Baja Equipment list?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

LOL,

Heading down to Baja in O', about two weeks.... :D

Stuff for a 1992 FJ80 & Camping for 1-2 weeks in Baja.

Spares
Hoses
Belts
Air Filter
fuel filter
EFI relays (1991/1992 specific item)
Drum Brake Cylinders
Thermostat
Cap & Rotor
Spark Plugs & Leads
Pre-Mix Coolant (1 Gal.)
8 Quarts Oil
Oil Filter
U-Joints
3 Quarts Gear Oil
ATF (1 Gal)
Brake Fluid
Rear Axle Bearings & Seals
2 5Gal Nato Gas Cans
Expedition Exchange dot com Jerry can holder
1 Spare BFG Mud Terrain (I might take another this year, but haven't needed it.)
Viair 200P Compressor
Recovery Gear
Tire Repair Kit
High-Lift Jack w/ARB adapter
Funnel w/screen
gear oil bottle pump



Camping Stuff

Baja Almanac (Great Map!)
Con-Fer Roof Rack 5.5' x 8'
2 5Gal Water Jugs (Military grade plastic)
Engel 35 Fridge/Freezer (New this year, I got sick of soggy cooler food.)
Hannibal Rooftop Tent/Awning w/sides
2 Dagger Crossover Kayaks (paddles/PFDs etc.)
Sleeping Bags/Pillows/Towels etc.
2 Burner Coleman Propane Stove
Coleman Lantern
Small Propane Cylinders
Primus Himalaya Multi fuel stove
White Gas
Pots/Pans
Folding Table
1 32oz. Nalgene for each person
1 Quart Liquid Bleach (for cleaning up)
Extensive Medical Kit (Depends upon level of training (I'm an EMT-B), when Skeddy is traveling with us (EMT-P), we include IV fluids and other goodies...)
48 Quart Containers (4) for storage
BABY WIPES (These Rock!)
Snorkle gear
Minimal clothing...2 pair trousers, 2 pair shorts, socks
Rain Shell, 200 wt fleece
Sunscreen
Sun Shower (Trying to get a Zodi one-burner...)
Pepper spray
Tarp
Hand Cleaner
XM & World Band Radio
CB
Magellan 4000xl GPS
Globalstar Sat Phone (Renting is Cheap!)

Tools

Ratchet set w/metric sockets & adapters
Box end wrenches
Torque Wrench
Misc. Electrical stuff
Breaker Bar (1/2")
Bolt Cutters
Slim Jim (Maybe "technically illegal", but I've never been hassled it's at the bottom of my stuff)
Pliers/Screwdrivers etc.
Duct Tape (Note: Check out the new "clear" tape...)
Bailing wire
Multi-Meter
Shovel
Hatchet
Factory Service Manual

Other stuff: Passports, Tourist Visas, Health Insurance (www.travelinsure.com); Mexican Auto Insurance (www.bajabound.com)

I leave a copy of our passports/auto information license, reg. title etc. with a family member, and keep about $200 (10s & 20s) and other copies of all information and passports in the truck in a "secret location." We also include a relatively detailed itinerary with times where we will have the sat phone on to receive calls (emergency ONLY!).

If we are off the itinerary...so what....it'll be a general location.

I'm sure I left some stuff out...I'll try to remember. Summer is Baja is friggin' HOT! I'd double the water requirements.

Check out Bajanomad dot com for good info. Read Sandcruisers entire site...it's good to learn from their experiences...I know I did!

You'll need a tourist visa below Ensenada or San Felipe, but these are usually not checked until the border of Baja Norte & Baja Sur. A smile goes a long way, the people are great, and the food is fantastic!

-H-
PetesPalapas.webp
Onthebeach.webp
 
Last edited:
It's just perforated galvanized angle I picked up from the local Home Depot, bolted to the original tie down points.

I've since made a new "cargo floor" which will allow me to remove the front section and use the middle row seats; keeping the rear rails in. For now, only the front seats are in.

-H-
Cargo Area.webp
 
Thanks to all of you again - a very good discussion!

Sorry for the California rant. I am a native and take s*** from many out of staters, who seem to harbor some mysterious greivance against Californios.

This not be my first trip to Baja, but my first extended driving trip, and my first trip (to Baja) in my FJ60.

Thanks again!

