Can your sense of adventure not wait for retirement and you are looking to trade your home office in for a Overland office while holding down a 9-5 job? If so, this beginners guide is for you. I have been camping and overlanding extensively while working a 9-5 job for over a year now. That is by no means enough time to make me an expert, but you learn a great deal very fast or you get fired. By writing this guide early into my journey, the initial lessons learned the hard way are still vivid in my memory and I want to share those crucial lessons learned before they are clouded over by time.
When I was researching for this slow travel overland work lifestyle, I typed "Overland Office" into google. It returned next to nothing useful and I resorted to Van / RV type content to make my best guesses for my unique overland office setup. The content was helpful, but it was not built for my application and left me with many questions not answered. The fear I had that I might loose my job on my first trip out is still burned into my memory. That initial leap is one of the hardest I have ever made. The returns from that gamble have paid off 100 times over. This guide is designed to take some of the unknown out for others whose sense of adventure cannot wait for retirement. If I miss anything please let me know. The intent is to keep this guide up to date and comprehensive to help as many people as possible live their dreams without having to wait for retirement. You may see this referred to as "Veep Life" in my other content. The term refers to my particular mix of van style living while taking advantage of a Jeep to increase the reach. This guide applies to all types of 4x4 vehicles through.
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Key Sections:
14. Summary
Overland Office? Why not just save up vacation for overland trips?
For me the answer was simple. I wanted to get out more often than my vacation time off allowed. I was also putting tons of extra miles on my vehicle to take multiple trips power driving to destinations and much of my vacation time off was spent on the highway. I was exhausted from the long hours driving to the locations and there was never enough time or energy to fully enjoy exploring the areas. By the time I returned from the trip I felt like I needed a vacation. I have a family to support, so just quitting work and taking up life on the road is not an option. Trading in my home office for a trail office is the perfect compromise for me. Not only do I get to explore wonderful locations, I am reinvigorated at my job. Working feet away from the ocean or staring at a beautiful mountain range gave me a sense of calm that was second to none. Not to mention my lunch break often consists of a scenic hike or a dip in the ocean instead of just going to the kitchen for a bite and watching a little TV. Weekends also take on a whole new feel when all you have to do is pack camp up to be on the trail of a lifetime.
Why not just take the leap and learn as you go?
Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law "what can go wrong will go wrong"? Making the switch over leaves a lot of room for things to go wrong. Ideally the switch will be as seamless as possible and ensure that you maintain your job throughout this journey. Small challenges in your home office are magnified when you are out in a remote location with only the items you brought. Try to predict as much as possible to make sure you are prepared for the switch. it could take hours or days to get back to civilization to pick up something you need. Constant trips to town take time from you work and time away from the peaceful adventure. be as prepared as possible when you first begin. Taking the leap to remote overland work is stressful enough without compounding it by being ill prepared. I learned this lesson the hard way and I would not wish that stress on anyone.
What do you need to get started with overland office?
Please note that this only deals with work related items and does not include any camping/overlanding specific items.
Unfortunately it is not just as simple as someone posting a list of essential equipment and supplies. Each job has it's own unique set of requirements and there is no way to make a comprehensive list. The best way to tackle the question is to look around your existing workspace as you are working and make a list of all the things you currently use in your home office. Go through doing your job for a week and take note of each item that you use throughout the week.
For example: My job as a remote manager involves a lot of answering emails, taking phone calls, creating spreadsheets, and taking part in teams meetings. Throughout the course of my day I spend a great deal of time in front of a computer. There are of course the obvious points about needing a computer, internet, and phone reception. One big thing I initially didn't take into account was the need for an ergonomic workspace with a good desk, chair, keyboard, and mouse. I also didn't initially think about needing shade to see my computer screen and a way to ensure people could hear me talking in a video meeting while the wind was blowing. By the end of my camping test week I had an aching back and spent most of my time trying to get into a comfortable position out of the sun to see my computer screen. Work slowed down and to compensate I worked extra in the evening. It was then that I discovered just how much bugs love the light from a laptop screen as they continually buzzed me throughout the evening. At the end of the week part of me wondered if it was really worth the extra hassle since I was not able to really enjoy being outdoors. the next trip I added a chair the correct height for my camp desk and an awning room that was able to provide shade in the day as well as bug netting in the evening. it made a world of difference. Over the course of the year I have continued the process to dial things in. One totally off the wall item I discovered was the addition of a hat with my company logo on it. It sounds trivial, but when you have not washed your hair in a few days and you need to be on camera it becomes a life saver. Wearing a normal hat for a presentation would be a no-go, but add in the company logo and it is team building. Here is a list of my minimum starter items I created after my first "test week".
