Ultimate adventure road trip essentials: A packing list for your vehicle

South Africa – Mozambique – Botswana – Zimbabwe

This list was created for adventurous road trips in Southern Africa but many of the essentials will apply to other parts of the world.

“In case of emergency, break the routine and take an adventure!”

— Unknown

Planning for Road Trip Adventures

Heading for Mana Pools, Zimbabwe

Everyone loves an adventure and Africa is an ideal place to get your adrenalin pumping. On one side you have those that prefer road trips of an easy-going nature, with a journey on tar or asphalt to a luxurious destination. On the other end of the scale there are adventurers that insist on taking an almost inaccessible off-road route to an exhilarating destination. I think we are somewhere in-between!

Even on our mildly adventurous travels we have had to deal with a few minor repairs to our vehicle or even trailer. Thankfully we compiled an ultimate packing list of essentials which were especially useful on some of our road trips.  

Adventures with loose axles and landmines in Mozambique

I cannot take credit for this comprehensive list as the vehicle is not my area of expertise – all I did was jot it down and type it up. But the list or rather the contents thereof has saved us and others on numerous overland trips.

Whilst you cannot take an entire workshop with you, it is necessary to take at least some basic tools, depending on your level of expertise.

Breedts Neck Pass - even in South Africa there are roads only suitable for 4x4

Packing list for your vehicle for adventures

• Recovery gear such as tow rope, kinetic strap, shackles

• Spade

• Fire Extinguisher

• Tyre Pressure Gauge

• Portable compressor for tyres

• Reflective emergency triangles

• Hydraulic jack including high lift jack or heavy-duty airbag jack

• Jacking plate, preferably steel

• Puncture repair kit with compound, push-in plugs, emergency temporary tyre sealant

• Wheel spanner, wheel nut adaptors - vehicle and trailer/caravan if towing

• Spare wheel & tyre

• Wheel chocks or blocks

• Basic tool kit

• Flat head screwdrivers and Phillips screwdrivers

• Bolt cutter

• Hexagonal adaptors

• Allen key set

• Socket set

• Spanners

• Wrench/shifters

• Hacksaw & blades

• Water pump pliers

• Hammer

• Duct tape, masking tape, rubber tape

• Q20/WD40

• Portable soldering iron with soldering wire

• Epoxy putty/steel adhesive

• Battery charger/inverter & leads with clamps/connectors

• Jumper cables

• Ratchet straps/tiedowns

• Cable ties – various sizes

• Jerry cans with spare fuel: diesel or petrol - funnels/spouts

• Jerry can with spare oil

• Axe or panga

• Reflective vest

• Optional extras

• Two-way radios for group travel

• South Africa to neighbouring countries: Yellow and blue towing triangle if towing trailer or caravan

• ZA stickers – for South Africans traveling to neighbouring countries

• Tyre monitor

• Solar panel

• Seed net

• Wheel bearing grease

• Wheel bearing puller

• Wheel bearing spares

• Gearbox fluid

• Brake fluid

• Optional spare parts: inner tube, fan belt, air filter, oil filter, petrol filter 

For your own free printable copy, click the button below to download the your own list for adventure road trip essentials for your vehicle

I was hoping my dearly beloved husband would write this blog, because I have no cooking clue what half these things are. Unfortunately he is away on business, trying to earn a living. Think I could spend some of it on another trip? Just a thought!

I have taken it upon myself to do the best I can to explain what each item is useful for. The rest – well, you will just have to guess.

I may well be rapped over the knuckles when my husband reads this blog. He is sure to have his say and enlighten me, with comments such as ‘you should have mentioned this’, or ‘that’s not what it is for’ – should I just let him have his say? Maybe.

Holes dug out by animals in Botswana

Recovery gear: tow rope, kinetic strap, shackles

Ah, fortunately I know what recovery gear is for, seeing I attended a sales course with a brief demonstration on how to use the kinetic strap and shackles. We even had to put it to good use when another vehicle was stuck in the sand in Southern Mozambique. Other occasions when recovery gear is useful is when you get stuck in mud.

Spade

A spade is commonly used for all sorts of jobs, from digging tyres out of soft sand, to transferring hot coals when making a fire. Some people have even used theirs to dig a hole – for their daily constitutional needs where there is no, er… porcelain throne. No, no, it is definitely not for digging a large rectangular hole to dump your travel companion in when he or she gets on your nerves! I am not going to be a part of that.

Fire Extinguisher

A vital and compulsory item to have in your vehicle when traveling to countries such as Mozambique.

Tyre Pressure Gauge

This one is self-explanatory and is always useful when deflating and inflating tyres, as we often do when driving overland or off road.

Portable compressor for tyres

When driving in soft sand we have to deflate our tyres. When returning to a harder surface, a portable compressor to pump air into the tyres is necessary because there is no way you would be able to inflate the tyres by blowing into them. Don’t worry, I’m not that gullible and haven’t tried that one.

Reflective emergency triangles

Whilst stopping on the side of the road and possibly even doing any repairs it is of course necessary in most countries to use emergency triangles.

Hydraulic jack including high lift jack or heavy-duty airbag jack and jacking plate

A hydraulic jack usually provided with the car is normally used to jack up a car but whilst embarking on an off-road adventure it is not suitable or is too small. Many people fit a high lift jack to their vehicle. Others use their vehicles in off-road conditions but they look like they are more suited to ramping onto pavements in cities. Fitting a high lift jack is not a suitable accessory. They might invest in a heavy-duty airbag jack. No, it is not suitable to use as a whoopy cushion or a floating pool lounger.

