The Adventure Begins: 10 Essential Pieces of Gear You’ll Need on Your Offroad Journey

If you are thinking of doing any off-roading, you’re probably giving considerable thought to what you should take along. Besides the usual clothes, cook kits, etc., what would you take off-roading? What follows are 10 essential pieces of gear you’ll need on your off-road journey.

More information about these items and more can be found at offroadpowerproducts.com and other vendors.

Recovery Kit

Any off-road adventurer who doesn’t take vehicle recovery very seriously is asking for trouble. After all, isn’t the possibility of getting stuck somewhere part of the thrill of off-roading? Fortunately, with a vehicle recovery kit, you cannot only get unstuck, if, with the right equipment, but you can also do it all by yourself.

A recovery kit usually consists of a good winch, steel ropes or straps with a minimum breaking strength of from three to four times the weight of the vehicle, and a couple of shackles.

The recovery kit should be within easy reach of the vehicle’s driver’s seat. Getting stuck can be very unpredictable, so a recovery kit should always be kept out of the trunk.

Work Light

Besides a headlight, a work light is indispensable if a problem occurs after it gets dark. A work light will help get someone out of trouble, make a repair, or add some air to tires.

A good work light will be outfitted with not only a nice LED light but both hooks magnets and magnets that will allow it to be placed up almost anywhere. It can be positioned for hands-free work too. Needless to say, it should be rechargeable also.

Recovery Boards

As unnecessary as many people might consider these, anyone who has ever ended up stuck in mud or loose dirt or sand appreciates their value. Recovery boards are a couple of wood, plastic, or nylon boards that are about three feet long, two feet wide, and about an inch thick. They are used to wedge under the tires of a vehicle when stuck and can’t get the traction to get out of trouble. Recovery boards are commercially available but are more often than not just a couple of appropriately sized wooden boards.

A Couple of Old Boards

Ever tried to fix a tire, especially when it’s buried half-deep in mud or sand? A jack would be ideal to use to get a grip, but there’s no place solid enough to put it.

That’s where a couple of good boards would come in useful. A couple of chocks would also help keep your car or truck from rolling while working.

Tire Repair Set

Tires are the most essential part of a vehicle, and they are also the most often damaged. That’s why when there is a flat, and there’s nowhere near to get it fixed, it’s crucial to have a good tire repair kit. The best kits are complete, with not only a way to fix the tire itself, but it will be complete with valves and dust caps.

Air Compressor

Being able to quickly and easily adjust the air pressure of a vehicle’s tires is critical in many situations, especially when you might want to lower the pressure to gain traction. If you aren’t carrying big overinflated tires in your vehicle, it’s a good idea to take an air compressor. This will allow you to deflate your tires, get through an obstacle, and reinflate them before you return on the road.

It’s good to get an air compressor that connects with the battery with clips since those connected via a cigarette lighter tend to blow fuses. It should also be equipped with an air hose that will reach from the battery to all four wheels. Thirty feet is usually plenty. Air compressors are one of those things that can be purchased for almost any amount someone wants to pay. As a result, it might be a good idea to avoid the cheapest ones, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank when buying one.

Jump Starter

Who could forget the days of old when a vehicle’s battery needed to be started via jumper cables? Fortunately, those days are gone. Today’s off-roaders (as well as anyone else who knows about them) carry what is called a power brick, a portable charger no larger than one of those old cell phones and has all of the attachment to not only start the battery in a vehicle but almost anything else that needs a charge.

It’s easy to use and very affordable

Just make sure that it’s kept charged, so it’s ready when needed. And if it happens to get run down on your travels, connect it with your cigarette lighter, so it’s available for the next time it’s needed. These things are worth their weight in gold.

Hand Tools

There probably isn’t an off-roader alive who hasn’t had a problem with their vehicle, and they didn’t have even a basic set of hand tools to help. It’s as inevitable as death and taxes. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to have a basic set of hand tools in the vehicle wherever you’re headed. Have a small tool bag of screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and even a socket wrench is excellent. Stores sell complete sets, or you can assemble your own.

Work Gloves

There probably isn’t anyone alive who hasn’t experienced working on their vehicle when they didn’t end up stripping the skin off their knuckles or fingers from a slip off of an engine part. This is especially true when there is work to be done in tight spaces, in the wet and the dark. Not only that but for getting a good grip on a tool, there’s nothing like having a good pair of work gloves in the vehicle. Make sure they are heavy-duty with leather covering the palms at least. Gardening gloves are not adequate.

Navigation

There are probably a few more off-road things than not knowing where you are at any given time.

That’s why it is important to be able to get some bearings when you need them, especially when you arrive at a point where many trails are going everywhere. Solve this problem with a good quality navigation app or GPS device. This will not only tell where you are but also allow you to figure out where you need to go.

Wherever you want to go, these 10 items will help you get there.