Laptop Camp table/desk
500W Power Bank Chair
Solar panel Overhead Light
Mouse Awning
Mouse pad Protection from bugs
Hotspot/internet router 3 collared shirts
Company hat hard cased electronics storage
awning room Charging cords (laptop/phone/light)
12v fan lightweight blanket
How to test working overland remote out?
I don't recommend doing what I did. Watching YouTube, reading blog posts from RV remote workers, and driving 5 hours away from home for a week of remote camp work was not one of my wiser decisions. Since then I have come up with a much better way of testing out new items for my overland office. Now I just work from my back yard or hit a local camp ground to test out new changes while I am close to home.
If you have the ability to work from your backyard or similar location I highly recommend that method. Make sure that you do it for the entire workday. Don't just go out for 30 min and think that will serve as the full test. 30 min sitting in a camp chair working is much different than spending 8 hours doing it. Testing things out in a safe location also means you can start with the minimal items possible and easily make additions if needed without spending extra money on gear you don't need. For example: using your phone as a hotspot for internet may be plenty for what your job requires. If it turns out that will not be enough you can simply connect back to your home wifi, then start thinking about a mobile hotspot or larger system.
If you are also new to overlanding or extended camping this method also serves as a great way to test general camping type items as well. Don't skimp on trying things out before a long trip. a chair can be comfortable and a camp table can be great to work at, but that does not mean that the chair and table will necessarily work well together. Start small. test things out in a safe spot, then get more adventurous and test some more in a slightly more remote location, but still relatively close to home before taking the leap into your first long trip. Before your first week long trip out, scout the location ahead of time on a weekend to make sure it has everything that it has everything needed to be a good spot for a week of work.
Do you tell your boss about overland working?
This is a personal decision, so it is impossible for someone else to tell you what decision to make. There are way too many factors in work situations and relationships with their managers. I wish I could give you a clear cut answer on which way to go, but the best I can offer is the decision I made and the reasons that I made it. For me the decision to tell my boss was not difficult. I knew that I would loose a lot of trust if it was one of my team members that I manage not telling me about such a drastic change.
How to gain your mangers trust and build confidence?
Working from the road in an RV or camper is becoming a lot more accepted especially since COVID. Working from a sprinter van or something comparable will get you a sideways glance most likely. get ready for a LOT of questions when you tell your manager that you want to work from a tent and head to the top of a mountain miles away from civilization. Even after going through all the reasons you can still complete your duties, you had better be ready to be looked at closely the first few overland work trips you take. My recommendation is to try and have answers for the questions in advance. Your manager will have more confidence knowing you have put the thought and planning into things ahead of time. It will go a long way to building initial trust in your ability to still be able to do your job while living this lifestyle. I would also recommend identifying the critical requirements for your job and leading with those before any questions are asked. Let them know you want to test things out for a week and your backup plan if it does not work. One thing to note is that this test week should not be the first actual "test run". Get your first few backyard/campground tests out of the way first to make sure you are set up for success. This should be your manager's test run and not actually yours. Set yourself up for success as much as you can because you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. there is also one very big benefit I see in working while at camp. Camp life is pretty simple and there are not a lot of distractions. I often end up getting a bit bored and doing some extra work after hours just because there is not a lot going on. I am salary based, so that equates to free additional labor. It puts a positive spin on things and I saved that bit till the end of my speech for max impact right before asking if there were any questions.
After the first two trips out my manager started gaining a lot of trust in my ability to pull it off. It has now turned into a game of "where the heck is Brian" for our weekly 1-2 hour long video meeting when I am traveling. I thought of using the fancy way to hide my background, but in the end I think everyone has a lot more fun guessing where the heck I am at. I of course make it a point to try and find the most amazing background possible for those video meetings.
