How to Overland in a Two-Door Jeep
#11
JK Junkie
great photos
Two-door JK works great for one or two people. Then again, I've done a lot of backpacking and motorcycle camping/touring, so getting along for a week with the Jeep is EASY.
On the WABDR last year:
Packed, complete with "Clark the Dog" and his big bag of dog food. He's my buddy on many of these trips:
5 gal extra fuel to augment the stock 18 gallon tank:
February this year, camping in Washington State, no problem:
Summer time camp looks suspiciously similar to the winter time camp, no problem:
Packed "heavy" for a 10-day hunting and fishing trip, before I had the ARB fridge. Two coolers were in the back. Fridge is MUCH better for me. Waders, three pair of boots, a mess of fly fishing gear, warm clothes for snow & cold. Spotting scope, two rifles, etc:
Keys for me are:
Remove the rear seat... I think mine has been in the JK for a total of about 3 weeks, in the four years I've had this Jeep.
Pack light. Think about backpacking tents, sleeping bags/pads, backpacking stove, etc...
Don't fall into the trap of believing that you've got to have EVERYTHING that's on so many "overland" or "expedition" style Jeeps... might not be necessary at all...
And... Just toss your camping gear in there, go out and enjoy. It's a big world, make some tire tracks & memories.
Regards, CW
On the WABDR last year:
Packed, complete with "Clark the Dog" and his big bag of dog food. He's my buddy on many of these trips:
5 gal extra fuel to augment the stock 18 gallon tank:
February this year, camping in Washington State, no problem:
Summer time camp looks suspiciously similar to the winter time camp, no problem:
Packed "heavy" for a 10-day hunting and fishing trip, before I had the ARB fridge. Two coolers were in the back. Fridge is MUCH better for me. Waders, three pair of boots, a mess of fly fishing gear, warm clothes for snow & cold. Spotting scope, two rifles, etc:
Keys for me are:
Remove the rear seat... I think mine has been in the JK for a total of about 3 weeks, in the four years I've had this Jeep.
Pack light. Think about backpacking tents, sleeping bags/pads, backpacking stove, etc...
Don't fall into the trap of believing that you've got to have EVERYTHING that's on so many "overland" or "expedition" style Jeeps... might not be necessary at all...
And... Just toss your camping gear in there, go out and enjoy. It's a big world, make some tire tracks & memories.
Regards, CW
feeling that you wont run so low out in the back woods. Not to mention , it looks very cool as well!
#12
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#13
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My copilot and I went all over the world in a TJ, so Overlanding in a 2door JK is even more viable. We lived out of my TJ for months with all the food, camping gear, tools, spares, and recovery gear. It was tight but we were 100% self sufficient.
"Ex Umbris Venimus"
"Ex Umbris Venimus"
#14
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Join Date: May 2016
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I go along the backpacking mentality as well, If I can hike fro Mexico to Canada with a bag, getting resupplies every 4-7 days, a JK 2 door is just space to put more stuff! Half of what I load out is just in case something goes wrong with the Jeep (compressor, tools,etc.) , so it makes me chuckle. But it does allow me to bring beer! There's a safety net with stuff. Somme people jettison it like ballast off a ship the first trip, others find they need more of it.
I think my 2dr would be a tight fit for me, my BF, and 2 labs (the idiots). But for the most part, they all stay home. The BF needs a little more padding and convenience, but after 30 years fighting fires, I'm not giving him any grief (he's 15yrs older than me). I do have a buddy that tags a along once in a while, another offgridder, and we still have a good deal of room in the 2dr even with all of our tools and gear (mostly fishing and hunting implements when we go).
Right now i'm packing up for a 3-4 week trip to Northern Minnesota to open up some of my family's cabins there, then I'm throwing the JK on an autotransport/Uhaul along with my Mom (not on the transport) and few belongings she hasn't thrown away to get her in the little cabin we built for her here on the homestead.
I'll make the trip fun, I'm bringing my inflatable kayak and hitting up some spots between ID and MN. The yak takes up a LOT of space inside the 2 dr, but I still have room and it will double as a bed/hammock (I usually just throw a pad under a homemade sil-nylon tarp). I like things that are multi-use. I first balked at an inflatable, but 1- it was free, and 2- I've surfed the Central Coast of CA, paddled on the Snake, Clearwater and several other rivers without a hitch. It'll be perfect for paddling out to the islands.
The biggest drawback I see for myself with a 2dr JK is that I can't sleep in the rig. The only thing i'm adding for the trip is a clothes pack (drybag) and a bigger cooler. I must admit looking at the "big" expedition thread has me perusing ARB fridges, and I keep fighting it. Streams usually keep my beverages cold, but I tend to stay in the northern States now, so that helps.
There's still too much snow to go up the Lolo Motorway completely into Powell, ID, but the first day, I plan on setting up camp a few miles up the road from my cabin and clearing some deadfall on the trails before hopping back onto HWY 12 into Missoula. I'll probably cruise through Jellystone, we'll see, but most of the trip will be banging around near the Boundary Waters and the Iron Range of MN.
I'll try to get some pics up of the load out, it's been pouring so I haven't been spending much time packing the rig up yet.