Another useful item is a jacking plate – something flat and sturdy. If you are on soft sand imagine trying to jack up a vehicle only to have the jack sink in. A flat surface spreads the weight and is less likely to sink deeply.

Booking.com

In the middle of nowhere and you have a puncture in your tyre?

Although it is easier to change a spare wheel when you get a puncture, adventure travel does not often give you the luxury of finding a tyre and repair service to do it for you. At some stage you will want to fix that puncture before you venture further into the unknown. A puncture repair kit is the answer.

You can buy a complete kit or you can put together your own with a tool, compound, push-in plugs, emergency temporary tyre sealant. Do read up or watch videos about them before your trip and remember this is only a temporary repair.

Don’t forget you need a wheel spanner and wheel nut adaptors. Make sure your spanners fit your car as well as your trailer or caravan if you are towing. A wheel chocks or block helps to keep the vehicle stable if you are on uneven ground.

Basic tool kit

Tool kits are a necessity when traveling to remote places because sometimes you have to be a bush mechanic. Some of the items would include a bolt cutter, various size flat screwdrivers, Phillips screwdrivers, hexagonal adaptors, allen key set, socket set, spanners and wrenches otherwise known as shifters. A hacksaw and blades can also be useful. Other items can include water pump pliers, a hammer, duct tape, masking tape and rubber tape. Duct tape can be very useful for sealing tears on just about anything. 

Armed with a can of lubricant like Q20 or WD40 the world is your oyster, at least in the mechanical world. Even I have my own can of Q20 for use in the house - that my husband is not allowed to touch!

Bush mechanics in Botswana & the inevitable Q20

Portable soldering iron with soldering wire

That is for those that know something about electronics and PC boards. I’ll leave it at that.

Our spotlight rattled apart on our trip from Nossob to Mabuasehube, Botswana

Epoxy putty/steel adhesive

I always thought putty was for sticking glass back into gaping holes, but apparently this is a different kind. It is a mouldable adhesive and can be used to repair any metal object. It can also bond and seal a variety of rigid materials.

Flat batteries? It happens.

I do not think there is anyone that has not had issues with their batteries when on an adventure or when camping. The batteries work hard, from keeping your vehicle going to keeping fridges and freezers running to keep your meat, vegetables and drinks cold.

A battery charger and/or inverter including leads with clamps or connectors are essential and even jumper cables are important.

Bumpy roads or loose fittings

We use ratchet straps or tiedowns to keep our fridges secure in our vehicle. You don’t want a missile decapitating you when you have to break suddenly. It also helps to prevent the contents bouncing around unnecessarily.

Cable ties of various sizes can be extremely handy for countless reasons. We once used them to reattach our number plate that nearly fell off during a rather bumpy ride.

Extra fuel

When going on a long trip with few and far between petrol stations, a jerry cans with spare fuel will get you so much further. Don’t forget to pack a funnel and a spout.

An optional extra for those long trips can be a jerry can with spare oil.

Axe or panga

If you are going bundu bashing, you might have to hack away at vegetation (only if it is entirely necessary – I would hate to encourage destroying vegetation). An axe or panga will come in handy.

Reflective vest

This is not a fashion accessory – no chic woman would want to be seen dead in one, but the reflective tape is there for your safety so that oncoming vehicles can have better visibility of you, especially if you have broken down next to the side of the road at night.

Optional extras

If your trip is going to be a lengthy one to remote places, my advice would be to pack a few spares as suggested below.

Two-way radios for group travel

In many places in South Africa there is a lack of cell phone coverage and data. If you are traveling in convoy a two-way radio is a great way of communicating.

Yellow and blue towing triangle

If you are towing a trailer or caravan from South Africa to its neighbouring countries it is compulsory to have a visible yellow and blue towing triangle.

ZA Sticker

Likewise, South Africans are required to have ZA stickers when entering their African neighbours.

Tyre monitor

We have used a tyre monitor for years and although some people may think it is an unnecessary gadget just taking up space on your dashboard, it can give you a warning before it is too late that there is an issue with your tyres.

We have also found a new gadget that is compatible with one’s cell phone, a tyre monitor from Cawe Technologies. So far it works like a dream.

Solar panel

We have recently acquired some portable solar panels which is handy to charge batteries that supply power to fridges and lights in caravans or trailers if you are somewhere off the grid.

Seed net

A seed net is quite useful if you are traveling through remote areas with high grass. If the grass and seeds pack tightly against the radiator, your vehicle could set alight.

Near Mabuasehube, Botswana

Wheel bearing grease, puller and spares

Gearbox and brake fluid

Optional spare parts: inner tube, fan belt, air filter, oil filter, petrol filter

This list is long and some of the items may not seem essential to you, but it gives a good guideline as to what you would need for an adventurous off-road trip. Do you have any useful items to suggest for an adventure?

Christoff from Get.Out.Go has given us some more essential items to take with on an adventurous road trip. He’s an expert, so I will take heed.

Take a look at his website. He reviews bush and rustic campsites and explores Southern Africa and has great videos about them.

“A fire extinguisher is a must. Even with one though, vehicle fires can get out of hand very quickly so you need a go-bag, water and PLB/sat comms in remote areas.”

— Christoff @ Get.Out.Go

Click here for Downloadable PDF Adventure Road Trip Essentials Packing list Vehicle

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About the Author

ALMA VAN AS | ROAMING FOX

Alma is a South African travel blogger and writer. She hopes to inspire you with facts and fables about her adventures, road trips and international travel.

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