Planning Your First Overlanding Trip: A Practical Checklist

The first time we left the tarmac for a proper multi-day trip, we packed far too much of some things and nowhere near enough of others. We had three kinds of camp chair and no tyre gauge. We'd planned the scenery in detail and the fuel stops not at all.

Overlanding is simple at heart: you drive somewhere remote, mostly on unsealed tracks, and you look after yourself while you're there. The skills come with time. What makes a first trip go well is planning, and most of that happens at the kitchen table, weeks before you turn a key.

Choose a route that fits the vehicle and the driver

The biggest mistake on a first trip is picking the route you want to drive in five years. Start with the one you can drive comfortably now, in the vehicle you actually own.

Be honest about both halves of that. A stock SUV on road tyres and a modified 4x4 on all-terrains are very different machines, and so are a driver with a few gravel roads behind them and one with a training course and a dozen trips.

Look for tracks that are well used, graded easy or moderate, and short enough that you can finish in daylight with time to spare. On TrailX we show distance, ascent and a difficulty rating for every route, so you can filter before you fall in love with a photo. The Hoab 4x4 Trail in Damaraland in Namibia, for example, is rated easy at about 48 km with very little climbing, and the Rodds Bay to Agnes Water 4WD route in Queensland is another easy option at around 77 km. The South Oxfordshire Byways Ride is an easy 31 km on byways in England.

Save the big, hard routes for later. Something like the Sani Pass to Lesotho Highlands Loop is rated hard, with more than 1,700 m of climbing in under 80 km. It will still be there when you have more trips under your belt.

Learn about tyre pressures before you need them

Lowering your tyre pressures, or airing down, is one of the most useful things you can do off-road. A softer tyre has a longer footprint, which gives more grip on sand, rock and loose surfaces, a smoother ride on corrugations, and less chance of a puncture from sharp stones.

There's no single right number. The right pressure depends on your vehicle, its load, the tyre and the terrain, so check what your vehicle and tyre makers recommend, and ask experienced drivers in the area you're visiting. A few general rules hold everywhere:

• Carry a good gauge and a compressor. Airing down is easy. Airing back up is the bit you need equipment for.
• Slow down when you're aired down. Lower pressures mean softer handling and more heat in the sidewall at speed.
• Air back up before the tarmac. Driving at highway speed on low pressures is how tyres fail.
• Avoid sharp turns and kerb-like edges. At low pressure the tyre can roll off the rim more easily.

Pack recovery gear, and know how to use it

At some point you'll get stuck. That's normal, and usually it's a mild inconvenience as long as you have the right gear and don't improvise.

Gear only helps if you know how to use it. Recovery straps store a lot of energy, and a badly rigged recovery is genuinely dangerous. Keep bystanders well back, use a strap damper over the line, and if you can, do a 4WD training course before your first trip.

Travel with a second vehicle

We'd always recommend a second vehicle on a first trip. Two cars means someone can pull you out, share tools, ride for help if needed, and act as a second set of eyes on tricky sections.

Agree a few things before you set off: how you'll communicate (UHF or VHF radios where they're legal, or simply agreed stopping points), who leads, and that the lead vehicle always waits at junctions until the one behind is in sight. Keep enough distance to stay out of each other's dust and to avoid both getting stuck in the same spot.

Treat water crossings with respect

Water crossings cause more trouble than almost anything else on the track. Moving water is far more powerful than it looks, and depth can change after rain upstream even when the sky above you is clear.

If the water is too fast or too deep to walk through safely, it's too fast or too deep to drive through.

Some habits we never skip:

• Stop and check first. Look for an exit on the other side and signs of recent flooding.
• Walk it if it's safe. Check depth, current and what's underfoot, with a stick to probe ahead. Where there's a risk from wildlife, don't wade in; wait, find another way or turn back.
• Know your wading depth. Your owner's manual will list it, and it's often lower than people think. Know where your air intake sits too.
• Use the ford, not a shortcut. Established crossings are usually there because the bed is firm.
• Go slowly and steadily. A gentle, constant pace creates a small bow wave. Charging in sends water into the engine bay.
• Never drive into floodwater. Flooded roads and fast-flowing rivers are a firm no.

