Want to go on a vehicle-based adventure this fall? Here’s where to head, what vehicle to take, and how to stay safe and comfortable while you’re out there.

What’s Overlanding?

We’ve previously defined it as “backpacking out of a vehicle.” That is to say: you’ll be going on an adventure through remote places and relying on the gear you carry with you. you’ll be able to travel much farther, and it’ll be a lot easier to bring items like good food, quality booze, and a comfortable sleep system and shelter along.

What makes overlanding different from simply going off-road, or taking a car-camping trip, is the emphasis on travel over exploring the technical limits of your vehicle. An ideal overlanding trip should involve exploring new places.

What’s new and exciting for you will be different from what’s new and exciting, or even possible, for others. The key here is to get out of your comfort zone and test yourself within the realm of your other interests, your tolerance for risk or discomfort, your level of experience, and the capabilities of your vehicle and other gear.

What Vehicle Do I Need?

Even if you drive a Toyota Prius or a Subaru Outback, there are plenty of remote places you can visit. Besides, cars like those will make the highway miles go by much easier than any 4×4 ever will. As long as you’re on good tires and the weather conditions aren’t extreme, exploring smoother Forest Service roads or paved ones through the middle of nowhere will still turn up plenty of awesome views and neat spots to camp.

But too many options, which one is best for you?

Pickup ,SUV ,Wagon,or Van

Where Should I Go?

Just search your arrouding places, in North America, thousands of camping places you can choose from, As a Texan, I would love to camping nearby first, Here is 9 camping spots in Hill County, if you go further, you can always use  apps like: Ioverlander, The Dyrt, FreeRoam, Overland bound one. 

Overlanding doesn’t necessarily mean you need to drive a Jeep up a vertical rock wall to find a spot to camp. Not only do our country’s 985 million acres of public lands offer ample travel routes, but rural roads through private land (and even foreign countries) combine to provide nearly limitless possibilities for the adventurous traveler.

Camping Gear

• This is my own solar-powered fridge-freezer setup, which is capable of running constantly, even without turning your truck on. You don’t need this unless you are extremely serious about eating really nice food weeks away from civilization.
• Kitchen is important, I just bring a propan cooker, With it I’m able to cook in the wilderness as well as I do in my fancy kitchen at home.
• Don’t like sleeping on the ground? If you drive a crossover, a wagon, or an SUV, I recommend Centori Outdoors  Hard Shell r ooftop tent (ONLY $2599).

 

How Do I Stay Safe?

Overlanding lets you travel farther than most other kinds of backcountry recreation. That’s incredible, but it also means you’ll potentially find yourself far from help should something go wrong.

First, learn the limits of your vehicle and the equipment it uses. This is the most important, but also most difficult, step. Automaker marketing suggests that virtually any vehicle on sale today is able to tackle challenging off-road trails. We should all understand that marketing claims do not represent reality. All-wheel-drive crossovers should not be driven on anything more challenging than a simple dirt road in good weather. And even then, the economy tires they come with should first be replaced with quality all terrains.And even that simple dirt road can involve obstacles that a crossover may be unable to handle.

If you plan to take a non-purpose-built vehicle on a trip through a remote area, first take the time to visit a low-consequence area to learn what the car is and isn’t comfortable on. Make sure that area is close to home and covered by cell reception, and consider taking a friend in another vehicle along, just in case you get stuck. Anyone who has never used recovery straps, Maxtrax, and other recovery gear should also practice with that equipment ahead of time.

That’s not to say that equipping yourself with a real 4×4 is going to make your experience easy. Four-wheel-drive vehicles—especially modified ones—often feature capabilities and systems that can prove dangerous in inexperienced hands. Anyone who hopes to make full use of a four-wheel-drive truck or SUV should seek out professional training before attempting to exploit those capabilities.

So test from easy start, your overlanding will be good!