7 must-have accessories for travelling off-grid

When I talk at 4×4, camping, and outdoor shows, I describe camping as an evolving sport – only with much less sweating, grunting and fake tans. When you first start out, you grab the cheapest tent you can find, which will be constructed of a material that leaks like a sieve while looking impervious to water. Then you head bush with a myriad of basic equipment that you’ve gathered together.

If you decide you like the outdoor life, you start to go further afield and for longer periods of time. You upgrade your kit as you work out the style of camping that suits you best and the gear you can and can’t go adventuring without.

I’m a decade into the camping evolution. These days I head off-grid for months at a time, usually to some of the most remote locations Australia has on offer. I ask a lot of my gear and I’ve learned what products can and can’t be trusted. Here are what I reckon are seven must-packs for every off-grid trip that I haven’t just tried – I’ve torture tested. 

Yamaha 2.2KVA Inverter generator

As I write this, I’m on a remote stretch of the WA coast. It’s overcast, and even with a monstrous 12V setup that includes ample solar, I’m only pulling 25W through the panels. It’s when conditions such as these hang around for a few days that you’re glad you packed a generator. That is until your ears start to bleed, and all sense of serenity is lost because the damn thing is so noisy.

Cue Yamaha’s 2.2 KVA silent generator. These things are the reason I’ll never have to pay a cent to an audiologist or get hearing aids. Up and running, these units produce 57 decibels of noise. Which is only seven more than the 50 decibels a person chewing makes, and I know which one I’d rather listen to. Backed by Yamaha’s legendary reliability, another thing that makes these a winner is their 10.5-hour run time, meaning far fewer fuel-ups and more time by the fire!

Jetboil 

I’ll throw myself under the bus, my ute actually has a coffee machine, but I can’t for the life of me bring myself to use it. Somehow, Jetboil has managed to make old-school technology both faster and easier to use than its modern-day counterpart.

Taking up next to no space in the canopy, these bad boys boil a litre of water a minute. I use mine with a plunger attachment which is also offered by Jetboil. It’s not just great for boiling water and making coffee, though. I’ve used mine to make soups, noodles and other meals. 

Portable 12V fridge

Going off-grid is easy. Staying off-grid is hard. You’re only going to make it so far into your adventure before you realise a cooler full of ice just isn’t going to cut the mustard. Out in the sticks, food poisoning is a genuine concern. You can’t risk fluctuating temperatures spooling your fresh veggies and meat, so you need a reliable fridge that performs in all conditions.

It doesn’t really matter what fridge you choose, as long as it’s an Engel. Plain and simple, Engels just don’t break. I’ve seen 50-year-old Engels still performing on the tracks just as well as they did when they left the factory, which is hardly surprising considering their motors have only one moving part. 

Garmin inReach MINI

If you’re headed off-grid, there’s a good chance you’re doing it somewhere remote. When you’re out bush, especially in Australia, things can quickly go wrong, so it pays to have a means of communicating with the rest of the world. On all of my trips, I carry a Garmin inReach MINI.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a product that offers as many features as the inReach MINI for the same price. You can’t make calls, but you can communicate by text. The MINI also features an SOS mode which, when activated, sends your location and particulars to a Rescue Coordination Centre who will triage your request for assistance, speak with you to gather pertinent details and let your family know you’ve run into trouble.

They also feature top-notch weather forecasts and include a GPS function that allows family members and friends to track your location.

Leatherman OHT

The Leatherman OHT, or One-Handed Tool, is something I’ve been carrying on every trip for the last three or so years. As the name suggests, the party piece of this multitool is that it can be operated with one hand. To get the pliers out, you simply squeeze the sides and let the pliers slide out.

The shapes of the other tools are stamped on the sides of the Leatherman, which makes finding them a breeze, even in the dark. I use my OHT at least twice a day, every day, for odd jobs around camp and I love it.

Starlink 

This one may sound contentious. I agree, there’s a solid argument for leaving devices in the glove box and getting back to basics. But, if you’re looking to get off-grid comfortably and work remotely, you’re going to need Starklink. The satellite dish itself is a pain in the proverbial to store, and I think it’s ridiculously priced.

With those things considered though, it’s still a game changer with the potential to let you work in a new office with reliable internet every day. Then there’s the life-saving aspect, I know of quite a few travellers who have utilised their Starlink to call for help or gather advice on mechanical issues.

Water storage

When it comes to water storage, everyone has their own opinion on how much should be carried and how it should be stored. One thing we can all agree on though, is that you need water if you’re going to head off-grid. You can opt for a fixed water tank, keep things simple with a roof-mounted PVC pipe or take the easy route like I did.

I generally carry around 50 litres in my Ranger and use The Original by OnTap Products to pressurise the water, fill the JetBoil and water bottles, and do the washing up. 

What will you take on your next off-grid adventure?

Combined with the general items you’d pack for any trip, these seven game-changers are sure to make your next off-grid adventure a pearler. I rely on these pieces of equipment daily when I’m remote and the reason they’re on the list isn’t just because they make my life outdoors easier, it’s because they’ve never let me down either.