Mike S
 
Rich,

Thanks for the update/info on the poptop 75.
Always fun to see connections out there.
I didn't get a chance to meet the owners- was aboard a horse at the time with some other folks... pretty neat cruiser, though.

On the baja topic: I think both camps are right--- Baja both is and isn't remote and 3rd world. I live in the 3rd world and see a lot of things in baja that make me shudder for their backwardness. There are also plenty of places where there isn't much need to want for anything. That's all part of what makes baja so darn cool!! You can be sitting on a totally deserted ridge, all by yourself one day and the very next be slurping down an icy margarita in a posh little hotel. Fun!

The trick is breaking down in town. If you can manage that, you'll save yourself a LOT of grief. :)
 
This is a very cool topic, I am impressed with some of the responses.

I have found that the most critical modification is done to the occupants, not the vehicle. It is important to just slow down and learn to take things in stride. Drive the speed limit and enjoy the scenery, it will save you a lot of grief. The entire area is open range, so animals end up all over the roads. Nothing will end your trip faster than a donkey through your grill.

Use pesos, and follow Sandcruisers advice by requesting a specific amount of fuel in pesos. I have a 22 gallon auxilliary tank and 18.5 gallon main tank which provides a lot of flexibility.

The only places I have ever felt uncomfortable or been "taken" was where the gringos frequent, so I just drive on through and find a remote cliff, looking over the gulf and enjoy the view...

Sandcruiser,

Very cool to see you on the forum. I have followed your adventures for years.
 
Baja

I go to Baja every March-I stay at Playa Santispac ,south of Mulege.A palapa on the beach is 60 pesos a night and it is very safe and quiet.I bring $200 american and change over about $500 in pesos.MY MUST HAVES:2 coolers,my quad and our 2 man sea kayak,fishing stuff and tarps to keep out the afternoon wind,Also 100%deet is the only deterrent to the pesky Hihienes(small flies)Get your water for your showers and drinking water/ice in any town.Mulege is my favorite town in Baja-Sur.Get yourself a zodi propane shower,always carry 10 gallons of gas and 5 gallons of water.The gas attendents are a little dishonest,so get gas at biggest towns around and pay attention to the amount.Overall the people are very nice.NEVER go to a campsite at Easter time,folks from Tiajuana run generators and can get very rowdy untill 3 in the morning sometimes.Allways keep a $50 bill handy if you need to get out of trouble with local police-thats no joke!My XM radio works all the way to La Paz,which is a great town also.Try to get to San Felipe to see the Baja 500 or 250,its a blast and a great party town.I hope I helped,Baja is definately my favorite place to vacation,I hope you have a great time!
 
Another good source of information is the Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide by Tom Sheppard. It's out of print, but worth the time and $$ spent to find it. I think used copies are around $100-$150 US now, but it's like a college text on vehicle travel around the world, and worth every penny.

-H-
 
Water Pump went out when I went to Mulege

Mike:

I just caight this thread. I've been interested in following another Cruiser down since my last fiasco. I have taken my rig down at least 5 times with the last trip being the most challenging. I have driven down to the beaches near Santispac about 30 miles south of Mulege. I met an honest mechanic in Santa Rosalia named Sergio. He apparently owns only one of two/three tow trucks in the immediate area that can handle a heavily weighted down cruiser. He pulled mine in from the dessert just before hitting the coast of Sea of Cortez and a direct haul from Southern California. My water pump went out and it took Sergio the better part of a week to get the part and install it. Meanwhile I was without a vehicle on a beach with a few friends and relied on the local vendors for ice and beer provisions!

Let me know when you plan on going and I may hook up with you for part of the drive. Nothing like a few cruisers heading south to the land of relaxation!
 
mechanics

You would be suprised at the overall honesty of the Baja mechanicos.There is a guy in Mulege who fixed my steering box for $10!Plus,one year my whole charging system went out in Guerro Negro.This one dude charged my battery for free,when I drove back I had no charging system,so my dad and I would swap batteries so his truck could charge one while I drove as far as I could with the other.What a nightmare!Through the desert with a limping truck=no fun.Long story short bring an extra optima red top and what ever you are worried about,because there aint no AAA.
 
Ship away. I am driving mine to SAN a week or two prior to the planned trip (03/06) for the same reason. Now I just need to find a place near the airport to securely store a few rigs with minimal worries of someone cleaning out the trucks. That is why I am hesitant to just park in an Airport long term lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom