be a pain to setup, especially in bad weather, and require a relatively fat piece of ground upon which to be set up. Muddy and/or rocky areas aren’t much fun in a ground tent.

INTERIOR BED: Some vehicles offer up plenty of room inside to have a bed within the vehicle. This can be everything from a simple platform in the back of an SUV or pickup, all the way to a luxury mattress in a custom overland camper. Interior sleeping is usually the most safe, convenient and out of the elements way to overland camp. Interior sleeping systems take up valuable interior space, however, reducing gear storage capacity and many times requiring a larger vehicle, which might not fit down smaller off-road trails.

Off Pavement Necessities

Most overland travelers want to get off the beaten path and explore those seldom-visited corners of our planet. In order to do that successfully, it is important to have a few key pieces of gear that will ensure that you get there, and back again.

TIRES: One of the most important aspects of an overland vehicle is where the rubber meets the road. AT, or “all terrain,” tires are usually the right option to handle the wide variety of terra-firma that you might experience on your adventures. MT, or “mud terrain,” tires are an option, but generally wear faster, create more road noise and aren’t as good on wet pavement. It’s also a great idea to carry a full-size spare, as a donut spare just isn’t going to cut it when you find yourself in the boonies with a fat.

TOOLS: A proper tool kit and service manual will go a long way in helping you fix issues as they arise on your adventures. Even if you don’t know how to fix the issue, having the right tools for your specific vehicle will allow someone who is more mechanically inclined to help you quickly get back on the road less traveled.

“YOUR VEHICLE CHOICE RE LLY COMES DOWN TO FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN COMFORT AND CAPABILITY.”

TRACTION BOARDS: No matter if you have 2WD or 4WD, a good set of traction boards will go a long way in keeping you unstuck, and quickly and efficiently getting you unstuck if you do find yourself in too deep. Maxtrax are the original and best lightweight traction boards out there, and even though they aren’t cheap, they are sure to pay for themselves many times over, as they continually keep you moving down the overland trail.

RECOVERY STRAP: You should always carry a kinetic recovery strap in your vehicle. It will not only allow you to get yourself out of some tough situations, with the assistance of another vehicle, it can also earn you karma points when you help others get out of their sticky situations. Be sure that your vehicle has solid recovery points, as they will greatly improve the usefulness of the recovery strap and minimize damage when executing recoveries. Have a few bow or soft shackles handy to use along with the strap.

BONUS: Here are a few off-road recovery items that aren’t essential, but that you might want to consider, depending on your adventure plans; tire repair kit, Hi-Lift jack, winch, extra fuel containers and an air compressor.

Navigation

One key to having a successful overland adventure is to have a general idea of where you are, if not where you’re going. It can be fun to just go out and explore, but when you get low on fuel, food and/or water it’s a good idea to be able to quickly and easily ind the resources you’re in need of.

GOOGLE: Google Maps and Google Earth are both amazing free resources for finding your way, finding remote routes and campsites and generally understanding the part of the world you’re about to pass through. These tools can be used off line, but you need to plan ahead.

MAPS.ME: This app offers very detailed maps that are jam packed with useful information, is free and designed to be used off line. The key is to download the maps that you might need before setting off on your adventure.

GPS UNIT: Handheld and vehicle based GPS units have come a long way, and they still work great for remote travel because they aren’t tied to cell networks or wifi. A handheld unit that can be used both in and outside the vehicle, and loaded with topo maps, is a great way to go, like the tried and true Garmin Montana.

Resources

In today’s modern world, the information you need is usually just a few clicks away, but you’ll save a ton of time if you know where to look. The following are a few quality resources for the global overland traveler.

WIKIOVERLAND.COM: A solid resource for all things overland, but especially iguring out all the paperwork necessary to travel to various countries around the world.

EXPEDITIONPORTAL.COM: Great online forum that is extremely active and can get you the most up-to-date information on the gear you might be having a problem with or the places you expect to travel.

IOVERLANDER APP: Great app that finds you places to stay in countries all over the world, no matter what vehicle you’re traveling in.

Safety

The fear that the mainstream media propagates about travel is largely unfounded, but it is always important to ind your own risk tolerances and have general safety plans in place. Things do happen, whether on remote foreign travels or on your daily commute.

FIRST AID KIT: Always be sure to have at least a basic first aid kit close at hand. Stock it with basic medical supplies and medications appropriate for your travels.

INTERNATIONAL MEDEVAC INSURANCE: Getting hurt in a remote corner of the world sucks, but having to pay an insane medevac bill in order to get the proper care sucks even more. Insurance can be had for very low prices, and gives you the peace of mind that if things go bad you will get the best medical care available.

“A PROPER TOOL KIT AND SERVICE MANUAL WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING YOU FIX ISSUES AS THEY ARISE ON YOUR ADVENTURES.”

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION DEVICE: Communication from anywhere in the world is one of the biggest safety advantages technology has given us. Sat phones have come way down in price, but airtime is still quite pricy. The Garmin inReach is a great option, as it offers two-way communication at an amazing value, and utilizes the most reliable satellite network.

Sure we could also talk about coolers, fridges, stoves, camp furniture and so much more, but the reality is that you either know the basics from your camping experience, or a tiny bit of local currency will get you some amazing street food along the way. Do always remember to have plenty of water and a good supply of snacks close at hand however, as dehydration and ‘hanger’ can be real issues along the road less traveled.

Now forget all that. Get in the vehicle you have now and go adventure! Overland travel is all about the journey, the people and the amazing places, not the stuff you have or don’t have. Be prepared, but many times it’s way more important to just go.