Overlanding is one of the most popular and fastest growing segments of off-roading right now. The allure of exploring remote areas taking in incredible scenic views all while travelling off-road has helped the niche explode in popularity. The aftermarket parts and accessories world has taken note and a host of incredibly smart and useful accessories have come out over the past few years that solve, problems making life on the road easier or are just plain cool. Whether you are a weekend warrior exploring the best trails around your home or off on a multi-country, multi-year adventure there are some accessories that just about everyone should have. Of course the recommendations are general and your specific vehicle or setup may be different.
Roof Rack
Whether you plan to run a rooftop tent or just want to take the most advantage of your space by storing gear on the roof of your Jeep a Roof Rack is exactly what you need! Roof racks allow you to securely store gear on top of your rig which saves space and allows you to customize your setup for your adventures. A rack makes the perfect platform for mounting things like storage boxes, recovery equipment, light bars, water storage and much more. There are a lot of great racks on the market and we have been running the Gobi rack for awhile and absolutely love it!
Roof Top Tent
Roof Top Tents provide four key benefits that any Overlander can benefit from.
Comfortable Sleeping Platform:
First they provide an excellent sleeping platform. Most quality brands come equipped with a comfortable mat that will allow you to sleep well after a day out on the trail. Driving for hours each day can be fatiguing and having a bed that provides the best sleep possible is essential to the feasibility of long term travel and make short weekend trips much more enjoyable and likely to happen again.
Versatile Sleeping Platform:
Not all campsites are created equal, and some of the very best views do not have the best sleeping pads. Large rocks, logs or uneven ground can make sleeping in a ground tent less than ideal. Because the RTT is on your rig you can park and camp straddling big rocks and other obstacles. It offers the flexibility to camp just about anywhere you can park.
Protection From The Elements
While a rooftop tent doesn’t necessarily provide better wind or water protection from a standard tent the fact that they are mounted on your rig and off the ground can help provide some solid benefits a regular tent doesn’t. When the weather turns sour and rain or snow starts to fall having your sleeping platform off of the ground is idea. You no longer have to worry about trenching around your ground tent at night or sleeping in a pool of water. While putting a tent up high might make it catch a bit more wind having a solid mounting surface means you are not jumping out in the middle of the night trying to hammer stakes in.
Vital Storage
With space being one of your most precious resources rooftop tents can help store some of your bulkiest gear. Sleeping pads, bags and pillows take up a lot of space in the rig. However the ability to lay them flat and fold them up inside of a rooftop tent saves space and makes setting your bed up each night just that much easier.
Storage: A place for everything and everything in its place
Living out of any rig full-time puts space at an all time premium which means storage that is smart and creative is very important, especially in a Jeep which has even less internal storage than other SUVs due to the roll cage. We believe that storage can be split into three main areas. Gear, Water and Fuel so lets take a look at some of the best storage systems for each.
Gear
Roll Cage Racks:
When you start piling gear into your Jeep it tends to pyramid the higher you stack due to lack of stability. Adding a Roll Cage Rack can help add a platform midway up your rig to store gear. This is critical for getting roll bar to roll bar width all the way up to the roof of your Jeep. Couple a rack with some nice Wolfpack storage boxes from Front Runner Outfitters and you have an excellent system for storing gear, food and other equipment.
Interior Storage Bags
Interior storage bags could probably be an entire article on their own, but to keep things fairly short we have featured our three favorite internal storage bags.
Rear Tailgate Storage bags
Tailgate bags conveniently mount on the swinging tailgate of the Jeep making them easy access for carrying gear. These are perfect for items that you use a lot or need quick access to. They are easy to install and fairly inexpensive.
Roll Cage Bags
The fact is your roll cage takes up important storage space within the rig. Strapping on a roll cage bag wins back some of that space. They are great for tow straps, first aid kits and other hard to pack items, that you do not need very often but want quick access too when needed.
JKU Attic
This storage net is technically not a bag but it hangs between your roll cage helping make use of that space that often goes completely wasted. It’s perfect for putting items you grab all of the time like Jackets, sweatshirts and other gear.
Drawers and Plate Systems
If you are looking to take your storage system to the next level there are several manufacturers who have created ingenious plate and drawer systems that level out the floor, allow you to remove seats and attach seamless drawer systems that are perfect for carrying gear and housing fridge units.
Under Seat Storage
Under seat storage solutions provide seamless safe storage solutions that better utilize the space and are easier to use the space without it. Keep your valuables and gear safe with creative under seat storage solutions for your Jeep.
Water
Travelling long distances across remote areas requires attention to detail and keeping hydrated should be at the top of the list. Depending on the location and route how much water you need to be able to carry can vary greatly. No solution is perfect for everyone but once you understand your needs you can start looking for storage solutions that will work. Whether you want a simple plastic can you can throw in your rig or a full blown water purification system you have options. We highly recommend the Rotopax water storage system. They can mount using Rotopax easy to use mounting systems to just about any flat surface including your rear tire swing-out or your roof rack.
Fuel
Just like you need water your Jeep needs fuel to keep it running. Carrying a few extra gallons can make a big impact on how far you can safely travel in remote areas. Additionally you can add large built in extra capacity tanks for extremely remote travel. Dan Grec an overlander currently circumnavigating Africa uses the Titan tank that mounts to the rear swing-out to help him make it from village to village.
Lift Kit
Some of the best overland travel will take you on remote rugged tracks where having increased clearance and a softer ride will make a huge difference. Like all accessories how you plan to use your Jeep will help you determine what height of lift you want. Generally a 2.5 to 3.5 inch lift is recommended, allowing enough clearance for most trails without compromising on road performance.
Communication Devices:
Being off grid is one of the best things about overland travel. However having the ability to keep family and loved ones up to date and having the ability to get in touch with emergency services in case of an emergency is a must.
Like all overlanding equipment how you plan to use it and where your adventures are taking you will depend on what you need to carry with you. We have broken up this section into three categories.
1. Two Way Radios and CBs: If you are often traveling with other rigs and being able to communicate with them while on the trail is the most important thing you will need to do a simple two way radio or built CB will be all that you need. They will help you keep together if traveling in large groups and guide each other through technical sections when having a spotter is required. Typical range is only a few miles and that is without obstruction. While these are great for organization and every day use, they are not well suited for emergency communications as they just do not have the range.
2. HAM Radio: HAM radios are exceptionally popular for overland travel because they offer the flexibility and easy of use that the Two Way Radio and CB systems offer but also have the ability to utilize repeaters to transmit signal extremely long distances. This makes them a great solution for both weekend trips and long term adventure travel. The only real downside to using a HAM radio is that you must be licensees to use one which means the barrier to entry is harder than the other two options.
3. Satellite Communicators: Technology has transformed our ability to communicate including when in extremely remote places. Depending on your budget you can pickup a full blown satellite phone that can make phone calls, access the internet and text from anywhere. However for those looking for a more budget friendly option devices like the Delorme Inreach which allows users to send texts and send private secure location updates. In addition to being able to send texts from anywhere the Delorme Inreach has the ability to send an emergency distress signal calling in emergency services in case you get stranded handing off of the death road.
Get Out There
While there are thousands of accessories you can add to your Jeep for overlanding, the most important thing to do is get out there and start exploring. As you explore you will learn which accessories you need and which ones you can pass up. What Jeep accessories do you feel are essential for overlanding?