Overland Gear Guide: 12 Overland Essentials We Won’t Leave Home Without

Since publishing our Land Cruiser Troopy Camper Conversion 4-Part series, we’ve received questions regarding what we consider to be essential overlanding gear. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite items that we use heavily. To be clear, this isn’t a complete packing list. Nor is it a guide to winches, bull bars, or other vehicle-specific kit. Rather, it’s a short-list of heavily used items we love. Items we’ve come to view as overland essentials - like our Eno hammock and trusty Hyperlite packs, which enhance livability, make life on the road a little easier and transform our Land Cruiser into a comfortable home.

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Our Favorite Overland Essentials for Living on the Road

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Frontrunner Expander Camp Chairs

'We finally found a chair that's as packable as it is comfortable & easy to setup/stow away'

I can't underscore the importance of a good camp chair enough. As we often say, a comfortable chair makes for a comfortable camp. Over the years, we’ve tried numerous shapes and sizes ranging from ultra-minimalist to ultra-extravagant. All have strengths and weaknesses and finding a chair that strikes the right balance between comfort, ease of setup, versatility, durability, and packability can be a challenge.

On the one end of the spectrum, sturdy folding chairs that stow in a bag, like the ones we used on past overland trips, can be comfortable and - notwithstanding the flimsy storage bags with failure-prone zippers - durable, and easy to set up. However, most models we’ve tried are a little too relaxed for sitting upright at a table and can be awkward/cumbersome to store as they’re usually too long to fit inside vehicle storage compartments.

On the other end, there are minimalist designs like the Helinox Camping Chair we currently use for motorcycle and bicycle travel. The best chairs in this category are light, packable, and comfortable - to an extent. But for extended overlanding in larger vehicles, these chairs generally fall short of the comfort, durability, and versatility we desire.

We’re currently using Front Runner Expander Camp Chairs by Front Runner Outfitters. Among the myriad camp chairs available, the Front Runner Expander Camp Chair stands at the top of our list for overlanding by achieving that coveted combination of ease of setup, comfort, versatility, durability, and packability.

Ease of Setup
With a little practice, setting up / stowing the Front Runner chair is lightning quick. We’ve got the whole thing down to a few seconds from opening the rear cargo doors to planting butts-in-seats.

Comfort / Versatility
The Front Runner is comfortable enough to spend an afternoon relaxing with a good book, but not so relaxed that you can’t sit upright at a table for a meal or laptop work.

Packability
This is a real selling point for the Front Runner Chair as the folded size is a very packable 2.4”x 17.5” x 16.4.” The photo above shows the storage compartment we built into our Land Cruiser to accommodate two chairs. It’s a tidy and easy to access solution that exceeds any bag-style folding chair we’ve used in the past.

Durability
So far, our Front Runner chairs have proven durable through 1/ ½ years of travel through Africa and South America. The metal frame seems robust and the director chair design should make repair/replacement of torn fabric relatively easy.

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Want to learn more? Read our full Front Runner chair review here

 

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 Hyperlite Mountain Gear Backpacks

'Ultralight, ultra packable, & water resistant, our Hyperlite packs go everywhere from quick runs to the shop to multi-day hikes'

If you’re following us on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed the white backpacks that regularly appear in photos. That’s because our Cuben Fiber (Dyneema) Hyperlite bags accompany us everywhere – on every trip, whether backpacking, overlanding, bikepacking, adventure motorcycle touring, or just hopping a plane to visit friends and family. Ultralight, highly packable, durable, and water-resistant, our Hyperlite Metro Packs have become our go-to bag for everything from grocery store runs, to day hikes, to hauling laptops, cameras, passports, etc. around town. When in use, they’re a versatile 30L carry-all. When not, they pack down small enough to warrant carrying them on any trip. Short of our underwear, our Metro Packs may be our most used pieces of gear.

