Overlanding-The dirty little secrets no one tells you about.

Overlanding-The dirty little things you need to know.

Overlanding... what is it?  I have heard this question over and over.  The answers all seem to vary to some degree, but most at least agree that in its basic form, it is self-reliant travel by vehicle.  So lets break that down a little bit.  What is "self reliant travel by vehicle"?  Well the self-reliant part sounds easy enough, you rely on yourself.  But for what exactly?  Basically you will be relying on yourself for everything you will need to survive for an extended period of time.  You will need to bring your own water, food, shelter, and any other means to survive without depending on others or on services like stores, resturants, mechanics, restrooms, and the hardest one of all... phone service!  I most likely just lost most of the population right there.  But there is more.  The dirty little things no one tells you about, and if they did you didn't believe them.

You will need to learn to make fire.  Most of us think we can do it easily.  What if all the wood is wet?  What if there are no dead trees or sticks around, or dead dry grass?  What if your lighter doesn't work?  Or the wind is to hard to keep a flame?  I've watched the TV show 'Naked and Affraid' and I've seen "experienced" outdoors people struggle to make fire.  So learn to make fire caveman style.  You may never need to use the skill but it will be nice to have it in your back pocket someday.

Another thing not many people are prepared for is taking care of business, or pooping, in the woods.  There are no restrooms at the places we Overlanders like to camp.  Why is that?  Overlanders tend to love remote locations where nobody goes.  If there are people near where we camp we get all bent out of shape.  We long to be alone without any noise or without any light, well unless we make the noise and the light. That IS why we have 50 LED lights on our rigs.  So, since we like remote locations we are going to need to figure out the poop issues.  There are several different set ups you can buy and bring with you, stools, porta pottys.  Sometimes just a shovel is all you need.  But please know the rules, national parks will not let you leave anything behind. Anything.  So if you are in a area that requires you to bring back what you put out, be ready.  Sounds gross but if you handle your business correctly it will not be a messy issue.

Water.  Most people will not bring enough their first time out.  They bring just enough to drink.  They don't think about washing their hands because you will get dirty, very dirty.  You will need water if you get hurt, to clean the wound.  You many need water to put out a fire.  Water goes fast and even if it is not hot outside you still need to drink at least 2 liters or 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water per day.  Of course that is just sitting around at home, not hiking, gathering wood, putting up a tent, or all those other super cool outdoor things you will be doing.  Each person is different and the water needs of each person can vary.  Bring alot of water!

Food. Don't bring food that will spoil easily.  Don't worry about cooking crazy awesome meals.  You just need to eat.  Hotdogs, sandwiches, oatmeal, or even MREs is all you need for your meals.  I recommend bringing snacks.  You will burn so much energy working the campsite, spotting for the vehicle, running ahead to film awesome vehicle drive-bys. You will most likely be eating all day. Granola bars are awesome and there are several different flavors to choose from so most anybody can find one they like.  Crackers are a great choice too.  Think like a kid bringing lunch to school...fruit snacks, apple sauce, and string cheese just to name a few.  These type of snacks are easy to grab, very portable and last a long time.

Shelter. This could be a tent, your vehicle, roof top tent on the vehicle or trailer, or a tarp for your hammock.  A good tent is worth the investment.  I recommend you get a four seasons tent because you never know how much the crazy weather can change on you.  If you hammock camp, bring a trap to secure over the hammock in case of rain.  If you plan on using your vehicle to sleep in, plan for it.  Will everything still fit into your vehicle?  If your food will not fit and you plan on leaving it outside the vehicle, do you have a bear-proof container?  And do you need one?  I will place money bets that some type of animal will smell your food and want it.

Have a plan and then another plan.  Even the best plans get all messed up.  Plan a route but be ready to change the course.  Roads get closed either by parks or land owners.  Some roads that are not maintained can become washed out or even overgrown.  Sometimes we plan routes and find out we are in over our heads due to the degree of difficulty of the trail.   You might not have the right vehicle set up for the trail.  Water crossings may be too deep because of rain somewhere far away up stream.  There are several reasons why a plan might not go as you initially thought. The travel route is just one of many.  Other reasons may be because you run out of supplies, someone gets hurt, the vehicle breaks down, or you just simply get too freaked out sleeping outside in the middle of nowhere. It happens.  To that point, tell people where you plan to go, and check in often, if you can.  There are many devices out there you can buy that will allow people to keep track of you.

Money. Bring cash.  Cash is good to have for camping fees and park entry.  Although most places now take a card, be sure to bring some cash just in case.  I always bring some cash for those rare cases that a resturant or a small general store will not take a credit card.  I've also been places where the credit card machine was down and cash was the only option.

Other things I just thought of you must bring.  TP, bug spray, sun block, a cup, a towel, a knife, a flash light, warm clothes, and gum trust me on the gum, lol.  Each of theses items has been forgotten my me or by someone in my group at one time

These are just a few dirty little things that most people are not prepared for the first time they go overlanding.  I recommend reaching out to other overlanders and pick their brains about how their first time went.  We want everyone to have a fun and safe time out exploring.  Be safe, be ready, have fun and GO ALL OVER!