Expedition Tips & Tricks

[gilghana]

I always Bungee a old fertilizer type nylon sack to one of the rear tyres on the bumper - then stick in all my rubbish... Once full look for a rubbish bin and a new sack (in West Africa they are sold in every small village "shop"). Avoids smells and the headache of rubbish.

Baby wipes: i.e. these pre-moistened paper wipes are great for face and hand cleaning... And the hand wash stuff already mentioned is also good for wiping down my chopping board (which is heavy duty enough) that doubles as a jack stand.

A plastic washing basin is useful - not just for washing dishes and clothes, but for throwing in fruit and veg purchased on the road side as well as other small stuff until you make camp and can pack stuff properly. Thinking about replacing it with one of these collapsible ones.

I carry a small home made mattock instead of a shovel - with a sharpened edge it can chop wood, it is great for digging a toilet pit in hard ground, and I also use it to move coals from the fire when cooking in the dutch oven. Very very versatile tool (I don't bother with a shovel).

Gil

 

[latinoguy]

Will have to make one of these and keep as an emergency stove in my LC, and to use for backpacking trips...

It works for Andrew Skurka...

Backpacking Advice & Tips
You can use Heet or alcohol for fuel...

 

[rusty_tlc]

Will have to make one of these and keep as an emergency stove in my LC, and to use for backpacking trips...

It works for Andrew Skurka...

Backpacking Advice & Tips
You can use Heet or alcohol for fuel...

That would justify keeping some high octane fuel in the rig at all times.

 

[cruiser_guy]

If you want to learn how to pack light, take a week long back packing trip and do not take freeze dried food. We've done that with our kids when they were younger, my wife and I and four kids under 15 for 4 days on the Pacific Crest Trail on the weekend before 9/11. You'll quickly discover what is necessary and what is not! Obviously tools and spare parts will be in addition to that.

 

[4x4v8]

I havent read through the whole thread yet, but I figured I would write this before I forget. My cousin went to South Africa to golf and he told me when they travelled from the golf course to their house they had a locked metal box underneath the car to store their clubs. If they left it in the trunk or visible in the car people would break in for it. That made me think that a lockable box under the rig would be a good idea. Only thing is it might affect clearance...

 

[4x4v8]

For security, I cut an old dark blanket in the shapes of my windows and install them on the inside with suction cups that have little hooks on them. Sometimes leave a multilingual 'do not disturb' sign from a hotel visible between the blanket and windshield. Essentially, it makes NOTHING instide the vehicle visible from outside- but I wonder if that increases interest to a potential thief? The 'do not disturb' sign hopefully makes them think I'm napping with a big machete or something.
Been lucky so far.

Thats a good idea.

Another idea if youre sleeping in the rig it so get magnetic strips and door mesh (like on a screen door). Cover the window at night to keep the bugs out and the air moving.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Was told once by an experienced traveller that the 3 most important things to carry with you are 1) U.S. dollars 2) Marlboro cigarettes and 3) Playboy magazines.

I get the logic, all can be traded as cash but did the guy who passed on that little nugget look or sound a little like Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of Sierra Madre

Never hide all your cash in one place in your vehicle.Only have a few bucks in your wallet and some more in the cubbyhole.A good place to hide your cash if your vehicle is fitted with canvas seatcovers is in the headrests- officials never search there If you get fined always insist on a receipt no matter what.Make certified copies of your passports etc and hide the original documents in a safe place.If you get pulled over present the copies first.Never let youe docs out of your sight or posession if at all possible.

Excellent advice on the travel docs. I lot of folks who travel frequently make copies but getting them certified , i.e. stamp and official seals would go a long way at check points in a lot of Central and South American countries. As to insisting on a receipt in the event that you have to pay a fine, it is a good idea but I would suggest that folks use good judgement. If it is a cop/judge that thinks he is doing right, insisting too much might well insult him (I want a receipt so you can't just pocket the money you corrupt SOB...) and then things can really go down hill fast. Good idea on money storage if you have seat covers that is.

here is one thing you may want to do on an exped trip when leaving if a newish shiny car: wet the truck and throw dirt on it, not major mud, more like a lot of dust / dirt so it doesn't attract attention and does no longer look shiny and new. That may help you avoid attracting attention or being targeted in the beginning, before your truck collects honest dust.