Traveling overland in our Land Cruiser, we carry two Metro Packs as well as a larger 2400 series Windrider (Sheri) and Porter  (Jim) packs. The Metro Packs get the call for daily use, while the 2400 series packs are reserved for multi-day hikes and extended trips away from our Troopy. Collectively, it’s a highly versatile backpack option that covers the vast majority of our needs without the weight/storage penalty we’ve suffered carrying larger and heavier hiking packs in the past. Together, they’re the perfect solution for extended overland travel, while the Metro Packs alone do an excellent job of fulfilling our basic backpack requirements on trips where storage space is more limited.

Want to read about other options for ultralight and lightweight packable backpacks? Click here to read our 2019 Buying Guide, with information on what to look for in a packable backpack and a detailed overview of the best backpacks available to help you decide which best suits your needs.

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Click here for latest Porter pack price and reviews

Click here for latest Windrider pack price and reviews
 

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Hydroflask and Platypus Water Bottles

'Simple pleasures like cold drinking water makes long months in tropical climates more enjoyable'

One of the reasons we travel with a refrigerator is the simple pleasure of having cold drinking water on hot days. In the past, we carried four 1L Nalgene bottles. Two bottles with warm water would go into the fridge and two cold bottles would come out for drinking. This system was far from perfect, as storing two big Nalgene bottles in the fridge took up valuable cold storage real estate, and on hot days water didn’t stay cool long once out of the fridge.

Today, we’ve got a much better system that consists of two 1L insulated Hydroflasks and two 1L Platypus bags. While it's basic overlanding gear, it adds a lot to our comfort on hot days. Similar to before, the Platypus bags go into the fridge for cooling, and the insulated Hydroflask bottles keep the water cool for drinking. No more issues with water going from cold to boiling hot once out of the fridge, and there are fewer cold storage real estate issues as soft plastic Platypus bags mold better to fit available fridge space. Plus, Platypus bags take up virtually no room when empty.

Our Hydroflasks do an equally good job of keeping liquids hot which makes carrying warm tea, coffee, etc. on cold days less of a chore.

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Click here for latest Platypus price and review

 

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LED Fairy Lights

'Simple LED Fairy lights add warmth and make our Land Cruiser Troopy feel like home'

It’s ironic that a string of inexpensive fairy lights would make our favorites list given the amount of thought and money we invested in a fully integrated LED lighting system for our Troopy. But I think of it this way. Our integrated LED’s are like the lights in a house, and our fairy lights are like using candles to soften the mood. We’re using a simple set of USB powered warm LED’s that we installed along the interior of our Troopy. They’re so tiny that when off, you don’t notice them. They’re simple, cheap, and use little power, yet they add that subtle touch of warmth that makes our Land Cruiser feel like home. It’s funny, but over the past 1.5 years traveling in our Troopy, they’re one of the things visitors comment on most and a piece of overlanding gear we’ve come to view as essential overland kit.

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Hella Turbo 12v Fan

'Our 12v fan got us through many long sweltering nights in places like Zimbabwe and the Amazon' 

When we set off for Africa back in 2005, we failed to pack a 12V fan. It was an oversight that resulted in much suffering as we crossed the Sahara in May where temps topped 120 degrees. It was a painful omission as there’s nothing worse than trying to sleep in a tent through sweltering heat and humidity.

Fortunately, a friend gave us his 12V fan in the Gambia, and it quickly became one of those ‘can’t live without it’ overlanding essentials we’ve traveled with ever since. Currently, we’re carrying one Hella Turbo 12v Fan like the ones often found in cruising sailboats traveling through the tropics. Simple, robust, and energy efficient, it’s the one overland accessory that’s kept us sane during long hot months in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, and the rainforests of Brazil and the Guianas. If you have any plans to travel to hot climates, you should strongly consider adding this to your overland gear list.

