This is a partial list of our overland gear that we carry in our 4×4 Ford truck and older model Jeep.
We’re not experts or hardcore overlanders and stick mostly to forest roads and backroads (level 5 or less trails on scale of 10). There may be better gear available out there, this is what we use.
As far as what kind of gear you should carry, safety, survival and recovery gear (spares, winch, tow straps, satellite messenger, food, water, etc), should come first. We like to carry fewer comfort items, so that we have more room for things that could save our bacon.
What works for you depends on your budget, kind of vehicle, and where you plan to take it off-road.
Full disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. Our readers never pay any extra for using them – nor do we become ridiculously wealthy from them.
(must haves and a few convenience items)
Overland Communications – Satellite Messengers and EPIRBs
We currently use a Garmin InReach Explorer satellite messenger, the larger version seen above. For those wanting to keep it small and simple the Garmin Mini 2 works well, but works best when used with a smartphone vs. stand alone. Using the Iridium satellite network, these can send and receive text messages from anywhere on earth that has a clear view of the sky. We still carry an ACR EPIRB which is only for emergency use, not messaging. Satellite messengers require service plans and charge a monthly fee. EPIRB beacons only require federal registration – there is no monthly fee.
Don’t expect phone-like texting speed. Sending lots of SMS messages can get expensive with basic InReach plans, but when there is no cell phone service, they are an excellent way to stay in touch. As a bonus, you can share tracking with family or friends. Service plans start at $11.95 for basic safety and go up to $65 for unlimited messaging and tracking.
Note: Satellite messengers like Garmin InReach are not dedicated emergency beacons, although they have an SOS feature. Real EPIRB beacons don’t send messages, but are more powerful and work better under tree cover, canyons, etc. You can see our article Satellite Messenger vs. EPIRBs for more info.
A Good 12 Volt Air Compressor
Having a 12 volt air compressor onboard is a must, even if you never travel off road. We carry two of them, just in case one of them fails. The price range for these runs anywhere from the very cheap models sold at Walmart to ones selling for well over $500. Our $130 Smittybilt air compressor replaced an earlier high-volume model which eventually failed us when we needed it most – (which is why we now carry two of them). The Smittybilt 2780 is capable of 2.54 cubic feet per minute, compared to the more expensive version, the Smittybilt 2781, with 5.65 cfm of volume.
Now that we find we’re airing up slightly larger tires more often, after deflating them off road, we sort of wish we had purchased the larger compressor, which would save some time airing up.
GMRS Radios
Our Overland GMRS Radio Setup
Two-way radio gear can be very useful and can be as simple as a couple of FRS walkie talkies. (We like radio stuff, so our setup – with both ham and GMRS – is for fun as well as safety.)
We’re use a 50 watt Midland MXT575 (Jeep) and a Btech GMRS-50X1 (truck) and a couple Baofeng UV-9Gs as handheld units. Quality-wise, Midland delivers, with ruggedness, ease of programming and easy-to-read displays, plus consistent, near 50 watt power output. Midland GMRS radios are a step above Btech/Baofeng in quality, but lack some of the gadgets and capabilities of some of those radios. Our Btech GMRS-50X1 has held up well and performed perfectly for us, with the added benefit of scanning USFS, fire and law enforcement channels to keep better informed as we travel.
For any environment where rain, water or mud may be present, the 50 watt Midland MXT500 is IP66 waterproof.
Our Two Cents: If you don’t care about scanning other frequencies and can afford them, the better fixed-mount GMRS radios are still made by Midland. For handhelds, Baofengs are hard to beat for value and the UV-9G is waterproof.
A license is required for GMRS. It is $35 for 10 years. See How to Get a GMRS License
12 Volt Overland Fridge – Freezer
If you like to have a cold beverage on day 7 of an off-road outing, or even keep a steak frozen that long, a 12 volt fridge comes in very handy. We run our Dometic fridge off a deep cycle battery mounted in the truck’s bed and powered when stationary with two 100 watt solar panels. You can see our setup here.
Traction or Recovery Boards
Traction boards or recovery boards are an essential item for overlanding. We’ve used and abused our ARB/Tredpro recovery boards for a year now with no problems but do feel a bit dumb for spending so much on what’s basically a piece of plastic. These traction boards are well-made and we love them, but their high cost is why we didn’t buy another pair for our truck. For our truck, we got a couple sets, one by Pliosaur and two more made by Rhino USA (for less than half the price as one set of the Tredpros). The cheaper recovery boards don’t offer as much traction as the ARB ones, but will work fine for most situations. Our recovery boards are also handy for leveling our rooftop tent when we camp.
Tip – Chances are if you’re going to need two traction recovery boards, you just might need four of them. We now carry four so we can place them under all the tires if necessary, or make a longer ramp to crawl over.
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Tire Deflators
One of the most useful tools to carry along, especially if you travel off road, are tire deflators. Having tried other methods, this one still works well enough for us. Cost? – Free – if you already have a tire gauge.
Winch
A good winch capable of pulling 10,000 lbs or more is essential overland and off-road gear. We use a Smittybilt 12,000 lb X2O winch for our F-150, with a hitch mount which fits on both the front and rear of the vehicle).
