- Overlanding, if this is your first time hearing that word,
well congratulations, you have made it this far in life.
Whether you're an experienced overlander,
first-timer, or an overglamper,
I am here to let you guys know
of a few mistakes you don't want to make
on your first trip out.
Let's go.
Hey, what's going on guys?
Fred from Trail Built here.
Wait, no Josh from Trail Built?
What is going on?
Don't worry, Josh is still here,
I'm just the newest member of the Trail Built Team.
And I'll be bringing a new, younger side
to the off-road and overlanding game.
Make sure and give us a follow on our new IG,
@TrailBuilt_OffRoad.
And as always, if you're looking for wheels, tire,
or suspension, you can find anything you need right over
at our website at TrailBuiltOffRoad.com.
First up, download maps.
Use Gaia or TrailLink so that you have good idea
of where you are and how to get out.
You're not a land whisperer.
You don't have Sacagawea skills.
Just take the time the night before to do your download,
make sure you get all your maps.
I promise, it'll help you in the longterm.
And try and focus on downloading the maps surrounding
the area you're expecting to be in.
Just in case you end up off the path,
you still have an idea of where you're at.
Far too many times do you get out there,
end up off the grid, and end up off the map you downloaded,
and now you're stuck channeling that inner Sacagawea
you don't have.
Secondly, make lists.
It doesn't matter if you're doing an overnight trip
or a full-fledged, multiple-day expedition,
you need lists.
You need to envision it,
organize not only your stuff but yourself.
It I super easy to get caught up in the packing world
and forget the little things you need,
one of which I will talk about later.
The catch-22 when it comes to a trip,
no matter the size, guys, is the unknown versus the know.
We want to feel the unknown, but we prepare for the known.
Take the time the night before and envision your trip.
What will you be encountering?
Where will you be going?
What will you need to do after that first cup of coffee?
'Cause that's when your head starts.
How much drive versus camp time will you have?
Is it more on the road?
Plan accordingly.
My step-dad always used to make lists,
two pages, three pages, for his fishing trips.
Made fun of him, now here I am talking about it.
The karma comes fast.
Three, guys, meal prep.
Don't be that guy that just loads up on gas station garbage,
gosh, I love gas station garbage, and expects
to survive the journey on Kit Kats and Cliff Bars.
Believe me, I've been there.
Instead, get together with your travel mates
and decide how you are all planning
to attack your daily meals.
You should have at least three meals a day.
That's what they say.
So, if you're traveling with your loved ones,
split the cargo.
If you're traveling with randoms, build your meal list
and be ready to integrate.
One of the greatest, greatest moments you will find
in overlanding and camping, you guys,
is the connections and relationships you build
over a fire while cooking a meal,
drinking a beer, or coffee, or whatever, you want to drink.
And ultimately, the more people you recruit to cook with,
means the more people you have to help clean up.
And less pots, less pans, makes for a happy day.
'Cause let's be real, the fun of cooking
and laughing can quickly get burnt out with cleaning dishes.
So, find a way to make it fun.
And still grab some of those gas station treats,
because we still need those
to keep you energized in between meals.
Number four guys, water and hygiene.
I know, I know, this is a pretty obvious thing for most.
But for those rookies out there,
and some of those guys even advanced,
it is something that is easily forgotten.
Water is one of those things you think about
as a necessity to hydrate and cook.
You forget about the need for it for cleaning dishes,
cleaning your body, rinsing, brushing those chomps.
I just went to Jeep Camp this year.
And I was so consumed with keeping myself warm
and fed that I completely under-packed my water
and forgot my toothbrush.
Fierce, that's all I can say, just fierce.
Ended up in a Jeep for a few hours
with our Trail Built creative, Zach,
and the stink consumed my brain.
Sorry, Zach.
Nothing worse than being the guy
with the stinky coffee breath all day.
Go to your local store, if you don't want
to bring your normal toothbrush, get a travel toothbrush,
toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant.
Get it all together, throw it in a small bag,
and keep it with your camping gear.
It's just easier that way.
You don't have to transfer your day-to-day toiletries,
you have a prepackaged setup.
Don't be like me, keep your teeth clean.
And last but not least, guys, enjoy the build and test.
I am the chairman of the board on this category.
I am guilty of thinking I need everything
and anything right away.
When really, you just have
to be conscious of what you want to do
and how much you want to do it.
You don't need to take out a second mortgage
to outfit your rig with everything you think you'll need
for overlanding before you even go.
Test it out.
Take a couple overnight trips with your friends and family
and find out what you need, what you want.
It is the biggest, the biggest,
biggest misconception that you need all the gear
and it needs to be strapped to a 4Runner or a Jeep
to have the full experience.
Now yeah, that would be nice.
But, you aren't gonna go buy a plane before you learn
to fly, are you?
Well, don't answer that.
You guys know what I mean.
Shoot, if you got some water bottles,
a Kia Sorento, a sleeping bag, some food, a toothbrush,
please bring a toothbrush, you can make it happen.
From there, you find out the luxuries you want to add.
The products, listen to this,
the products don't outweigh the memories.
Remember that.
All right, guys, I'm Fred from Trail Built
and this has been my debut.
Remember a few of these things
the next time you go overlanding,
or even if it's the first time you just go camping.
You don't have to be a pro the first time you set out
on an expedition.
None of us were and none of you will be.
Even the guy with the $80,000 rig makes mistakes.
Just enjoy the experience.
If you guys need wheels, tires, or suspension
to get that rig ready, though, make sure you guys go
and head over to TrailBuiltOffRoad.com.
Thanks for watching and we'll see you out there.
(upbeat music)