Tip: Rather than mount our fan, we added a magnet to the base, which allows us to quickly move the fan into the most effective position. Just stick to the side of the vehicles steel walls and plug into the nearest 12v outlet. Also, we’re considering adding a second fan for additional cooling during periods of prolonged travel in hot regions of the world. When traveling in extreme heat, more fans are always welcome.

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Fenix 4200 Lumen LED Handheld Spotlight

'Gone are our Hella driving lights, replaced by more versatile LED spotlight & HID bulbs' 

When we outfitted our 80 Series Land Cruiser for our first Africa overland trip, we fitted powerful Hella spotlights to ensure we had ample light to safely negotiate African roads, should we find ourselves driving at night. To be sure, our Hella spots were bright and effective. But, for safety reasons, we rarely drove at night, which meant our Hella lights were expensive and seldom used.

Today, we take a different approach. Rather than mounting spotlights to the front of our current Land Cruiser, we replaced our stock Toyota headlights with HID bulbs and added an exceedingly small but powerful rechargeable 4,200-lumen LED spotlight that we now consider an expedition essential. For 98% of our night drives, the HID headlights offer plenty of light. For the other 2% - say getting caught out at night trying to find a safe bush camp in some remote place – our 'brighter than the sun' handheld LED offers a flexible source of light that can be aimed in any direction. Problem solved.

But that’s not why the LED Spotlight made our favorites list. What we love so much about this little light is that it’s as bright as the Hella spotlights we had mounted on our previous Land Cruiser, but much more versatile. In practice, we use it all the time. With a range of settings that adjust brightness, flashing modes, and light color, it’s received regular use though Africa and South America for everything from nighttime toilet runs to wildlife spotting. When combined with HID bulbs, it’s a highly effective, mobile, and versatile solution to a wide range of lighting requirements that extends far beyond safely driving at night.

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Eno Singlenest Hammock

'Who doesn’t want to laze away afternoons on a palm-fringed beach or remote patch of African bush?'

The opportunity to laze away an afternoon on some pristine stretch of beach or mountain or patch of African bush is part of the allure of overland travel and why we love our Land Cruiser. Since the start of our first overland trip back in 2005, we’ve carried a hammock. It’s our go-to whenever we’re looking for a little R&R after a long day on the road. Currently, we have an Eno Singlenest with a set of Eno Atlas Hammock Straps. Weighing in at around 2lbs for the hammock and straps, the whole package packs small for easy storage and deploys quickly. Often, we’ll merely attach one strap to our Land Cruiser’s bull bar and the other to a tree or anything else that’s strong enough to carry the weight. It’s an overland gear essential that we can’t imagine living without.

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Primus Campfire Stainless Steel Cookset

'Our Primus cookset strikes that coveted balance between packability & usefulness in the kitchen'

In our quest to find a cookset that’s large enough to cook for two hungry adults, small enough to pack efficiently into limited storage space, durable enough for use on a multi-year trip, and versatile enough to actually cook a proper meal, we’ve owned about as many cooksets as we have stoves. And like our stove, I think we’ve finally found a setup that strikes a near-perfect balance for extended overland travel in our Land Cruiser. The Primus Campfire Cookset ticks all the right boxes:

• With 2 large pots (1x3L & 1x1.8L) and an 8” frypan, the Primus Campfire Cookset is large enough to feed two adults without leaving anyone (read: Jim) hungry
• A functional nesting configuration consolidates everything into a reasonably small space that’s easy to store in one of our drawers
• Robust stainless-steel design is holding up well after 1.5 years of heavy use with no non-stick coating to wear off like past sets we’ve owned
• With pots and a frypan that are big enough for more than just minimalist camp fare, and features like a strainer lid and pot handle designed for cooking on an open flame, it’s a usable setup that’s big enough to get beyond minimalist camp cooking.

All in all, it’s a nice compromise between size, weight, and function that works well for travel in vehicles like our Land Cruiser, where size matters but not so much that it trumps all else.