Synthetic cable is a great way to go and is generally safer to work with than steel cable, yet it does require special precautions. This kind of winch cable needs to be protected from UV rays to last a long time. A tree saver strap, like the one above, will come in handy, along with a couple of shackles for rigging. We like to use soft shackles, as well as drape heavy mats across our winch cable ends when winching to prevent accidents.
Caution: Always spool a synthetic winch cable back on using some resistance, such as your vehicle in neutral being pulled straight ahead, towards a tree. Never hook the cable to itself and use straps and D-Rings instead. See the manual for your winch for maintenance tips.
Features to Look For in an Off-Road Winch: Pulling Capacity in Lbs, Gear Ratio, Water Resistance (IP68), Remote Control
Overland Jacks
A few people think the only kind of jack they need for overlanding is a Hi-Lift jack. These are great for lifting the body of your vehicle when you need to get it off something like a rock that’s causing you to “high center”, but they’re not great for changing tires. When changing a tire you want to lift the axle, not the body of the vehicle, which is why you want something like a scissor jack or bottle jack for changing tires. For mushy or sandy ground, having a heavy, wide board to set the jack on can really be useful.
Bottle Jacks – Bottle jacks need level ground to work and many don’t have a cradle to keep them from slipping off the axle or frame, which is why you need to be careful when using them. The Big Red 8 ton, Double Ram bottle jack (below) needs less than 7″ of clearance to fit and lifts to almost 8″ above that, for a total height of 17″, using the extension. Listing for around $50, it’s an affordable choice to consider.
Tip – Depending on your vehicle’s frame height, you may want to carry a couple wooden blocks to place your bottle jack on.
Bottle Jack Tip – Never store a bottle jack on its side and be sure to close the relief valve after using one.
For those with deeper pockets, the Safe Jack bottle jack was featured at Overland Expo West 2021. We like it because it has three sizes of extension tube to fit different frame heights, along with interchangeable flat and cradled head pieces. While we really like this jack, it does seem very overpriced, at over $300.
Scissor Jacks – Your vehicle’s OEM scissor jack may work just fine, but there are heavier duty ones that may work better. Tip: Choose a jack with a long handle and keep hands and feet out from under the vehicle when lifting, not like the one in the photo above.
Hi-Lift Jacks – These versatile tools are very useful when you need to lift your vehicle’s frame up over an obstacle. They’re not made for changing tires. For tire changing, a bottle or scissor jack can be fitted under the axle or frame for much safer lifting. For many they’re considered a necessity, yet for some vehicle body types Hi-Lift jacks aren’t very practical to use.
Note: Hi-Lift is a brand, not a type of jack. There are knock-offs, so beware of cheap imports. Be sure to watch a safety video like the one below before using a Hi-Lift jack. They’re very useful, but like the Aussie guy in this video so eloquently states “they’re fair dinkum dangerous!”
Hi-Lift Jack Tips: Not for changing tires, they can be used (in a pinch, with extreme care) to manually winch a vehicle. You can also use Lift Mate straps with your Hi-Lift to lift wheels.
Do Exhaust Jacks Work?
Exhaust jacks are are very popular and they do work, especially on sandy ground. They are subject to puncture from thorns, sharp rocks, etc. Models like the ARB X-Jack can lift 4,400 lbs. Like Hi-Lift jacks they’re for vehicle extraction and not for changing tires. We now own a Mean Mother exhaust jack, however aside from trying it out a couple times, we haven’t had to use it yet for recovery.
Tip – You may find that using an onboard air compressor works better for inflating an exhaust jack than the tailpipe.
Off-Road Shovel
The importance of having a good shovel when traveling off-road can’t be overstated. We use our shovel for everything from digging waste holes to getting unstuck. If we could afford one, we’d get one of the versatile DMOS Delta Pro shovels, which can be configured in a number of ways. At over $300 though, we just carry a simple 5′ shovel with a D handle, costing $40. An alternative to the DMOS shovel is the Agency 6 shovel.
USB Power Distribution Hub
For road tripping and overlanding one of the handiest gadgets we found in terms of electronics is a USB power charging hub. These handy hubs are very useful in situations like ours, where we carry two phones, a drone, GoPro, USB chargeable headlamps, GMRS walkie-talkies, dog GPS collar, LED collars and rechargeable fans, all competing for charger space. Our USB hub has four USB C 4 amp outlets and two 2.4 amp outlets and plugs into a cigarette lighter/accessory plug. We mounted our just beneath the dash and actually hardwired it in for convenient charging.
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Off-Road Guides
Having a good paper map and guidebook for the area you’re off-roading in is highly recommended. Paper maps and guidebooks don’t need a signal or batteries to work. Books like the Guide to Arizona Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, and Guide to Northern Colorado Backroads and 4×4 Trails by Charles A. Wells and Matt Peterson, can come in very handy. You may also want to take a look at our article How to Choose Off-Road Trails by Difficulty Level for more info on guides and apps for that purpose.
Other useful items to carry when traveling off-road include a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, tire plugging kit (also a Gluetread kit for sidewall repair), gas or electric chainsaw and a fully stocked toolkit with socket wrenches, etc.
We hope our list of overland gear and gadgets is helpful. If any of the gear mentioned above fails on us, or we have other issues, we’ll be sure to update these recommendations.
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