How to Start Overlanding: A Beginner’s Guide to Basics So You Can Start to Overland TODAY

There are other video-guides on how to get started with Overlanding but this one keeps everything easy and really focuses on the bare-minimum basics so that you don't get overwhelmed before you even begin.

Most product and/or service links are affiliate links. I make a small amount of money if you make a purchase with those and I appreciate your support. I do not get paid for phony opinions, my opinions are my own.

Some of the gear I use from Amazon (as an "Amazon Influencer," I earn from qualifying purchases):

👉Connect with me👇

Links from the video:

Cooking:

Freeze-Dried Meals:

Water:

GPS Navigation:

Website Resources:

Satellite Texting Devices:

Leave No Trace:

Outdoors Dish Soap:
All Sea-to-Summit Gear

First Aid (there are alot of great kits out there but here's one for you to check out):

Fire Extinguisher:

Trash Bucket:

The Fridges I Use:

Bluetti Portable Power:

Hood Solar Panel:

Rooftop Tent Solar Panels:

Bluetti Portable Solar Panels:

#vlog #4runner #overland #overlanding #camping #toyota #thegreatoutdoors #carcamping #truckcamping #offroad #4x4 #vlog, #dispersedcamping
vlog, 4runner, overland, overlanding, camping, car camping, truck camping, toyota, the great outdoors, offroad, off road, 4x4, dispersed camping

[gggrunner]

You don't need a bunch of gear or a fancy new 4Runtacomadiatoronco to just go overlanding. Get started TODAY with the basics!

[ChopperChad]

So refreshing to see someone talk about “overlanding” and not spend 5 min discussing tactical knives while fully decked out in 5-11 gear. Also, I spent 20 yrs in the military and you nailed the mission planning mindset. Planning to get in is only 1/3 the planning. Ya also gotta get out and ya got get thru an emergency(unexpected weather, gear/vehicle failure, injury/sickness). Nice!

[Election]

As someone who's interested in starting with overlanding, this vid is really inspiring.
Not busting dreams with "you need a 80k vehicle, and 10k gear!!" Just honest to the point information and advice 🙏

[Don-mdwn]

I did a 2 month overlanding trip in 2019 from the east to the Canadian Rockies and Badlands, Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I did that one with an AWD Lexus RX 350 pulling a little teardrop trailer and could go anywhere I wanted. But when planning a 2 month trip this year to Colorado, Utah and Arizona, there were so many places I wanted to go but couldn't without a legitimate high clearance 4WD vehicle that I bought a 4WD Toyota 4Runner and sold the Lexus and the trailer. I am converting to tent camping (including a collapsible cot because I'm too old to sleep on the ground) and since I'm making the trip on my own and use the 4Runner as my everyday driver, I'm going to keep everything inside the vehicle. No roof rack, external mounts, etc. that I won't need or use 90% of the time, that cost a lot of money, and that will decrease gas mileage and potentially make the inside of the vehicle noisier on the road.

Now that I got rid of the trailer and will have everything inside the vehicle, I can go anywhere the vehicle is capable of going instead of having to leave the trailer somewhere and go back and get it. No backtracking. I can travel point to point and if I see somewhere I want to stop to hike or photograph along the way, I don't have to worry about how much room I need to park and maneuver because of a trailer. I pretty much have all my gear at this point and am going to pack everything like I'm leaving to see if I can create enough space to sleep inside the vehicle when I'm only going to be somewhere for a night or two and don't want to set up the tent. I think I should be able to do it. I have several 3 to 5 night camping trips scheduled for close to home ahead of my big trip so I can see if I'm missing anything important, figure out how to pack the vehicle to quickly access the things I use the most, to get quicker at setting up and breaking down a campsite, etc.

One place where I've gone against what most people do is in the area of cooking. I am not comfortable carrying a propane tank inside my vehicle and am not going to spend the money required to safely mount one outside the vehicle. I'm going with a one burner induction cooktop that I can power with a Jackery. At its peak setting, the induction cooktop will draw a lot more power than the Jackery can put out on a sustained basis. But I've tested the induction cooktop with the Jackery and it does fine up to medium heat, which is good for 90% of my home cooking - pretty much everything other than searing meat. Induction cooking seems to be pretty common for overlanders in Australia based on videos, but I see very few Americans doing it.

