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Thinking about exploring Australia’s Outback? Keep in mind that there’s more to it than just driving your 4WD for hours, packing some food and extra clothes and pointing the headlights toward the dunes. To make sure your day is filled with happy memories, you need to have all the off-road essentials ready and on-hand. Off-road driving can be fun and thrilling, not to mention challenging and adventurous. Despite the rocky and bumpy roads, the experience will undoubtedly be memorable and worthwhile. If you’re an off-road rookie, never venture into a vast, remote place without some basic equipment on board your vehicle.
Portable Air Compressor (Mean Mother Adventurer 4 Air)
Every new 4x4 owner learns the hard way why you let the air out of your tyres before taking on extremely rocky bush tracks or tackling a bit of beach driving. Letting the air out of your tyres gives them more grip and lowers the chance of popping a wheel. This extra surface area is especially critical on soft sand, so it's important to have the right gear with you when it counts. We highly recommoned any Mean Mother Air compressors, as they are light weight, draw minimum power and deflate/reinflate in just minutes. Finding a gas station where you can fill up with air isn't all that common in the outback and driving on highways with low tyre pressure is extremely dangerous. Be sure to check out the range for the ultimate in 4x4 accessories.
Spotlights & LED Bars
If you are planning to drive at night, you must have a reliable lighting system to improve night-time conditions. This is where spotlights and LED light bars come in handy. These powerful bulbs wrapped in secure, heavy-duty covering will let you brighten up any road, track or trail –no matter how terrible the weather or how dark the night is. You won’t have any problems seeing the mud, bushes or potholes. That being said, bright lights often attract bugs and they really know how to ruin a party once they are inside your canopy or 4WD so check out the Tri-Colour LED camping lights from Hardkorr. They feature a dull orange light and a dimmer to really limit the amount of bugs hanging around whilst your trying to have a cook up. Hardkorr also swear by their range of driving lights, if your stock head lights are underperforming. Being able to see kilometres in front of you can be a big time saver when looking for the perfct place to camp once the sun has set.
Electrical Accessories
Stay out of trouble by having a battery charger, a jump starter, a solar panel, a fuse box, a full set of spark plugs and an isolator kit. When traversing sand, deep mud and rocks, it’s best to have the right electrical accessories to make sure your devices stay charged. There really is nothing worse when the speaker dies when your hanging out with friends, or when the winch cuts out at the worst possible moment during a recovery. A reliable 12v system is a make or break on a trip in our opinion. Don't miss the perfect shot because you couldn't charge the drone batteries. Check out our blog on how to set up the ultimate 12v system that won't break the bank.
Handheld Radio
If you’re going on an off-road trip with friends, bringing a handheld radio is a must. Unlike smartphones, two-way radios provide instant communication with just a click of a button. Quick, stable and efficient communication is important in case you ever find yourself in an emergency. More importantly it's a great way to keep your convoy from getting lost. Sometimes you may have to split up to investigate an obstacle or let the people in the back know what's up ahead. A UHF radio is truly a game changer when it comes to travelling in a group. We also highly recommend taking a handheld walkie talkie for the more difficult tracks that require a spotter.
Rear Wheel Bag
One of the last things you want when camping is your vehicle filling up with rubbish and nowhere to put it. In most National Parks in Australia there are some pretty hefty fines for littering, so dumping trash isn't an option in the outback. A Tuff Terrain Rear wheel bag is not only the perfect solution to storing rubbish on the road, but holds multiple uses when traveling. From firewood, to dirty, sandy clothes, a rear wheel bag helps you keep the outside elements from getting inside. A hot tip for tinnies: Crush cans flat to save on space.
Survival Supplies
Make sure your survival kit is complete before heading off into the Outback. Some of the essentials include tools like a wrench, work gloves, a map, a rechargeable headtorch, a foldable shovel, a fire extinguisher, a hatchet, food and water. These may seem like a lot, but there is one thing you should never skimp on and that is safety. You don’t want to get struck in the middle of nowhere without anything to make the situation better. If you are travelling in a 4WD with big tyres, it's likely you will be tempted to take on harder tracks. We wouldn't leave home without a high lift jack and neither should you. We've been caught out on some muddy, technical tracks before and wish we brought the base plate as well. Soft mud does not make the best grounding to change a tyre.
Winching Accessory Kit
Don’t forget to install your winch, wire winch cables, tree-saver straps, a snatch block and winch controls, so you can remove your rig from sticky situations. This recovery kit includes everything you need to perform a self recovery while off road. We've dedicated an entire blog to the best recovery gear and tips we've picked up up so far, check it out to see exactly what you need to be unstoppable in the outback.
Steel Snorkel
If you're aiming for one of the more extreme tracks like Cape York or any deep water river crossings, you'll absolutely need to do the bare minimum of installing a Tuff Terrain Stainless Steel snorkel. Even if you just want to upgrade the factory snorkel, a stainless steel one offers a larger air intake that benefits the engine, maximizing performance when crossing deep water. This can make or break a 4x4 adventure, as water getting into the engine can spell game over on any adventure.
Here at Outback Equipment, we can help you get the most out of your 4WD action. Our catalogue consists of a broad range of items, which ranges from towing equipment to 4×4 recovery accessories and camping tools. Contact us today, so we can discuss your off road driving needs or head to our 4x4 category to browse the largest range of 4WD accessories you'll find anywhere.