Top 3 Overlanding Gear Investments for Newbies

Good point on the shoes. I’ll keep my main hiking shoes and like some cheap flip flops or watershoes handy.

Outside of vehicle, assuming not “off roading”…keep it at least minimally comfortable but definitely fun based on your preferences. Everybody is different on preferences.

I prefer minimalism, partially due to budget, but also mobility and weight because I like to at least have the option for moderate to a bit above that difficulty of trails.

Sleep- based on weather, padding and an appropriate sleeping bag/blanket or if it’s hot, a rechargeable fan is a lifesaver. Bad sleep sucks and takes away from the experience, especially if you have to convince someone to go with you who might be hesitant.

I also carry a portable toilet and pop up tent. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go and you might be miles away from a restroom. Again, make it a good experience for others even if you can “improvise”.

Bugs - can be a nuisance. Think ahead pre-treat your clothes with permethrin and get picaridin for your skin. Bites are a nuisance and can be unhealthy. Not fun.

Fun- think ahead about a campfire if there’s no current fire ban. A fire and some S’mores usually goes over well. It’s also just part of the camping experience one should consider. That or a card game, cooking a nice meal on a camp stove, and if you’re like me, bring coffee. Nothing like the smell of coffee and fresh air.

Tip: Look into the camera rather than yourself to connect better with your viewers.

Great points.

Hub style tents are great for ease of setting up/pulling down, but they do indeed take up some real estate to stow in your rig. We have a Gazelle T4, mainly because we’ve got fair sized dogs (pro tip- inexpensive large Harbor Freight moving blanket makes a great floor protector/rug for dirty dog paws), but also because I didn’t want to have to get down and crawl into or climb up into tents anymore. I want to step into a tent like the upright shaved ape I am. The only caveat I have about hub tents is there are more moving parts to fail.

After years of hammocks, sleeping pads, cots and sleeping bags I switched to a cowboy bedroll. Not a commercially made one, one I put together myself. It gives a lot of options for sleeping comfortably. Tent. On the ground in front of the fire. On a cot. It doesn’t really matter where because it’s a self contained bed. Self inflating mattress, blankets that I can add or subtract depending on the time of year and temperatures to be encountered, a fitted sheet and a couple camp pillows. No annoying foot box to feel trapped in. No rolling over and having a sleeping bag bunch up when you do. No need for a camping cot unless you really want. Roll it out and roll it up, with the pillows inside. As a package it is of course bulkier than say a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, a camping cot and pillows stowed separately in stuff sacks but the ease and comfort far outweighs the bulk in my experience. I have yet to have had a cold or an uncomfortable night. My wife switched also, hers is a commercial one we picked up at a swap meet for an incredibly good price.

We have in each of our rigs a small bag containing some basic emergency supplies. Small enough that if we’re going somewhere in a different vehicle or all together in one it can be grabbed and taken with. Included in each is one pair of wool socks, one pair of wool gloves and a stocking cap. Used a vacuum sealer to keep them compact, clean and dry. Lessons learned from living in the mountains and winter/mountain pass travel.