Free tool
Overland Build Planner
Answer four questions about how and where you overland. We will map your answers to a prioritized gear list so you spend on what matters first and skip what can wait. No product recommendations here -- just a ranked list of categories based on your situation.
How it works
How this tool works
The planner ranks gear categories, not products, so that the money goes where your trips will actually test it. How often you go out and how long you stay decide whether recovery, power and sleep systems are essentials or luxuries: a monthly weekend needs far less than a two-week remote loop. Travelling solo pushes recovery and communication up the list because nobody is there to pull you out; a group can share the heavy items.
Terrain reshapes the order again. Sand and mud make traction boards and tyre deflation tools urgent; rocks make armour and a compressor urgent; long forest roads make lighting and spares matter more than any of those. The result is a build phase and a prioritized list with a line on why each category sits where it does.
Reading the result
How to read your result
Buy from the top of the list and stop when you reach an item you have not needed on a real trip. The order is designed so that the items above are the ones that would have ended a trip if missing; the items below improve comfort.
Re-run the planner when trips change. Moving from group weekends to solo week-long routes changes the top three categories, and the plan should change with it.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the first thing to buy for a new overland vehicle?+
Reliable recovery basics and a tyre kit: a rated strap, shackles, a compressor and a plug kit. They cost less than a roof rack and they are what gets you home.
Do I need a roof tent?+
No. A ground tent or a sleeping platform covers most trips, and roof tents add weight, drag and cost. The planner only raises sleep systems toward the top for frequent, long trips.
How much should a dual-battery or power station matter?+
It rises with trip length and a fridge. Weekend trips with a cooler need nothing; a week with a fridge needs a second battery or a station large enough for two days without driving.
Why is lighting ranked lower than I expected?+
Because most trips end at camp before dark and a headlamp covers the rest. Auxiliary vehicle lighting matters on long night drives on forest roads, which is why it climbs when that terrain is selected.