Key Equipment You’ll Need to Be a Serious Overlander
Imagine owning a vehicle that allows you to be completely self-reliant and is capable of taking you into the middle of nowhere, where such self-reliance is a necessity. Owning that kind of vehicle would make you an overlander – as long as you actually got out and used it. A capable vehicle is the first piece of equipment a serious overlander needs.
For the record, overlanding is all about the journey. It involves traveling by land in a rugged vehicle that can go both on road and off. For the serious overlander, no vehicle can be too tough. But the right vehicle is only the starting point. The serious overlander needs some key equipment to go along with it.
The Rooftop Tent
There is no requirement for an overlander to choose a particular sleeping arrangement. But by and large, the rooftop tent is among the most popular options. It is a tent deployed on top of a platform that is mounted to the top of the overlander’s truck or van.
Why a rooftop tent? To keep occupants off the ground and away from water and critters. The fact that rooftop tents are extremely easy to set up and take down doesn’t hurt, either.
A Jack and Winch
The high-lift jack and electric winch are mentioned together because they are normally utilized for the same purpose: getting your overlanding vehicle unstuck. Whether you got it stuck in a bog or it bottomed out at the base of a steep incline, you are not getting it out without jacking it up and winching it. Overlanding without a high-lift jack limits just how rugged your journeys can be.
A Portable Refrigerator
Overlanders looking to remain off-grid for a generous amount of time need a way to keep their food cold. Otherwise, they need to live with canned goods, dried meats, and other foods not subject to spoilage. The good news is that portable refrigerators are out there. Install a refrigerator in your rig and you will never have to worry about ice again.
A Portable Stove
A portable stove is a good idea inasmuch as you never know whether you’ll be able to build a fire to cook over. Open fires just might not be allowed in some places. Other places might allow them, but you run into a lack of firewood. Having a portable stove on board helps a great deal.
A Selection of Tie-Down Straps
To be a serious overlander, you need a collection of tie-down straps capable of meeting any need. Rollercam.com is one of the leading sites for cam straps, a type of tie-down strap that utilizes a cam buckle instead of a ratchet.
Cam straps are flexible and easy to deploy. They are pretty strong too, thanks to the nylon webbing material and state-of-the-art buckle. Cam straps are far better than rope or bungee cords because they can take a lot more punishment and don’t tend to loosen up as you travel.
A CB Radio
Finally, a serious overlander does not rely exclusively on their cell phone for communication. There are times when there is no signal out in the middle of nowhere. So what is an overlander to do? Always keep a CB radio on board. A CB radio can be a lifesaver when there is no cell service.
There is even more equipment that time and space will not allow for in this post. Needless to say that serious overlanding isn’t like parking an RV at a public campground. It is an entirely different beast requiring some key equipment to do it safely and comfortably.