#15
JK Enthusiast
Britz - treated myself to the ARB fridge last summer. One of the bigger ones, 63 qt or something like that.
WOW! On 100 degree days, I had icy cold beer & water! Takes up surprisingly little space for what all it carries. The advantage over a cooler full of ice is amazing.
And it does fit well into the cargo space of a two-door JK, with the rear seat removed.
Trying to figure when I can fit a trip up the Lolo Motorway into this summer's schedule. Might have to wait until October when I'm passing through, on my way to Wyoming.
CW
WOW! On 100 degree days, I had icy cold beer & water! Takes up surprisingly little space for what all it carries. The advantage over a cooler full of ice is amazing.
And it does fit well into the cargo space of a two-door JK, with the rear seat removed.
Trying to figure when I can fit a trip up the Lolo Motorway into this summer's schedule. Might have to wait until October when I'm passing through, on my way to Wyoming.
CW
#16
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CW
#17
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Britz - treated myself to the ARB fridge last summer. One of the bigger ones, 63 qt or something like that.
WOW! On 100 degree days, I had icy cold beer & water! Takes up surprisingly little space for what all it carries. The advantage over a cooler full of ice is amazing.
And it does fit well into the cargo space of a two-door JK, with the rear seat removed.
Trying to figure when I can fit a trip up the Lolo Motorway into this summer's schedule. Might have to wait until October when I'm passing through, on my way to Wyoming.
CW
WOW! On 100 degree days, I had icy cold beer & water! Takes up surprisingly little space for what all it carries. The advantage over a cooler full of ice is amazing.
And it does fit well into the cargo space of a two-door JK, with the rear seat removed.
Trying to figure when I can fit a trip up the Lolo Motorway into this summer's schedule. Might have to wait until October when I'm passing through, on my way to Wyoming.
CW
Re: The fridge- The ARB would get heavily used here. I only have a dorm fridge in the cabin. Most drinks we keep in a large 150qt cooler outside This year we added a freezer, which helps A LOT since I don't have to buy a block of ice every 3-5 days (lately, I only go to town every 2 wks). I could use the ARB at the cabin (in the JK) on the small "solar generator" setup I built for the Jeep, keeping it separate from the cabin battery bank. That would free up more room for game in the freezer.
I see a guy on youtube (Al Smith) makes a GREAT pullout ARB enclosure out of SS or Galv, that allows you to pile stuff on and around it as the cabinet allows proper ventilation space for the compressors. Not cheap (1700 CDN?), but I'd probably build something similar to still get that "stuff" factor in the 2dr.
I may have to wait till next year, we still need to finish the kitchen!
#18
more front page coverage
Such great pics, we had to feature them on the front page...
Your Best Jeep Overlanding Photos - JK-Forum
Your Best Jeep Overlanding Photos - JK-Forum
#19
Two-door JK works great for one or two people. Then again, I've done a lot of backpacking and motorcycle camping/touring, so getting along for a week with the Jeep is EASY.
On the WABDR last year:
Packed, complete with "Clark the Dog" and his big bag of dog food. He's my buddy on many of these trips:
5 gal extra fuel to augment the stock 18 gallon tank:
February this year, camping in Washington State, no problem:
Summer time camp looks suspiciously similar to the winter time camp, no problem:
Packed "heavy" for a 10-day hunting and fishing trip, before I had the ARB fridge. Two coolers were in the back. Fridge is MUCH better for me. Waders, three pair of boots, a mess of fly fishing gear, warm clothes for snow & cold. Spotting scope, two rifles, etc:
Keys for me are:
Remove the rear seat... I think mine has been in the JK for a total of about 3 weeks, in the four years I've had this Jeep.
Pack light. Think about backpacking tents, sleeping bags/pads, backpacking stove, etc...
Don't fall into the trap of believing that you've got to have EVERYTHING that's on so many "overland" or "expedition" style Jeeps... might not be necessary at all...
And... Just toss your camping gear in there, go out and enjoy. It's a big world, make some tire tracks & memories.
Regards, CW
On the WABDR last year:
Packed, complete with "Clark the Dog" and his big bag of dog food. He's my buddy on many of these trips:
5 gal extra fuel to augment the stock 18 gallon tank:
February this year, camping in Washington State, no problem:
Summer time camp looks suspiciously similar to the winter time camp, no problem:
Packed "heavy" for a 10-day hunting and fishing trip, before I had the ARB fridge. Two coolers were in the back. Fridge is MUCH better for me. Waders, three pair of boots, a mess of fly fishing gear, warm clothes for snow & cold. Spotting scope, two rifles, etc:
Keys for me are:
Remove the rear seat... I think mine has been in the JK for a total of about 3 weeks, in the four years I've had this Jeep.
Pack light. Think about backpacking tents, sleeping bags/pads, backpacking stove, etc...
Don't fall into the trap of believing that you've got to have EVERYTHING that's on so many "overland" or "expedition" style Jeeps... might not be necessary at all...
And... Just toss your camping gear in there, go out and enjoy. It's a big world, make some tire tracks & memories.
Regards, CW
#20
JK Enthusiast
Such great pics, we had to feature them on the front page...
Your Best Jeep Overlanding Photos - JK-Forum
Your Best Jeep Overlanding Photos - JK-Forum