This list will give you a great starting point for the supplies you need to bring on your journey.
Note: This basic supply list assumes you have a capable rig for what you want to do. Know before you go! Do your research on the terrain/weather of your destination. You’ll need to adjust your equipment and provision amounts depending on the duration of your trip, but with this setup you are good for many days.
Bring a journal to help fine tune your overland checklist! Each time I go out, I make a note of:
- The things I had that I don’t need.
- The things I needed and didn’t have.
By doing this, my list gets better and more refined every time I go out. I have naturally consolidated to three main categories packed in three big cases over time. The advantage of this method is that you can get out of town and into the great outdoors in 20 minutes since your cases are already packed! The categories are:
- Kitchen and camp utilities
- Dry goods
- Chairs and tables
The configuration packs tight. Organization will keep you sane
Overland Checklist
- An Overland Rig
- Water (2 gal. per person per day)
- Cooler (cold foods according to your meal plan)
- First Aid
- Tent
- Map/GPS/Delorme
- Clothes
- Bedding (pads, sleeping bags, pillows)
- Camp Kitchen
- Table
- Chairs
- Truck Tools
- Winch Tools
Here is where we get organized!
Three Cases:
Case 1: Dry Goods
We stock for more than 1 trip, and the amount and variety of items reflect having kiddos in our pack. The dry goods case is our pantry. This list is the easiest to change up and make appropriate for you. Our shopping trip before heading out of town is to get items like green apples, pastry treats for a ‘special’ breakfast for kids, vegetables of all sorts (pre-cut), cheese, deli meats, etc.
- Canned Tuna
- Canned Soup
- Canned Black Beans
- Canned Kidney Beans
- Canned Chili/Hearty Stew
- Dried or fresh Fruit
- Canned Whole Tomatoes
- Canned Tomato Paste
- Spices: Sugar, salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt
- Olive Oil
- Almond/Soy Milk
- Energy Bars
- Spaghetti Pasta
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Fusillo Pasta
- Nuts
- Coffee
- Peanut/Almond Butter
- Small jar of jelly
- Hot Chocolate
- Hersey Bars
- Marshmallows
- Graham Crackers
- Saltine Crackers
- Cold Cereal
- Instant Oatmeal
- Steak Sauce
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Sriracha Chili Sauce
- Cholula Hot Sauce
- Tortillas
- Chips
- Salsa
Again, we’re going through who we pack out a dry good case. Streamline or expand for your needs!
Case 2: Hardware
- Coleman Lantern
- Coleman Stove
- Trash Bags
- Propane
- Insect Repellent
- Camp Bowls
- Silverware Sets
- Wet Ones
- GSI Pinnacle Camper Kit (pots, pans, plates, cups)
- Thin Plastic Cutting Board
- Coffee Filters & Pour Over Kit
- MSR Water Filter
- Fire Bag (lots of ways to start a fire – wet, dry, strike, lighter, fuel, gels, etc.)
- Cooking utensils
- Knife X 2
- Paper Towels
- First Aid Kit
- Bottle/Can Opener
- Aluminum Foil
- Napkins
- Kleenex
- Paper Plates
- Toilet Paper (Mountain Money)
Case 3: Chai
- Folding Chairs (4)
- Fishing Poles (3)
- Dish Washing Station
- Sleeping Pads
3-Day Meal Plan – Weekend Config.
This menu reflects how we roll with kids on a quick weekend out of town.
Day 1
- Dinner
- Chips & Salsa
- Easy to heat up canned chili/stew
- Saltine Crackers
- Carrots/veggie with hummus
Day 2
- Breakfast
- Cold Cereal w/ Almond Milk
- Apples w/ Almond Butter
- Coffee
- Lunch
- Flour Tortilla rolled with lunch meat, cheese, veggies & Cholula (or PB&J!)
- Chips & Salsa
- Trail Mix
- Apples w/ Almond Butter
- Dinner
- Hunk of meat
- Red Potatoes in Foil/with canned tomatoes, can of beans, veggies and seasoning
- Broccoli w/ garlic salt and pepper
Day 3
- Breakfast
- Fruit
- Instant Oatmeal
- Pastries
- Lunch (on the road)
- Huge Burger from a drive-thru