I can supplement the induction cooktop by cooking on grills at campsites when fires are allowed. I have a little JetBoil and a couple of small butane canisters like backpackers use so I can quickly make coffee or hot tea without dragging out the portable kitchen and induction cooktop and opening up the back of the vehicle. I've ditched a Yeti cooler for a 45 liter portable refrigerator that has much more effective capacity (since it doesn't have to be 2/3 loaded with ice) and will run off the Jackery, . The Jackery can be recharged via an AC outlet in the vehicle in a couple of hours and it can power the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Thanks for taking the time to make your videos. Yours and others like them have helped me look at different approaches and figure out what gear I need to overland the way I want to do it. If we don't have another Covid outbreak and my health stays good, I plan to spend a couple of months a year taking overlanding trips; it will be 2 season stuff where I can get mostly reasonable temperatures based on where I'm going. I'm not going to hike in 100 degree temperatures and if it's 20 degrees and snowing I'm going to be in a hotel, not a tent. I may do some winter trips where I stay in a centrally located hotel or cabin or two for a month and leave most of the overlanding gear at home.

Also, I appreciate your videos on dealing with depression. I went through a very rough 2 year period with debilitating depression, in large part due to health issues, but I have been clear of it for over 10 years now. Keep plugging and ask for help when you need it, and hopefully it will lift for you like it did for me.

[meanderingmakeroutdoor]

This video makes me so happy. Best “start overlanding” video that has literally ever been created or will ever be created. Ever. Simple, but crazy informative with practical tips and info, and friggin hilarious. And as a many many years overlander and bushcrafter I fully admit that feed container had never occurred to me 🤯

[msh]

Overlanding 101! LIVE IT!!! Just getting started, and finally someone who understands the NewB!!!

[KDRoby]

The is the first video I have found with actual useful and practical information.

[apolotorales]

The way that you explain, made me feel calm! Thanks for sharing!

[LWRC]

Very refreshing to see a video so packed full of information! A lot of channels just dribble on for 10 minutes without saying anything of value!! Great job and well done!!!

[johnbehneman]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! BACK TO BASICS FOR OVERLANDING. START SMALL THEN GROW FROM THERE.

[williamlee]

Hey, I use a Zodi Extreme as my hot shower. Water gets hot by placing the entire fire extinguisher looking unit over a fire of the stove. It has colored decals similar to what is used on fish tanks to display temps. It's mechanically pressurized so you can have a pressure shower. Not many overlanders know about this. Such a great device. No complicated set ups from the on demand hot water units.

[chadputnam]

I’m from Redding, CA so true NorCal. There are actually a lot of opportunities for campfire cooking in California, but it depends on the time of year. I just went last weekend and had a great time cooking over the campfire. From about mid July through Sep, you can depend on fire restrictions. Outside those times, you can totally enjoy campfire cooking. Just check with the ranger district or BLM office you’re planning on adventuring in to get current fire restrictions - and make sure to obtain a campfire permit!

[WhisperDude]

Loved the “pick-a-nic” basket reference. Absolutely fantastic video. Thanks for the quick, concise, and detailed information!

[KDNels]

KISS, you hit it on the spot. Don't make it difficult. Excellent video to keep this form of traveling in perspective.

[davidoomens]

Wow - what an amazing video and I very much love your humor! You spoke like a normal person, not down to someone who just wants to get started. I just started getting interested in overloading for me and my family and you really helped with answering all but one question. The only question I had was how to connect with others on trails or guides.

[ClaireDrawe]

So thankful to find someone who includes more people in the description.

[bradsimpson]

13:00 - Thank you for mentioning training. There are far too many people who buy a first-aid kit(usually the cheapest one they can find), but have no idea how to apply it. You can take a one-day basic first-aid course on a weekend for pretty reasonable prices. You don't need to be a seasoned paramedic(although it doesn't hurt), but taking a wilderness first-aid course is a worthy investment.

Really, any time you buy a piece of gear, you should consider the training required to use it. I took a winch and recovery course, and in eight hours, I learned an unbelievable amount of stuff. Training is just as important as gear, and often more so. Remember, a lot of places won't have signal to let you watch a YouTube tutorial.

[mattdarbro]

Rule #01 You can never pack enough water and I'd like to add buy a PLB and register immediately. Emergency signal is picked up by at least 36 participating countries and within about a minute. Kind of like 4WD, you may never use it, but when you need it....heck ya!!!

[jackchivvis]

As an old river rafter (now more on land) I have been using different fire pans for many years and have come up with a great, inexpensive system that I now use when taking our trailer out boondocking. Lots of (now called fire pits) fancy, trick, folding units hitting the market and that's good to see more folks using them instead of nasty rock fire rings but there is a very simple compact way that I show in my vids. The advantages are many and to "leave no trace" is just a bonus.

[RootedInThePastWoodworking]

Hey man 👋 I just watched your video for the first time and I'm loving it. I've had my Jeep JKU for a few years, and I'm a huge camping fan. Well...overlanding it is! I'm digging your information and I love your sense of humor. THANK YOU!!!