What is the best piece of advice you can give a new overlander?

Don't accept drinks from a Spanish girl in a nurses smock (apron thing).
 
My best advice is that your gear will be a constant evolution. You may start off with little to nothing and that may work for you for a while and then you may buy some expensive and complex gear only to return to basics. With each trip i make notes in my phone on what worked great and what im missing, i will say multi purpose items are great for me since space is always limited. Just keep an open mind to what you can and cant do without. I have lots of gear we have swapped out for something else either due to less weight or less space or it replaced three other pieces of equipment with 1 multi use item. And youtube videos are great for new ideas. I got the packout kitchen idea from youtube and made my own which stores the propane, utensils, seasonings, cooking oils, fire extinguisher, spatulas and can openers aswell as coffee, and dry food storage all in one unit. Which replaces 2 totes and 3 burner camp stove, so less weight and space used now. There is no one size fits all just go out there and make your own adventure
 

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Walmart and Harbor Freight are your friends.

Walmart was where we got our first mess kit which we still use but to save space we only bring 3 of the 4 place settings since there is only 3 of us. Also they have nice silicone spatulas and tongs which are great for our cast iron.
 
What is the best piece of advice you can give a new overlander?

if peeing off of a bridge, observation deck, or any natural/man-made structure with an overhang...back up and spit first to see if there is an updraft before committing...


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Grubworm again, with his depths of wisdom. This man is the entire community.
 
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My best advice is that your gear will be a constant evolution. You may start off with little to nothing and that may work for you for a while and then you may buy some expensive and complex gear only to return to basics. With each trip i make notes in my phone on what worked great and what im missing, i will say multi purpose items are great for me since space is always limited. Just keep an open mind to what you can and cant do without. I have lots of gear we have swapped out for something else either due to less weight or less space or it replaced three other pieces of equipment with 1 multi use item. And youtube videos are great for new ideas. I got the packout kitchen idea from youtube and made my own which stores the propane, utensils, seasonings, cooking oils, fire extinguisher, spatulas and can openers aswell as coffee, and dry food storage all in one unit. Which replaces 2 totes and 3 burner camp stove, so less weight and space used now. There is no one size fits all just go out there and make your own adventure

THIS.
 
I’d say start small and get what you need as you learn what you need. Start with the basics first but build from that. I see so many people get a new rig and fully build it out and never even use it once they are done.
 
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At camp, relaxing make 2 lists, one for stuff you really do not to be hauling around, The other for stuff you should add or change out. For a few camp/trips you will refine what you taking and be generally set.
Oh and watching yt videos will cost you money, I am always buying watching what others pack and take.

Jim
 
What is the best piece of advice you can give a new overlander?

if peeing off of a bridge, observation deck, or any natural/man-made structure with an overhang...back up and spit first to see if there is an updraft before committing...


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That worked perfectly at the Empire State Building yesterday.
 
Best advice would be to just get out on the trail, campground or backcountry. Get the experience of going out and doing short trips to find out what you really need and what you actually use. You could go get “all the gear” but I like the minimalist approach. Just my opinion. Enjoy and have fun!
 
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What is the best piece of advice you can give a new overlander? Advice is like candy, never take it from a stranger, especially off the internet.
 
Seriously, watch out for the commercialization of overlanding, folks get caught up in that side like they do other stuff, gotta have this tennis shoe, this brand of shirt, one of these hats, this Jeep or Range Rover, this $80,000 off road trailer, etc. etc.

Fact is, you don't need any of it! All you really need is a reliable vehicle, that could be a bike, motorcycle, an old VW bug, whatever rolls.

I always get suspicious when I hear someone recommend or advocate for a certain brand of gizmo, I have to wonder what their relationship is to that company, especially when they are talking about expensive items. Just need to fine tune your BS Meter, is it a commercial plug or really a user's opinion.
 
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