Afterwards, test your brakes gently, because wet brakes take a moment to work properly.

Download your maps before you lose signal

Phone coverage disappears quickly on remote tracks. Download the route and the surrounding area for offline use before you leave, and check it actually opens with your phone in airplane mode. The TrailX app lets you save trails offline so the map and your position work without a signal.

Carry a backup too: a paper map, a second device, or both. Don't let one device become the only way you know where you are. If you're heading somewhere truly remote, a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon is worth considering.

Plan your fuel and water with real margins

Low gears, soft sand and steep climbs burn far more fuel than the same distance on a highway, and detours happen.

A common rule of thumb is to plan so you'd still have a healthy reserve if you had to turn around, rather than counting on the next fuel station being open. On a longer route like the Zagora to Tazarine Desert Route in Morocco, which is close to 230 km, you'll want to know exactly where you can refuel before you set off.

Water matters even more. Carry enough for drinking, cooking and an extra day or two in case you're delayed, especially in hot or dry country. Trips like the Al Shahaniya Desert Off-Road Loop in Qatar are rated easy, but desert heat doesn't care about difficulty grades.

Tread lightly and stay on legal tracks

Off-road access depends on drivers looking after the places they visit. Stay on existing, legal tracks, even when a fresh line across the grass looks easier. Drive through puddles rather than around them, because going around widens the track. Pack out everything you bring in, leave gates as you find them and give wildlife and livestock plenty of room.

The Tread Lightly! programme has good, simple guidance on responsible off-road travel, and it's worth reading before your first trip.

Check permits and land access

Not every track you see on a map is open to vehicles. Some cross private land, some close seasonally, and some need a permit, a park pass or a guide.

Check with the land manager, park authority or local tourism office before you go, and look for recent trip reports in the TrailX community. Mountain routes in particular can be affected by snow or closures for part of the year. If you're looking at high-altitude areas like those in our Ladakh off-road destination, check the permit rules for the region well in advance.

Tell someone your plan

Before you go, send someone you trust your route, where you'll camp, who's in the group, your vehicle details and when you expect to be back in signal. Agree on a time when they should raise the alarm if they haven't heard from you, and make sure they know who to call.

Then stick to the plan, or let them know if it changes.

Your first-trip checklist

• Route chosen within your vehicle's and your own ability
• Route and surrounding area downloaded for offline use
• Permits, access rules and seasonal closures checked
• Tyre gauge and compressor packed
• Recovery gear packed, and you know how to use it
• Second vehicle and a way to communicate
• Fuel and water with a generous reserve
• Wading depth of your vehicle noted
• Trip plan shared, with a check-in time

Finding your first route

If you're unsure where to start, browse by region. Our United States off-road routes include drives like the Mogollon Rim Dirt Roads Drive in Arizona, a moderate route of around 56 km. In Canada, the Oldman River Road Backcountry Drive in Alberta is a moderate 23.5 km, short enough for a relaxed first day. In Europe, our Italy off-road routes cover everything from hill tours to high mountain passes, and Sweden's Väsby Forest Loop is an easy, flat 42 km.

Start small, finish early and give yourself margin on everything. The most important part of the first trip is coming home wanting to plan the second.

Got a lesson from your own first trip? Share it in the responses below. We learn the most from people who've been stuck in places we haven't been yet.

Where to next?

• Browse off-road routes: explore all trails and filter by difficulty, distance and type.
• Plan by region: explore destinations for off-road routes around the world.
• Head for the Himalaya, eventually: see our Nepal off-road routes once you've a few trips behind you.
• Take it offline: get the TrailX app and save your route before you lose signal.
• Share a track you know well: publish your trail and help the next first-timer.
• Keep reading: more practical guides on the TrailX blog.