The top 7 overland equipment and gear

What are the 7 most important equipment or gear for an extended overland travel? The answer is not that easy, you have to ask yourself what equipment stuff had been a show-stopper. Or which gear you had really miss if it stop working, because of the comfort it brings with.

These list is extremely individual. It depends on the Area you plan to travel, the weather you will meet, the way how your camp looks like (Ground tent, Rooftop-Tent, Popup Roof, or sleeping inside).

However your overland setup looks like, i guess it may be helpful to see what was important for us, if you don't had that much overland experience. Here is our list in descending order:

Comfortable Sleep

During extended traveling it is important to sleep comfortable, to wake up without any pain in the back. A good mattress, a good bed is important.
You have to test your setup before, or you will end more often in Hotels than calculated.

Camping Gear

You use it daily, you setup and pack you camp often - because of this it is an very important gear.
It had much to do with the amount of comfort you had on the way. It is important that it is lightweight and that it don't use much space when packaged.
The handling has to be easy too, watch space and weight before the brand..

Windows Sox - Mosquito Protection for the Car

If you sleep inside of the car this is very important. It let you open your windows wide, without that it is viewable from outside.

The air can circulate and the Mosquito and other animals will stay outside. Additional it dim`s the outside light a bit more, let others not view inside.

Water Filtration & Watertank

It is important to have enough clean and fresh water. In most countries of the world you should better practice tap water filtration and purification.
Even in the US or UK the tap water has mostly an chlorine taste.
To have an Watertank help you much to have an easy and cheap handling, compared to buy and store bottles.
We did filtrate the water before we fill them to the tank what makes the daily handling easier.

Fridge / Cooling-Box

Without a fridge you have far from civilization at the evening no steak, no butter, no cheese, no sausage.
To make it short, the cooler enriches the menu uncommonly.
Good food = good mood. The cool drink in the evening is also nice to have.. Compressor refrigerators with additional thermal envelope are here certainly the best choice.
There are many products too who has not to be in the Fridge, too think about size and weight.

Gas / unlead / Multifuel-Cooker

Often it is not allowed to light a fire. Or you don't want that your camp gets detected. Without a cooker you can't eat warm meals, therefore it is very important.
Our cooker died in Congo, therefore we know now, how important he is.
Try to go with gas. You can buy campinggaz bottles all over in Africa. We use the Coleman unleaded, what is nice because you got the fuel anywhere. But it add rust anywhere, what need much water to clean.

Mosquito Bite resistant clothing & mosquito repellent

Is that a completely underrated point, at least for Africa. Even with the use of chemical repellent with a lot of DEET you will be stung without end. With the puncture resistance of clothing can protect easily the most engaging surfaces. What remains hands and head, there Deet helps effectively. Look for G1000 clothes from Fjällräven. Specially the Fjällräven Karl Zip-Off Trousers are very practical.

12v Ventilator

If you're staying in hot regions in the vehicle it does not go without a fan. The air has to be circulated, otherwise you will not be able to close your eyes.
Specially in the humid jungle areas, you will keep your engine and air-condition running otherwise...
The Hella Jet fan has proven itself.


Ooops, we end with 8 Points instead of 7... There are other equipment and gear who was very important on extended traveling. But to sort these in order is not that easy.
A good navigation solutions is important, flashlights and headlamps, Satellite Messager or Satphone, for trips really abroad also a freezer at sample...
And it is important to save weight and space.

Some gear saves extremely much space and weight and are not on the top 7 list. At sample the Ortlieb foldable bowl. Helps to save water while washing the dishes, while washing vegetables - and does not need much space or carries large to the weight.

I'm curious what has been proven to you, what are your 7 major items of equipment? Write a comment yet - I'm sure that we can all still learn from each other.