Contrary to what most people think, there is a huge difference between traditional camping/ backpacking and overland camping. Unlike the former, which requires you to have your tent set up on a strategic campsite, Overlanding, on the other hand, requires you to use your car as the campsite. Everything you need during this expedition will be in the car, while others might be attached to the car rig. You will even sleep inside your car!
At some point, you may have come across vehicles with off-road capabilities, such as Jeeps, SUVs, Motorbikes, etc. Just know that they are going Overlanding. Overlanding typically combines both camping and off-roading into one. Overlanding focuses on self-sufficient travel rather than the ruggedness of searching for new or pre-existing destinations. In short, while traditional camping focuses primarily on exploration and discovery of new places, Overlanding, on the other hand, focuses on self-sufficiency while traveling.
However, one tricky thing about Overlanding is that you typically need to prepare two gears for your backcountry camping and road travel activities – the two activities utilize different gears. In selecting the gears you need, there is a big chance that you may or may not know the ones to pick.
Things to keep in mind when choosing Overlanding gear
Before we list and explain some of the essential gears you need for overland camping, you need to understand some things before choosing your Overlanding gears.
- Durability: Just as the name implies, your Overlanding gear must be durable to handle efficiency, whatever it is you need it for.
- Price: You may not know this, but your Overlanding gears don’t have to be expensive, nor do they need to be the latest tech. The popular belief that “when an item is expensive, it is automatically the best” doesn’t apply here.
- Multiple gears: The last thing you need to consider when selecting an Overlanding gear is to check whether it can serve multi-purpose.
Basic Overland Camping Gear
Shelter Gear
Appearing first on this list is your shelter gear. For obvious reasons, you can’t camp without shelter. When it comes to Overlanding, you don’t necessarily need to invest in a tent or something to sleep in. Instead, your car can be a great place to sleep. Just roll up your car window and enjoy the night in your car. And if you are not comfortable sleeping in your car, you should rent a rooftop tent. Rooftop tents are mounted on top of your car. After reaching a new destination, you climb up there with a ladder and sleep. You can also place it anywhere you want. It goes without saying that Rooftop tents are becoming increasingly popular in recent years simply because of how convenient it is and how easy it is to set up. One disadvantage (or slight disappointment) about rooftop tents is that they are sometimes Expensive. Nonetheless, they are great for your overland camping expedition. Other shelter gears you should take with you include your sleeping gear, which usually comprises your sleeping bags, chairs, and table for convenience, and some lighting equipment such as torchlight, lanterns, headlights, etc.
Overland Kitchen And Pantry Gear
This is almost as important as your sleeping gear because you will obviously need food and water as a human being. And since Manna won’t fall from heaven for you to feed on like the Israelites, it becomes an absolute necessity to have your kitchen and pantry gear ready before you embark on your journey. Part of overland Kitchen gear includes food and water for your day-to-day survival. Also, you need to have some water and food storage. This can be a simple plastic container, grocery bag, cooler, or bag of ice (for cold drinks and food as long as the journey is short). But if the journey is long, you should invest in a thick-walled cooler).
And for your water storage, get yourself a large water container such as a plastic Jerry can and fill it with water. Remember that whichever water container you use will be determined by your situation and your preference. The main thing is to use a container that can hold your water safely. You can invest in an overland camp stove for your food preparation gear. And if you want to save money, you can use cookware from your home kitchen. That works equally great too.
So after cooking and eating, you’ll want to wash your wash, and that’s where your washing gear comes on. The ideal washing gear you should get is a collapsible vinyl sink or plastic Tupperware.
Camping Toilet Gear
For camp showers, unless you are in a place where you can swim, you should try to get a portable shower tent. Aside from the convenience it brings, it also gives some privacy to you while showering. And if you can not buy a shower tent, the primary source would be to use a jug of water and dump it over your head.
However, for your camping toilet, the simplest and most effective thing is to dig a small hole and use it for all your waste, or you can bring a toilet with you (not the ideal solution).
Overland Navigation Equipment
While Overlanding, the worst thing that can ever happen to you is to get lost. You are probably in a location where no one can see or find you; you will need some navigation equipment to find your way out if you ever get lost. While a modern electronic GPS-enabled navigation device is a good pick, you can also take a paper map with you. Talk about doing it the old way. You can also take a guidebook along with you. A guidebook will over more insight into wherever you are… things that the map or GPS won’t show you.
Overlanding can be just as fun as regular camping, provided you have the right gear and equipment; one essential gear you will need for your Overlanding is a rooftop tent. Therefore, if you are ever in the market for a rooftop tent, don’t hesitate to contact your Vancouver Island Rooftop tents seller for all your camping needs.
