Some of forum member schanusa’s gear he carries on long off-road trips

Choosing what to carry off-road can be a huge decision. You want to have the tools you’ll need, but not carry more than necessary due to the weight and space they take.

What I Carry (Jim Oaks):

My wheeling trips generally consist of a full day of wheeling on a Saturday afternoon (Sometimes I stay the night and wheel for a few hours on Sunday). I have a large plastic tool box in my bed that I carry tools in.

The large tool box above contains:

  • Small floor jack & handle (A Hi-Lift is great, but if you have a lot of suspension travel, you’ll be jacking the truck forever to get the wheel off the ground. The higher you go, the more you have to worry about it leaning over. It’s a lot quicker to throw a small floor jack under the axle.)
  • 4-way lug wrench
  • (2) spare hubs for the Dana 35
  • Breaker bar and spindle nut socket
  • Hammer with a rubber and plastic head (for knocking the spindle loose if I need to replace a front axle shaft)
  • Spare left and right front axle shaft
  • Black tool bag containing SAE and metric wrenches and sockets (need 15mm to remove the spindles), screw drivers, pliers, vice grips, tire repair (plugs) kit, and electrical tool kit (multimeter, stripper/crimper, wire, connectors, tape, fuses, and spare toggle switch)
  • Large and small tow strap
  • (2) D-rings
  • (2) snatch blocks
  • Winch remote
  • 12-volt hand-held spotlight with long cord for working outside the truck
  • Jump-pack (sometimes)
  • Power steering fluid
  • Brake fluid (if you break a line or wheel cylinder, you can crimp it closed with vise grips and add more fluid)
  • Engine oil
  • Transmission fluid
  • Gallon of water
  • Shop towels
  • First aid kit
  • Toilet paper

I also carry:

  • Fire extinguisher (not shown – mounted in the cab)
  • Full size spare tire
  • Food and drinks to last the day on the trail
  • Change of dry clothes
  • Trash bag
  • GPS
  • CB radio to stay in touch with the group
  • My truck has tow hooks mounted to the front and rear

Recommendations:

Here is a list of recommended items to carry (found quite some time ago, don’t remember where):

One Day

Maps of the area
First-aid kit
Fire extinguisher (Halon if available)
Basic tool kit
Shovel
Axe or saw
A good hydraulic jack
A good Hi-Lift mechanical jack
Jumper Cables
Spare tire
4-way lug wrench
Air pressure gauge
Tire repair kit / tire pump (DC compressor)
Can of tire sealant
Radiator stop leak
Tow rope / chain
Gloves
Baling wire and duct tape
Extra motor oil (at least 2 qts.)
Extra fuel (enough for the entire trip home)
Grease
Engine belts
Extra distributor cap & rotor
Extra ignition module
Spare locking hub
Repair manual for your Ranger (Chilton’s or Hayes)
Extra hoses / clamps
Fuses
Flashlight and extra batteries
Good pocket knife
Strike anywhere matches in water tight container
CB Radio
Spare keys
Food and water for a whole day
Can opener
Utensils (fork, spoon, knife, pan w/handle)
Aluminum foil
Plastic trash bags
Paper towels and toilet paper
Bungee cords
Rain gear
Change of clothes
Hand cleaner
Absorbent
Plastic tarp

Tool kit

Set of 3/8 & 1/2 inch sockets & ratchets
Extensions for the ratchets
Torx bit sockets for your U-Joints
Metric sockets
Open end / box wrenches
Spark plug socket
Crescent wrench
Pliers
Vise grips
Channel lock pliers
Wire cutters & crimpers
Assorted fuses
Wire and wire nuts
Electrical Tape
Standard & philips head srew drivers
Alan wrenches
Assorted nuts & bolts
Knife
WD-40

Expanded Tool Kit

Basic tool kit
Set of 1/4 inch sockets & ratchets
Hacksaw
Chisel
Deep sockets
Small sledgehammer
Valve stem remover / installer
Large crescent wrench
C-Clamps
Voltmeter or test light
Retrieval magnet and mirror
Battery terminal cleaner
Files
Breaker Bar
Torx bits and sockets
Tire Iron
Large channel locks
Pipe wrench
Replacement belts
Hoses
U-Joint
Fuel filter
Oil filter
JB Weld
Gear Oil
Silicon gasket maker
Fuel pump
Grease
Lug nut