People may laugh but this is the one thing that has me nervous about getting paint done while here. Right now I can roll off on my own out into the middle of nowhere, through dust filled little towns and really bad neighborhoods without getting a second look. My rig doesn't look bad, it just looks "lived in" and just like alot of older cars here. I am planning on the dust idea as I have found that a car covered in mud draws way too much attention as well.

BOMBS!.........your traveling in the wrong neck of the woods my friend....the day I start worring about bombs in my car is the day I sit up in the turret on my rooftop at home

OMG LMAO......wait I have traveled through places like that...another reason to keep a layer of dust on the rig.

Guyys I guess I come to "vehicle dependent travel" as a backpacker. For a while I have been trying to wrap my head around the notion of hauling so much crap on a trip. Then I read a line somewhere from another backpacker. Now your rig is your pack, you drive it up the hill rather than hump it up the hill. That being said I wouldn't carry anything showy, valuable or loose hanging on the outside of my pack, so same rule for the rig. Only carry the essentials with everything strapped down tight etc. Most of this thread is about figuring out what are the essentials and and great ways to stow them. Lots of really great ideas here, though I haven't seen anyone speak to med supplies/ first aid wilderness aid supplies. Obviously gotta take this stuff with you. I'd like to hear what kinds of stuff outside of the ordinary are you carrying in your kit and how and where are you guys storing aid supplies.
John

 

[dtrain]

This may not be “expedition” specific but, think it comes into play while you are out there. Let me know what you think!

I carry a “kit” which I have heard most call a “bug-out pack/kit”. Sure, there are many variations but thought I would share mine. Its really nothing special except for the fact that I never pilage things out of it and its always packed.

Mine is more a short-term 1-2 day/overnight kit for 1-2 people (3 people would be pushing it) in a quest to find help and safety. Grabbing this “pack” would provide me some basics assuming I already have on a shirt, pants/shorts, shoes, hat/beanie). I will throw this pack (size of a large freezer zip-loc stuffed full) in my trail rig or just throw it in the cruiser on my way somewhere. It doesn’t take up to much space, fairly light, and easy. The contents could be adjusted depending on the destination (a hike, a long motorcycle ride, Kayak adventure, mtn bike ride, etc).

Contents (may be missing a few things since its not in front of me)
- contents below housed in a large freezer zip-loc bag
- everything that could get damaged by water is hosed in its own zip-loc bag
- First Aid kit (more than the basics but not over the top… level II I think??)
- 1 Handheld 2-way (new + fresh batteries)
- multi-tool
- Iodine tablets for water
- pocket knife (more a medium size folder)
- 2 space blankets (small very thin kind)
- 1 power bar
- 3 packs liquid energy
- waterproof matches (start anywhere tips)
- headlamp (fresh batteries + use the same size as handheld above)
- very loud whistle
- compass
- ~8’ of duct tape (taken off the role & rolled over itself to create a long thin “biscut”)
* I would include essential daily meds on this list but don’t use any

EDIT: Thought of something else... money (5x $20 bills)

 

[sandcruiser]

more thoughts regarding border crossings/checkpoints:
We got into a good habit of always locking the doors upon exiting the vehicle. Always.
At a checkpoint, they will, of course, ask you to unlock/open them. We would only open 1 door at a time, stand there while 1 guy looked through, then move to the next door. Sometimes they will insist that you open everything, and a 16 year old with an automatic rifle can be pretty convincing, but generally we found that the 1 door at a time method takes longer but results in fewer misplaced items.

RE documents: Anything with stamps/seals on it will seem official to most folks in Central America as stamps/seals are still the order of the day here. A great way to wizz through checkpoints is to compile the following:
A color photocopy of all of your vehicle paperwork/passport(s)/drivers license(s)/birth certificate(s) etc etc with some sort of stamps on it -- notarized would be awesome, but at the very least get a date-stamp, and maybe some other sort of rubber stamps to make it look official. If you get a friendly border guard, ask them to stamp your "official" copies. It doesn't mean a dang thing, but trust me, in some places those extra stamps are going to help.

