Packing up your 4×4 and heading out to your favorite camping spot sounds like an ideal way to spend a weekend—as long as you have the right equipment. If you already own camping essentials like a tent and sleeping bag (see this guide if not), you might be wondering what other overlanding items to add to your arsenal. But with so much to choose from, gearing up properly requires expert guidance. For that, we talked with John Watson, an expert 4×4 tourer and founder of The Radavist, to get his recommendations for the best overlanding gear to complement your setup. He dispels one myth right off the bat: You don’t need to have a massive budget to be prepared.
“It’s much simpler than you’d think,” Watson tells Men’s Journal via email. “There’s no need to spend a lot of money to get out for a weekend of camping.”