Overlanding “light” how to

[ian.miller]

Howdy guys and gals

Some questions form a man who knows nothing.
I just got a 2021 sport s max tow gladiator. I have zero experience off roading/overlanding.

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[Shackleton]

Me neither. Welcome and congratulations

 

[Mark Doiron]

Howdy guys and gals
Some questions form a man who knows nothing.
I just got a 2021 sport s max tow gladiator. I have zero experience off roading/overlanding.

Me neither. Welcome and congratulations

That covers a lot of ground. A couple years back I drove the western half of the TransAmerica Trail( which also covers a lot of ground, LOL). I put together a ten part series of videos about the trip. After each part, I have what I call a Studio Chat, each one covering a different aspect of overlanding ... how I do it, what mods I have, etc. You may find those videos informative. Here are what they cover, and the time stamp to skip to for each Studio Chat (saving you time by bypassing the actual driving part of each video) ...

Part 1, 13:36. Mapping, the products we use in the field, and what we use to process routes and maps before a trip.

Part 2, 15:55. Camera gear used in the field.

Part 3, 13:30. Photo and video editing hardware and software I use in the field and at home.

Part 4, 13:25. Route planning – How to create a route in Google Maps and make it suitable for use in Backcountry Navigator.

Part 5, 12:20. Communications gear.

Part 6, 14:41. Electrical system modifications to my Jeep.

Part 7, 13:50. How I use the Nexus 7 Android tablet in my Jeep.

Part 8, 14:58. Modifications I’ve done to my Jeep. (Note that communications gear, electrical mods and camp life are addressed separately).

Part 9, 14:18. Camp life.

Part 10, 19:10. Tools and recovery gear I use.

Note that after later video series I've added similar Studio Chats that update the info provided in those first ten. I don't have direct links for them, and they cover a lot of ground, mostly depending on what came up since the previous Studio Chat.

If any of those subjects interest you, here is the link to the teaser video in the TransAmerica Trail playlist. I apologize for that, but it appears that I can't share a direct link to the playlist description. That link keeps popping up with this teaser. Not sure why. It may be the way this website automatically parses the link, or maybe YouTube is getting fussy. Anyway, click the YouTube symbol on the video as it's playing and from there you should have no trouble finding any videos that interest you ...

 

[KurtP]

1-basic camping gear that suits your comfort. Tent/bags/chair/table/awning/cooking/water. I prefer plastic totes to drawer systems, but i daily my truck when not traveling and like light.

2-
basic recovery gear and tools. Maxtrax, snatch strap, a good jack, wrenches/socket set etc. know how to plug a tire.

3-
good mapping. Ipad/tablet based or paper depending on your navigation skills. It can still be easy to get lost in a couple parts of the Us without basic map reading

4-
do pre-trip planning. Know how to get where youre going, know where you are At all times, know where medical services are And how to get there.

5-
have a communications plan. People who know where you are and when to expect to hear from you. Ham radio license or sat phone or spot or all.

6-
basic medical. Trauma kit and know how to use it, how to splint, how to identify shock and dehydration. Have a basic med kit with some anti inflammatory, pain killers, and antihistamines and know what to use when. Carry 2x the water you think you need, especially at first.

7-
Train the driver before you build the truck. Take an off road driving class or two and learn a few tricks that keep you from getting stuck. Lots of off roaders -especially jeep owners- buy the jeep and drop $15,000 on bumpers winches and lift and pretty wheels and big tires; and end up way over their head and in a bad way real fast. Its the indian, not the arrow. You can do the majority of north america in a stock jeep If you can drive well. (Just mho- Make big tires and lift THE LAST thing you do to your truck after you have a sense of what you actually need add what your abilities are, so you dont buy twice. I do like a steel bumper early for animal strikes. )

8-
dont wait! Get out there and have fun. Expeditionportal.com is a *great resource* with a great membership that will help. Too many people wait for the perfect time and the perfect build before going. This is the wrong answer. The world is a cool place!

 

[WhatExit?]

Off roading:

1. Get out there and drive your Jeep in the dirt - on a fire trail, etc., somewhere where you can learn how to put the Gladiator in 4WD Hi and Low and use the other features. Get comfortable with it.

2. Get out there with someone else in their Jeep or truck and see first-hand what it's like to go off road on something more challenging than a dirt road.

3. Read/watch - there are tons of videos on off roading basics and camping

You might like this re: camping with the Gladiator:
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/camping-overlanding-with-the-gladiator.38736/

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