Put each document into its own plastic sleeve, then put all of them into a binder. Then, have 10 b/w copies of each document behind the "good" copy. You'll be giving out photocopies of car docs/passports like they were flyers for a beach party.


The resulting book looks pretty impressive. Any time we were stopped, we pulled the book out of the driver's map pocket and presented it to the official who stopped us. They usually leaf through it, and gave it back and that was that. I suspect that when confronted with more paperwork than they expect, many officials just figure "These guys must know what they are doing, I'll just let 'em get going".

Side note: keep all the originals somewhere safe.

Another trick that I haven't done yet, but I'm thinking I may do soon: if you get your doors keyed to a different lock than your ignition, you can "safely" zip tie a spare key somewhere. If you lock yourself out, you've got a way in that isn't breaking a window. If someone else finds the key, they can get in, but at least they can't drive away. Hint: breaking into the car is easier for most thieves than hunting all over your rig for a spare key to unlock the door.

Did someone mention kill switches? Always good to slow someone down if they are trying to steal your rig.

Stashing money in various spots is a good idea- that way if you need more you can gather it up bit by bit without exposing the amount you actually have. We tapped someone's bumper in Mexico, it was started to look ugly but $200 in cash made the problem go away in a hurry. If I had $500 in the hidey-hole, I'll bet it would have cost me more than $200 to resolve the issue.

The best part of having money stashed all over: years later you'll be wrenching and suddenly come across $50 or $100 and think "hey! Beer money!"

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I didn't come up with this idea, but the 80's rear lift has a lot of potential for storage. I wish I could make my own lid like WagonGear did.

If you go on an expedition, you might consider using the ten-essentials of backpacking. There are lot of organizations that put out this list and this is just one of them. I can fit them in a small backpack when I go hiking.

 

[sandcruiser]

freebie: if you lock the child-proof locks on the rear doors, it makes them harder for people to do a smash n grab. Not much harder.... but a little bit.

 

[soenke]

to do a smash n grab

scotchshield (sorry just found a german link)

this helps to avoid anyone or anything (thrown stones..) to destroy the window/windshield.

we put this onto our old and untinted glass to have an UV block also....

 

[Bogo]

scotchshield (sorry just found a german link)

this helps to avoid anyone or anything (thrown stones..) to destroy the window/windshield.

we put this onto our old and untinted glass to have an UV block also....

Google search comes up with allot.
scotchshield window protection - Google Search

 

[joshoisasleep]

People were talking about window protection and bug screens. I had some steel bars made up for all windows that roll down. They slot nicely in to hook around the shape of the window frame, and can be removed as easily as slipping them on and off, but with the doors shut are part of the car and immobile. They also have bug screens. They serve several purposes:
1. My girlfriend and I safely sleep in the truck at night wherever we like, with the windows rolled down without fear of bugs or people.
2. I can leave the truck parked (within visible range) with the windows rolled down... like when eating at a cafe. (this keeps my rabbit from dying of heat exhaustion).
3. No smash 'n grab through the easiest windows. I once left the truck parked on the street at night without the bars on, and someone managed to almost cut out one of the rear triangle windows before I caught him.
4. When driving through dangerous people situations, you feel more comfortable with steel as well as glass between you and the outside world.
5. We're less of a target... they give the truck a real "don't @$&% with me" look about as good as mismatched paint colours.


Also talking about under-truck storage... that's good for centre of gravity but likely would cause clearance issues. I have a big vertical box attached to my rear bumper that hinges down. Thieves don't even look at it (I assume), and it's only ever been searched ONCE in all my police and border checks (Chile)... the words "let me get my tools to open it" have scared all other curious officials away. Security through obscurity is a wonderful thing.

My advice on packing light: just don't travel with a woman

 

[NLXTACY]

JOSHOISASLEEP, NEED some pics of your setup!!!!!

