Overlanding “light” words of wisdom needed

[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.
I would love to equip my gladiator for overlanding “light”. In other words- weekend camping trips at campsites and groomed trails. Tailgating. Handle mud/snow/beach but likely not bouldering.
What equipment and words of wisdom do I need to accomplish this??
I would like to try and keep the jeep as stock as can be.

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[Jcsii]

Recovery gear: shovel, tow strap, etc, heavy duty come-a-long (cheaper than winch), First aid kit.
Learn how to use a gps app on your phone to navigate without a cell signal.
Spare gas
Take you just about anywhere

 

[Jcsii]

try and find a set of rubicon take off wheels and tires if you have the stock street tires. Look for the a/t not m/t tires.

 

[DLAW]

The Overland has HT tires. You will be fine to occasionally get on dirt roads and gravel. If you want to truly "off road" and get into situations where you may need to "air down", then I would suggest the Rubicon Take Offs ATs, like Jcsii mentioned. But that all depends on how rough the terrain is. State parks is easy enough for a sedan, let alone a stock Gladiator Overland.
So then taking this a step further, let's say you are really off roading it, then you might want all the recovery options too.
You can definitely air down your HT tires, but you can't go as low as you can with Rubicon's ATs. When you get on a dirt road or beach, you want to air down. HTs with your 18" wheels, I'd say 20 to 25 PSI. In contrast, my Rubicon suggestion would be 15 to 20 PSI. This gives tremendously more off road capabilities. Hard tires slip more on everything.

Now that you've aired down, you need to air back up, right? So get a portable air compressor is a must. The cigarette lighter kind is fine for your situation.

A piece of 2x6 pressure treated would be a decent recovery board if nothing else. I've seen people rough the board up with 1/8" deep cuts, just to give more traction. On the high end, a pair of really good recovery boards like "maxtrax" will run you $300. I suggest the cheapest DIY board, or maxtrax. Anything in between is a waste of money in my opinion, because if you spent $100 on cheap plastic from china, there is good chance it fails on you when you need it most and there goes your money. But you might have lumber already laying around somewhere. Use it!

A military style folding shovel is good. Again, this is emergency situations you will hope to never be in. The shovel is used to dig the board under your tires, and a few other uses.

I like having a snatch trap (or kinetic recovery strap). Different than a tow strap. You MUST get a thorough education on this before buying and using. The difference in how to use is night and day. A Ford Focus can pull you out with a snatch strap. It's like a hardcore rubberband. Great if you are traveling with another vehicle. A tow strap is just that....good for towing a dead vehicle. To use a tow strap to pull someone out of the mud or a hole is a lot harder.

So those 3, board, shovel, strap is sometimes legally required in situations like the beach and you can be fined without them.


If you are traveling alone (vehicle), I like the come along idea, if not a winch.

I can go on and on and on....but honestly your question is so broad, you need to just browse youtube for awhile and then ask some more specific questions when they come up.

Glad to help through. Congrats on the Gladiator. I've been all smiles since getting mine.

 

[jtimbrook]

Overlanding “light”, sure essentials would be something to sleep in so tent, sleeping bag, and pad. Eating so campstove or burner, a pot or pan, cooler, food and beverages. Navigation so your phone with GPS but also a compass and map for where you’re heading. Fire always bring 2-3 ways to build a fire. A good first-aid kit. Clothing layers for weather conditions. Check out REI as they have an excellent essentials checklist and also on YouTube with their outdoor rep Miranda who has some excellent video’s if you‘re just getting into camping. For the vehicle, a good toolkit, basic recovery gear, and extra lighting like a headlamp and you can tackle quite a bit tbh... more importantly, go have fun creating new experiences!

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