Summertime is coming soon! Finally, warm sunshine and longer fun days to linger outside.  Because summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, there is no better time to indulge in a little overlanding adventure than now. Ah, the simplest summer pleasures spent with loved ones and good friends.   There is nothing quite like packing up for an overlanding trip that’s more about the journey than the destination. Simple pleasures like spending your days wandering through remote backcountry while passing nights camping under the starry sky.

What is Overlanding

Overlanding is described as a self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. It is a fusion of off-roading and camping, combining elements of each to form a distinct automotive outdoor hobby.  Though overlanding has been around for more than a century, it is only in recent years that it has become a mainstream sport and recreational lifestyle. Modern-day overlanding is driving an off-road vehicle across technical terrain and sleeping in a rooftop tent and enjoy a drink under a retractable vehicle awning beneath the stars and moon in some rugged

Preparing for the Trip

Before you begin your overlanding trip, be sure to have a check list of what to pack. Get a visual on the items in each category and check them off as you pack. These are some of the categories and within each category, list out the things that you’ll need to bring along:

1. Camp Basics
2. Food, Water & Kitchen
3. Shelter and Clothing
4. Truck overlanding gear
5. Vehicle Recovery and Tools
6. GPS Comms and Electronics
7. First Aid & Emergency

Vehicle Preparation & Maintenance

It’s important to keep your vehicle on a maintenance schedule. Don’t miss oil changes, tire rotations, alignment checks and brake inspections. Don’t wait until the eleventh hour for that overdue oil change only to find out your brake pads are within a millimeter of their life.

Where to Shop For Your Overlanding Trip

Make the most of your outdoor lifestyle with tents that feature roomy interiors and waterproof materials from 4 Wheel Parts. Go with a ground tent that is easy to set up or choose a rooftop tent with stainless steel hinges, mosquito screens, sky view vents and aluminum ladders.

While the roads and trails that you’re going to cover might be rough or challenging, they are the means to an end, not the goal itself. The goal is to see and learn about the beautiful world out there, whether on a weekend trip 100 kilometers from home or a 10,000 kilometers expedition across another continent – the history, wildlife, culture, awesome scenes and self-sufficiency. These are the rewards of overlanding.

Your off-road vehicle and equipment can be simple or extravagant. It would be a good idea to install a truck cargo rack on your vehicle to carry double the cargo.

If you’re ready to hit the road with more storage space for more outdoor fun, shop at 4 Wheel Parts for their vast selection of roof racks and roof rack mounts now.