First long road-trip/overland, what do I bring? (On a budget!)

Hey y'all . I'm planning on doing a 3000 mile plus trip through Oregon, washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Lots of nice locations planned in between!

To start, My gal and I are planning on doing a few segments of the Washington Backcountry Exploration trail (1-3) and also have some off road adventures tentatively planned in Colorado. We will be backpacking and bummin' it on forest service/blm in between.

I'm wondering what you guys think I should bring so I know I won't end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. I'm thinking recovery/mechanical. Also, please chime in with any spots you think are too good to pass up in those states!

I have a 2007 AC TRD 4x4 with locking diff, 6spd manual. 2 inch lift. No bumper/winch. Just did a bunch of work on the suspension, and new u joints in the drivetrain.

I'm experienced off road, just never had the money to do anything like this until now. (And still don't, but I just graduated, made a lil bit of money at a temporary job, so )

 

Map is a little inaccurate, but you get the gist.

 

Read this thread. I got the chance to meet Mark out in Moab. He's a hell of a guy. He would definitely know a thing or two.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-tour-of-america-currently-florida.625996/

 

Thank you! Just the kinda thing I was looking for. I'll PM him and see what he says.

 

I'm about to photobomb his thread, so hopefully he'll get the notification

 

@me and we can hit him from all angles lol

Would be sick to meet up with some travelers or locals to find some spots

 

I'll shoot him a text tomorrow afternoon and let him know to check the thread.

 

@markus30
Any words of wisdom.

 

Nice truck. Why no lift tho? I mean you must get a lot of use outta your sliders ha

 

I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with the truck. I bought a Dobinsons IMS lift with HD leafs a few months ago. I just haven't installed it yet
And Definitely used the shit out of my sliders and skids

 

Do it! Lol. Sliders are my next investment. I don't want to go higher than 2inches and 32s unless I have a stable job and a shitbox commuter so I can break things on the truck freely

 

Mine is really more of a camping rig. I plan to stay with a 255/75 after the lift. And I knew I had to drive back to AL afterwards. The guys out there really took care of me and made sure I took the right lines. I'm going more for the "Aussie" feel with this truck, it suits my uses better.

 

Lol yeah yeah I got you

 

Dispense wisdom.

what is gonna break on my truck?

 

Everyone is going to say the obvious stuff:

Extra fuel
Oil
Full tool kit, ratchets, sockets, wrenches, etc
Breaker bar
Extra belt
Heavy gauge jumper cables
Come a long
Straps
Jack's
Zip ties
Water
7 days clothes
Tire plug kit
Air compressor
Inverters
Etc...

But, after years of working emergency response and being sent into areas with no resources with my Tacoma there are 3 things I learned to NEVER forget to bring...

A bunch of cans of Chef Boy R Dee, because it doesn't go bad and if your stranded trust me, it's better than MRE's! Lol

1 case of beer, unopened.
1 carton of cigarettes.

Not to smoke or drink, but I've been stranded before where resources were scarce and COULD not buy fuel or food with money. But, could get 5 gallons of gas for a case of beer or carton of cigarettes, lol!

That's a great trip, guys are going to have a great time!

I noticed the surfboards... Mosquito net if you planning on sleeping on the beech to keep the sand flies away

 

You forgot duct tape.

 

Doh! Good call!

And a tarp... Never know why before hand, but always end up needing one, lol!

 

and maybe a small sheet of clear plastic, like you put on the floor when you're painting,
if a window breaks, you'll be able to seal the truck against the weather and still be able to see

 

He will be retired by the time he gets his lift on. @gixxerphil

 

I would also suggest having means of communication of some sort. Cell signal could be spotty so something along the lines of a weBoost antenna. It doesn't have to be specifically that one but search around in the family to see what works for you and also verify connectivity with your cellular provider. Certain providers operate at the far ends of the band that may not get as good as a boost as others. You could also look at a UHF handheld radio. Cheapest option would be something in the Baofeng but if you're like me and want to avoid Chinese made products, look towards something in the Motorola family. I would only recommend something like this if you're solo and have an emergency out in the boonies where signal can be sparse. Live by the 2 is 1 and 1 is none mentality. Meaning that you need to have at least 2 solutions in the event that your primary goes down. CB radios are good for the short range but they can reach out with clear line of sight. IIRC with CB, on line to line you'd be looking at about 2 miles of useable comms. HAM radio is always a good emergency option but in order to run a HAM radio, you'd need a license from the FCC. I don't have a HAM license so I can't comment on that as to how easy or difficult it is to get one, but what I can say is HAM has the capability of reaching around the world via repeaters. SAT phone could be another option but I believe they are expensive for the monthly contracts. UHF/CB/HAM all have vehicle mounting options if you want something a little more permanent added to your vehicle. A good car audio shop should be able to help you get your settings dialed in with the SWR meter for your antenna.

You might want to look at taking the following with you as well:
- First aid kit and medical book. It doesn't need to be this exactly, but you need to make sure you can effectively stop the bleed.
- Collapsible trench shovel for digging you out in the event you get stuck (and holes for pewp'n).
- Water treatment options whether filters or chlorine treatment tabs. 1 person needs at least 1 gallon of water per day to drink. More if you're sweating or active.
- Rope for both recovery of your vehicle and a bunch of 550 para cord. That stuff can be a life saver from simple rigging, to building fires. There's a lot of usage in the 550 cord.
- Self recovery gear such as winch, snatch-block, maxtrax/treads.
- At least 3 methods for starting a camp fire (if the land usage allows for open fires).
- Spare batteries of various sizes (IE a 9-volt battery and 0000steel wool for starting fires).
- Spare propane bottles for propane lanterns/cooking stoves.
- Hatchet/Axe/Knife for cutting or sawing stuff in the event that fallen debris on the trail prevents access. You can get one of those collapsible saws, doesn't have to be this one exactly but similar.

I can keep going but Ill cut it short. You get the picture.

-J