I'm loving that first picture ... and it's amazing what you can do to cram random stuff into the various nooks and crannies, when you're forced to! I'm curious to read the writeup on your thoughts about packing for this trip ... specifically thoughts on spares and personal emergency gear (as opposed to personal 'luggage' type stuff), sometimes it's so easy to fall into the 'well I've got the room, might as well have it and not need it' mentality, and wind up bringing the kitchen sink (quite literally sometimes).
Thanks. You definitely have to think out of the box to get THAT much stuff into such a small space without it spilling over the sides. I try and think like I am taking a motorcycle instead of a jeep. I generally try and define the amount of space, like picking a bag that fits in a certain spot, and then only taking what I can fit in that bag that still lets it fit into that space. I try and keep thing organized into groups ( usually by bag ) in a hope that I can find that I am looking for when I need it. When packing this tight sometimes you have to think about how likely it is that you will use a piece of kit and not bury it too far.
Personal emergency gear. If you want a clarification on any specific area let me know. I generally look at the entire vehicle as my survival kit. I have camping gear that will work in the wet or in the cold. I have plenty of clothes for just about any weather condition including full rain gear. I have a good first aid kit that isn't your normal boo-boo and bandaid type stuff. I try and keep about 4 gallons of water in the vehicle at all time. In general I am the kinda guy that would be find in an ultra-emergency with what I have in my pockets right now. I never leave home without the basics...knife, lighter, light. I have a CB system in the vehicle per the rules of the trip, but generally I carry my ham radio HT and a repeater database book.
Spares. The vehicle is pretty old, but I have pretty much rebuilt the entire thing over the last three years. There isn't really anything stock. When building I tried to use a lot of common parts for wear items. This vehicle is also VERY simple......carb'd, manual transmission, leaf springs, etc. A rough list of my vehicle specific spare parts....
-Rear driveline with 2 new u-joints pre-installed
-10 spline 1310 yoke that will fit either output on the transfer case.
-26 spline 1310 yoke that will fit either axle pinion front or rear
-2 sets replacement u-bolts for driveline yokes
-soft brake line that is common to all 4 corners
-2 feet fuel line
-alternator/waterpump belt
-tie rod end, 1 left, 1 right
-1pr replacement spring bushings poly, 1 pr brass
-spindle nuts
-Spare tire and a plug/patch kit with onboard air
-Duct tape, tie wire, hose clamps, and zip ties.
-bolt bag with enough stuff to hit most of the common sizes in the vehicle
-wiring kit ( fuses, connectors, little bit of wire )
-2 quarts engine oil
-1 quart gear oil
-1 quart power steering fluid
-1 quart brake fluid
-enough tools to basically rebuild the vehicle from scratch ( it doesn't take much, its pretty simple )
It is always a balance in space and weight.