Must have items for overland work adventures?
This is another hard one since not everyone has the same work needs. If you have read this far down I am assuming that your job is not something that already works particularly well for remote off-grid work and that you share some of my particular requirements. This list will be more extensive than the starting out list above because when starting out you want to save money any where possible just in case it is not something you can do or enjoy doing. Here is my list of must have items and why they are essential to me for you to make an informed decision on your own needs:
Internet connection - This is the number one item for me to maintain my job on the road. I tried my phone as a hotspot, but quickly decided against it for because signal strength was minimal at most locations I camp and the battery drained quickly. Also my job requires a mix of talking on the phone/email/video meetings that made the phone hotspot not an option. I looked at the dedicated hotspot option, but was not satisfied with antenna capabilities. I also wanted an easy way to have multiple cell carriers for the best chance at coverage. I decided to invest heavily in this area to give myself the best possible signal and make it the most convenient to use. To meet that need I purchased a full router setup that could do 4 different cell carriers and had wifi. I needed the communication power packed into a small package due to storage limitations. It has served me extremely well and I don't regret the investment one bit. I will be making a full review post and once completed I will put up a link. Till then here is a quick to my build page: Peplink Max Transit Duo
cell signal booster - I don't use this very often, but I have had some critical instances where it really pulled me out of tight spots. It saved me when I have to present in a video meeting and had poor cell signal. the large antenna worked well for boosting my transmission signal out. It has also saved me a few times by giving me the ability to have reliable cell coverage with consistent voice connection. I don't recommend it as a must have for everyone, but for me it was to have the extra peace of mind. Weboost Cell Signal Booster
Comfortable chair table combination - I spend 8 hours or more sitting at a desk and comfort is very important to me. The chair also needs to be the correct height to work well with the table.
Camp site location APP - I use an app called "the Dirt" to find spots near civilization because it is convenient to use. I pay for the pro version annual subscription to be able to utilize the free camping filter, but I only did that after testing it out a while to make sure it would fit my needs. There is more on this further down.
Overland camping and navigation - If you are traveling in remote off-grid locations to make sure you know where you are located at all times. I use the overland layer in Gaia to be able to locate remote campsites and I cross reference possible camp locations with Verizon and AT&T coverage layers. Pro tip: Ridge lines often offer some of the best locations for cell coverage. I learned most of what I know about using Gaia from Ozark Overland Adventures Gaia Tutorials.
Hat with company logo - My hair is a mess after day two and I need something to hide that when on video meetings.
business casual work shirts - To wear for video meetings. Make sure you pick fabric that is wrinkle free if you will be packing them away in a bag.
Power - I have a cellular modem, two computers, one monitor, fridge, and a host of other electrical items. I could not find an off the shelf power station to fit my needs, so I built a custom one. I am currently using a Yeti 500 power station [Amazon] to run the cellular modem and 100Ah lithium battery custom power system for all the other stuff. A full beginners guide to building your own is in process, so keep an eye out for that if you are in a similar situation.
Webcam - Mine has a mic built in and works much better than my laptop and I am able to easily move it around without moving my laptop from its office storage location when an internet teams call comes in unexpected. j5 Create Webcam [Amazon]
Awning with netted room and floor - I work on a computer at night and the bugs are too bad for me to work effectively. I also sleep in the office area when I have my dog with me. I don't want to risk having snakes or other bugs slip under the awning walls to pay a visit. Protection from the rain is also a must because of the electronics. ARB Awning review blog post
Bluetooth multi-device keyboard and mouse - This makes my office area much more ergonomic. I also always carry a work laptop plus a personal computer. I was able to find models that are able to switch between multiple devices.
Portable monitor - I stumbled onto this by complete accident and will not ever go back. My personal laptop screen broke and was very expensive to get fixed. I purchased a portable monitor to be able to use the laptop. Keeping both laptops closed ended up saving the power draw, made it very convenient to switch from one computer to the other, and had a bigger screen.
Secure storage for electronics - Traveling to off grid locations often means some very bumpy trails. I need a way to protect electronics when the road gets rough or the water gets deep. Electronics get stored inside my vehicle, so just got some affordable ones that fit my needs on Amazon.
