Cargo Management on Expeditions

The single biggest challenge on expeditions, a challenge that gets tougher the longer or more challenging the trip is, is how to manage cargo/gear/supplies. The very real need of bringing equipment, tools, parts, fuel, food and water must always be balanced with the weight generated by this cargo and the detrimental effect such weight has on the vehicle’s systems (brakes, suspension, drivetrain).

Our natural instinct is to bring more gear along than we probably need (as a safety net), but this is a practice that we constantly battle and with experience comes the ability to compromise, to calculate risk, plan more carefully, even to force ourselves to change our habits. With better preventative maintenance and vehicle knowledge and trust, we can trim down the tools we carry and the spare parts we bring along. With better route planning, we can cut down on the amount of fuel and water that we carry. And with smarter menu designs, we can cut down on the amount/weight of food without sacrificing on the quality of meals. But no matter how smart we get about our gear and supplies, in the end, the length and the complexity of the expedition will determine a minimum amount of cargo that we will still have to stow, secure and manage, and this has led to many a debate among expedition enthusiasts.

Cargo should always be safely secured, whether it’s inside the vehicle or trailer, on a roof rack, or mounted outside. Ideally, heavier cargo should be mounted as low as possible to minimize the impact on the center of gravity, and the heavier the load, the better it must be secured to prevent displacement during the trip or in an accident. This can sometimes be a challenge because it can limit accessibility, but this effect can be minimized by taking the time to load the vehicle smartly.

Fuel should not be carried inside a vehicle, even if you’re using leak-proof containers. Not only are the fumes unpleasant and potentially dangerous, a fuel spill inside the vehicle could be extremely inconvenient and potentially contaminate your food supply. Furthermore, in the case of a serious accident, a leaking fuel container could spell disaster for the occupants. The ideal solution is to install a larger fuel tank or augment the standard tank with auxiliary ones, but even then, carrying at least one jerry can is a good idea. A good NATO or Specter-style jerry can with the right spout can be used to move fuel from one vehicle to another, or can be used to pre-filter fuel from questionable sources. Jerry cans should be well-secured and have the fuel type correctly identified. In some areas, jerry cans must meet standard color codes (red for petrol, light green or yellow for diesel, blue for water, grey for kerosene). I prefer to avoid carrying fuel on a roof rack because of the weight and impact on the center of gravity, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. In such cases, it’s important to secure them tightly and mount them horizontally to reduce their profile.

Internal Cargo

I prefer to limit my internal cargo to clothes/personal gear and food, leaving the heavier or potentially smellier cargo (like fuel and gear oil, trash) to the outside of the vehicle, either mounted to the rear bumper, lashed to a roof rack, or carried in or on a trailer, or a combination of all three if I have the luxury.

All internal cargo, no matter what size, is stowed securely, whether in the cargo area or a center or overhead console, or at the very least, lashed/secured in various places within the cabin. Whether you use hi-end Pelican or Storm cases, or prefer more accessible and easily available containers, make sure they’re clearly labeled (in case someone else needs to access gear quickly), properly packed to minimize damage to gear, and properly secured to the vehicle in case of a roll-over. Keeping gear unobtrusive but within easy reach is almost an art form and my recommendation is to constantly revisit this, it’s not until you’ve been driving for ten straight hours that you realize that your “ideal” location for the GPS unit is giving you a crick in the neck, or that you’re the only one that can easily reach a flashlight or fire-extinguisher. A long time ago, an old expedition hand told me that vehicles needed to be prepped, not for the owner, but for someone else on the expedition. What he meant was that you want to make sure that if you are incapacitated for whatever reason and someone else needs to get behind the wheel of your truck, gear and accessory switches should be logically mounted and clearly identified, preferably within easy reach of the copilot.

Roof Racks

Roof racks are a relatively inexpensive, practical way of carrying gear, especially gear that you would rather not carry inside the vehicle. A roof rack should be a good balance between weight and rigidity, strong enough to carry the necessary gear but designed to tweak before causing excessive damage to the vehicle’s rain gutter or roof rail. They should also be as low-profile as possible to minimize increased drag, and should be used for lighter, awkwardly-shaped gear and not heavy tool boxes. Because a roof rack inherently changes the vehicle’s center of gravity, it’s important to understand the impact and I recommend driving around town with the rack fully-loaded to get used to the handling changes. Racks are also a good platform for gear that can be lashed outside (hi-lift jack, sand ladders, anchor points), as well as a great mounting location for auxiliary lights. They can also be used as sleeping or observation platforms, or as the base for a roof top tent.  As a rule, roof racks have a negative impact on the fuel economy of your vehicle and this must be accounted for when planning an expedition, especially in the more remote areas.

Expedition Trailers

Expedition trailers are a hot topic among enthusiasts, and opinions are sometimes very passionate in support or against. Detractors point to the added level of complexity introduced by a second vehicle, another axle and suspension to maintain and manage, the effect that the added weight has on the main vehicle’s system, and the added difficulty of guiding a trailer through tough obstacles along the way. All of these are very valid points, often brought up by people with extensive experience with trailers off road. On the positive side, a well-designed and well-executed trailer can be an excellent platform that greatly improves organization, increases cargo capacity, allows for more passengers per vehicle, and serves as the basis for a quickly-deployed, self-contained campsite. As with most accessories, the need for a trailer is impacted by the length of expedition you have planned, the number of people going along, the travel schedule, the type of terrain expected. If you’re going to be tackling tough, technical obstacles, expect to move constantly from one campsite to another, or are traveling solo, a trailer is probably overkill and may be more trouble than it’s worth. On the other hand, if you travel with family or at least 3 people in your vehicle, expect to go on a long expedition in remote locations, will spend a good amount of time at each campsite, and will not be traversing technical trails, an expedition trailer might be just the ticket.

enough to keep the vehicle riding level and allow the driver to maintain control of the trailer, yet supple enough to protect the cargo and keep the trailer from bouncing. The hitch should be designed for off road use and should include strong, secure safety chains. All cargo carried inside, on top or lashed to the outside of a trailer should be very well secured and if possible, locked to prevent theft, and special attention should be given to the wire harness and axle hubs, since they’re the most common points of failure for any trailer. Make sure the former is well-routed, protected from the elements, and uses weather-proof connectors. Make sure the axle hubs are serviced and that you carry a spare, especially if the trailer is heavily loaded. At the very least, you should have the bearings, races and seals to do a field service on both hubs if need be.

In the end, it’s common sense that plays the biggest role in how cargo is managed during an expedition. After a handful of trips, you’ll already be filtering what is an absolute must-have and what can stay in the garage, what gear works and what gear doesn’t stand up to abuse, what is worth the added weight and what you can probably modify or replace. These will vary from individual to individual and from trip to trip. Sharing information and best practices on dedicated forums or even in conversation with experienced hands is invaluable, I’m constantly amazed at the wealth of information available from our peers.