Most overlanding gear regrets come from buying before you know how you camp. Take one real trip, spend in the right order, and add up every purchase as you go.
Most overlanding gear regrets come from buying before you know how you camp. Take one real trip, spend in the right order, and add up every purchase as you go.
Written by Mike, a union power lineman with 22 years on the job and several mutual aid trips to many states.
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Short answer: Most overlanding gear regrets come from buying before you know how you camp. The fix is simple: take one real trip with what you have, write down what actually slowed you down, then spend in this order: recovery basics, a way to call for help, power, then sleep. Add up every purchase as you go, because a build bought one piece at a time always costs more than it feels like.
Updated November 5, 2026. Written by Mike, an electrical lineman with 22 years on the job who has worked several mutual aid trips throughout the country, from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Regret is rarely about one bad product. It is about the order you bought things in. A rack, a tent and a light bar look like progress, but if you have never been stuck, never cooked at camp after a long day, and never weighed your truck, you are guessing.
Three patterns show up again and again:
A few lessons from my own builds:
Builds happen over months. A rack one season, a tent the next, recovery gear when it goes on sale. No single receipt feels large, so the total is a surprise when you finally list it.
Do it anyway. Make a simple sheet with every category below and fill it in, including the things you already own. Prices change constantly, so check current prices on each item instead of trusting a number from a blog post, this one included.
The vehicle is the biggest cost and it sets every limit after it. My truck is a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Elevation. A stock truck is a fine starting point, and so is a vehicle you already own. A used platform can shrink the total a lot, even if it needs more work. Run the numbers both ways before you buy new. If you are still choosing, read the best overlanding vehicle is the one you already have.
I run an OVS HD Bushveld rooftop tent. Sleeping up high means a tent, plus a roof rack rated to carry it, plus the weight up top every mile you drive. A good ground tent, pads and a tarp do the same basic job for far less money and no roof load.
Before you buy any rooftop tent, check that your vehicle and rack can handle it moving and parked with the RigSafe rooftop tent configurator.
My power setup is an EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra with three 220W solar panels and an EcoFlow WAVE 3. The same DELTA 3 Ultra runs our kitchen fridge and internet at home when the power goes out, so it is not a single-use purchase. That is the test I would apply to any big power buy: does it earn its place at home too?
Budget for the small stuff in this category. Cables, brackets and mounting hardware add up.
This is the category where cheap gear does the most damage. A recovery strap or rope, rated shackles, traction boards and a way to lift the vehicle are the basics. I carry X-Bull traction boards. Buy rated gear from makers who publish working load limits, and learn to use it before you need it. For what belongs in a kit and what is just for show, see recovery gear you actually need.
I carry a Garmin inReach Mini 2. A satellite messenger needs a paid plan to work, so count the subscription, not just the device. Paper maps for the areas you drive and offline maps on your phone are cheap backups that still work when the screen dies.
Build the kitchen for the meals you actually cook. For most trips that is one or two burners and simple food. I use a JetBoil Genesis Basecamp. A small stove you set up in a minute gets used every trip. A large setup that takes ten minutes each way often stays in the bin.
Lighting, an onboard air compressor, chairs, a table and storage are easy to forget in the total, and together they are often more than one big item. List them.
The best purchases solve a problem you have already had, and they work at home in an outage as well as on the trail. A power station that keeps the fridge cold at home, a satellite messenger and solid recovery gear all pass that test. A light bar for photos usually does not.
Heavy racks, oversized kitchens, big light bars and rooftop tents bought before checking payload. Start with recovery basics, a way to call for help, power and shelter you will use every trip.
Take one shakedown trip, list real problems, set a payload budget, and buy the right tool once instead of a cheap trial version.
It depends on the vehicle and how far you go. Add up every category: shelter, power, recovery, navigation and comms, kitchen, lights and small gear. Check current prices, because they change often, and expect the total to be higher than it felt while you were buying.
If you camp often and hate ground setup, it can be. If you rarely leave pavement and already own a good ground tent, it is expensive weight on your roof.
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