Gear and know-how
Gear
What to carry, how to use it, and how to get yourself unstuck.
Moab, Utah
Carry less. Know more about what you carry.
No brands, no rankings and nothing for sale. Each guide says what the equipment is for, what matters when you choose it, how to use it, and where its figures come from.
What to carry
- 01 Recovery gear Boards, a shovel, rated recovery points, a rope, shackles and a winch: what each is for, what the numbers on it mean, and the order to reach for them in.
- 02 Shelter and roof tents Where you sleep decides how a vehicle handles, how it looks in a crosswind and how well you rest. Start with what your roof is rated to carry.
- 03 Power and electrical A second battery, a way to fill it, and fusing that will not burn the vehicle down. The rest is arithmetic.
- 04 Water Water is the heaviest thing you carry and the first thing that turns a bad day into an emergency. Here is how much, and how to keep it drinkable.
- 05 Camp kitchen A kitchen that sets up in two minutes and stays legal when the fire bans arrive. That is most of the job.
- 06 Navigation and communication Maps that say where you may legally drive, a way to find yourself on them without a signal, radios for the group, and a way to call for help when no phone will connect.
Know-how
- 07 Trip planning Most trips that go wrong were decided at the kitchen table, not on the trail. An hour of planning buys back the day.
- 08 Vehicle preparation Most trips end early for a reason that was visible in the driveway. This is what to look at, and what the numbers on your own door mean.
- 09 Tire pressure and traction Why a softer tire grips, what it risks, when to air back up, and how to read a surface and use momentum, lockers and traction control.
- 10 Vehicle recovery Getting unstuck without hurting anyone: stop and assess, recover yourself first, then a kinetic rope or a winch, with the safety point at each step.
- 11 Trail repair The few fixes that get a vehicle back to pavement, the kit that makes them possible, jacking safely on rough ground, and when to stop and call for a tow.
- 12 Winter travel Winter does not make a trip harder so much as less forgiving. The margins that were comfortable in July are the whole trip in January.