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 Apex Low Profile Bean Bag

'Stable, easy to set up & easy to store, the Apex bean bag is our go-to support for photographing wildlife from our Land Cruiser'

Without question, the number one reason we purchased our Troopy was to live, travel, and photograph wildlife in Africa. No matter where we are in the world, part of us is always back in Africa, living amongst elephants, bounding along some dusty bush track in search of lions, leopards, and wild dogs. And when we’re in wild Africa, there are always cameras at the ready and an Apex Low Profile Bean Bag in the window.  While we can't find the Apex Bean Bag in stock, the LensCoat LensSack Pro Camera Bean Bag looks like a replica of ours with equally good reviews. The Bean Bag / Wimberley Gimbal combo has proven a near-perfect support for photographing wildlife with heavy super telephoto lenses. It’s versatile, sturdy, and comparatively inexpensive. Robust enough to support large super telephoto lenses like the Canon 500mm F/4L IS II. Quick to set up and stow away. Easy to move from one window to another. Packs away in a very small space when not in use (just remove the ‘beans’). It’s essential overland equipment when our overland travels take us on safari in wild Africa.

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 Go Pro Video Camera

'Our GoPro is always ready to capture our journey - from water crossings in Botswana, to snowy Patagonian drives, to forays into the Brazilian rainforest'

From the time we took delivery of our new Land Cruiser in Cape Town, our GoPro was ready to record the journey. Mounted to the windscreen using a Go Pro Suction Mount, our GoPro has captured a detailed history of Maggie’s life on the road. It’s how we got footage of our river crossings in Botswana, snowy drives in Patagonia, and forays into the Brazilian rainforest. In many ways, it’s our most valued piece of gear. The tool we use to make a vlog of our overland adventures around the globe.

Here's an example of how we use our GoPro while traveling overland. It's a video we shot of our most recent trip through Southern Africa, which includes first-person driving footage shot with a GoPro mounted to the windscreen.

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Dometic Origo 3000 Marine Alcohol Stove

'Cooking on a simple, reliable, low maintenance stove = fewer camp chores & more time to play'

In the past, we’ve owned a wide range of LGP, alcohol, multi-fuel, and canister stoves including the MSR Whisperlite and Pocket Rocket, Coleman 442 and Bottle Top, Trangia Spirit Burner, and a host of small and large LPG setups. All have advantages and disadvantages – quick boil times, low fuel costs, widely available fuel, etc. For extended travel, alcohol stoves are our choice as they’re simple, reliable, virtually service free, run on widely available (denatured) alcohol, and come in both minimalist/ultralight and multi-burner configurations to suit different travel requirements. In our Land Cruiser, we’re using an adjustable flame 2-burner stainless steel Dometic Origo 3000 marine stove. After 1.5 years of regular use, it’s proven to be a durable, versatile, and low maintenance stove that’s a joy to use - rising to the top as one of our favorite pieces of overland gear/equipment. We recommend that you add this to your overland camp kitchen!

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 Swarovski Binoculars

'From leopards to king penguins and saki monkeys, our binoculars are our ticket to a truly wild show'

As a last-minute afterthought, we bought a  pair of binoculars for our first overland trip back in 2005. They were a simple no-frills pair made by Promaster. 13 years later that same well-worn pair gets used so often they occupy a permanent place just above the passenger seat. In Africa, binoculars are our eyes for spotting everything from leopards to martial eagles. In South America, they’ve proven equally useful for observing everything from Commerson’s dolphins and king penguins to white-faced saki monkeys.

After 13 years of heavy use, our entry-level Promaster’s are begging to be replaced. On our wishlist is a set of the brilliant Swarovski EL 8.5x42. No doubt, they’re a pricey upgrade, but if the past 13 years is any indicator, they’ll be well used!

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• Overland Vehicle Security: 5 Common-Sense Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Theft
• Land Cruiser Troopy Camper Conversion: Part 4 of 4
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