 

[joshoisasleep]

Uh oh I feel like that's the second time I've posted the above... how embarrassing...

I'll try!! In the meantime my website has a few... you can try searching on there if you want. I'm terrible when it comes to posting pictures...

 

[Appolyon]

Well I don't have much in the way of mods to make my truck an Expedition vehicle, but I do have some things that you guys don't have listed.... Please keep in mind that this is not something that I plan on keeping in my vehicle full time, just for long or isolated trips.

I have a pretty darn complete emergency kit (some of this is not in it yet however), due to past experience... I'm CPR/AED certified, Eagle Scout, and both parents are docs...

AED with 3x sets of pads- Charges out of the Cig lighter
SAM splints
vet and Ace wraps
Tylonel, Ibprofen, Alieve,
Pepto.
Anti Diahrreah
BGM & breathing barrier
assorted bungees and stiff straight metal peices
1 Leatherman
1 CRKT Stiff Kiss
2 Maglites.
Class 3 First Aid Kit secured in a pelican box. Contains standard dressings, moleskin, gloves, shears, bandages, etc.... plus medical grade superglue and a roll of Gorilla Tape
100ft. of Parachute cord
100ft. of work rope from Home Despot
3 locking carabiners etcetera....


That's most of the emergency stuff... I'm a little over prepared, but it's one bad experience makes it worth it... If you're creative, this stuff can fit into every nook and cranny that you can find. some places that I don't think anyone has mentioned for stashing money or valuables-

The headrest has a zipper on it, and small numbers of bills can inconspicuously be inserted into that. Also, I've stuck money up underneath the edge of my seat. you can't see it or feel it if you just put your fingers up underneath. Works fine.

One of my friends has a lockbox welded to the deck underneath the drivers seat on his 40. Custom lockbox built by an engineering student friend. It's got a 10digit combo, and it's 1/4" steel all the way around. big enough to put the car keys, passports, Ipods, point and shoot digital cameras, and pretty much anything else that you don't want stolen. We usually strip everything else off the car and no one has gotten into it... It's an open top, year round... I've also seen key safes welded to the frame and put into the trailer hitch mount

 

[cruiser_guy]

My cousin went to South Africa to golf and he told me when they travelled from the golf course to their house they had a locked metal box underneath the car to store their clubs. If they left it in the trunk or visible in the car people would break in for it. That made me think that a lockable box under the rig would be a good idea. Only thing is it might affect clearance...

This might cause issues at some of the border crossings. I had a real hassle with my aftermarket long range fuel tank crossing from Costa Rica to Nicaragua. It just looks like a big steel box. They went so far as to remove it from the truck to be sure it didn't have any hidden compartments inside. I'm not sure they were convinced. The next time we arranged with a "tramitador" and told him he'd get paid AFTER all our papers were in order and they didn't take the truck apart. It was worth the $15-20 for that.

 

[61Mk+]

Hello All,
Just read the entire thread, LOTS of good stuff in it.
For what it's worth: a (lockable) tap/faucet/spigot at the bottom of your fuel tank(s), assuming it's diesel. One can easily drain out water, empty the tank of fuel if need be, but i found it very useful when all cooking was on fires: when it is raining, the diesel is good for getting wet wood burning.
In regards to converting the AC to an air compressor, and this i found out after having it done to my car: an AC system is a closed one, and the refrigerant also acts as the lubricant for the compressor. Once converted to be just an air compressor, as it is now an open system it needs to be oiled, which also means that a fine mist of oil comes with every blast of air. Not a problem when pumping up tires, but less than amusing when trying to blow the dust out of your car.

Cheers, 61Mk+

 

[Shinichi]

Hi, lots of great ideas in this thread.

One tip that has worked for us down in Baja is traveling with our dog. All documents for him in order, though we have only ever needed them coming back across the CA border one time. He is a gentle 120 lb Malamute, but he has a large presence. Every time we have stopped at a check point to be looked over, when the back door opens, it is quickly shut again and we get waved through. It may be just good luck so far, but I feel he has been worth the extra space, food and water for peace of mind.