12v Fan - There is nothing worse than trying to focus when you are dripping with sweat. There is a pretty good chance that you will also want one for sleeping on hot nights and it can easily be repurposed for an office fan during the day. My favorite fan has actually turned out to be a duel fan with 12V connection that I discovered at a truck stop.
KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple)
This seems easy, but it is one of the hardest things for me to keep in mind. I am a gear junkie and constantly fight the urge to overcomplicate my setup with the latest tech. try to find the simplest option possible to fit your needs. The more gadgets and gizmos you have, the more chances there are for something to go wrong or break. You want to keep things as simple as possible especially when starting out because everything is a new learning experience. Get good at managing the core tasks before looking for ways to fine tune your setup or process. before you start adding additional items to your minimum base setup I would recommend getting out into the wild to see what you feel would be most helpful first hand. Make sure you have what you need before going out and figure out what you want first hand out on the trail. Space is limited, so make every item count.
I do have one very big exception to this rule. redundancy is key for critical items. In my case internet and cell communication are critical. When designing my system I made sure I had two different cell carriers in the event one went down plus I have an iPad that can be used as a hotspot in a pinch.
How to pack the extra office gear?
When on long trips I do not usually travel light. Keeping things protected and organized is key to efficiency. Space is always a consideration and how to organizing to make things accessible is not always as easy as it seems. The best advice is to only take what you absolutely need. Living out of an overland rig for long periods and the added weight will be a constant battle between having what you need/want and being nimble on the trail. there is a good chance that you will ignore what I said about only taking items you absolutely need (no worries I also ignore the advice as well). Pay attention to all the things you don't actually end up using. Keep the items you bring for safety or trail repairs, but really evaluate the other stuff you brought that you thought you "might" need. I was very surprised at the number of items I was able to cut out just by cutting things that were not used when I was actually out.
OK, you have the essential items picked out. Now it is time to organize them. Make sure the high use items or items needed on short notice are easy to access. For example I always keep my computer at the ready when traveling because it always seems like work emergencies never occur during regular working hours. You never know when the call will come in to take care of some last min item. For my standard camp office items I try to pack the items I will need last on the bottom to keep from having to dig through things. Also try to get creative when looking for storage locations. If you can avoid a giant pile of items I would recommend it. Nothing is worse than having to unload half your vehicle to get to something. This becomes especially difficult when the items are small. One of my game changers that I can't believe I didn't get sooner were door and center console storage compartments. If you have a jeep JL or JT here is a link to my blog post on Jeep storage gift ideas for doors and the center console.
The electronic items I use for work present their own challenges. I tend to take some pretty rough trails and that means a high possibility for things to bang around. I pack the electronic items away with padding and in hard outer cases. I did not always do this and now I have a cracked laptop screen to remind be to be more careful. Pelican has some great products that I think are top notch, but if you are not storing things outside in the weather I would recommend saving the money and going with something from harbor freight or Amazon.
How to find free camping locations that fit your needs?
Having all the perfect gear in the world will help one bit if you cannot find anywhere to set up camp for the week. I find myself in two distinctly different situations when choosing where to set up camp. They are different enough that I decided to break them into two different sections. What I refer to as "camping" is very similar to Van/RV/Camper places. these locations are usually near major roads or in places that are easily accessible. I use this option frequently if I am in the process of traveling to a destination and need to stop to work for the week. the outskirts of National Forests are some of my favorite areas for this type of camping. They get me out in nature, are still usually within cell reception range, and are not very far from the pavement for continuing my travel. Convenience is key though and if you have watched any of my videos on YouTube you know I am a victim of opportunity more often than not. It is pretty typical for me to power drive to get somewhere and start looking for a place to stay at midnight. I like the sense of adventure that it offers, but this practice is not what I would recommend for beginners. It leaves way too many options for Murphy's Law to kick in and for things to go wrong. When first starting out I would research spots out along your route and plan travel accordingly. Also try to get into place mid- day on a Sunday to test things out ahead of actually having to work there for a week. don't forget to have backup locations in mind as well. One big bonus to camping with an overland rig is that you will likely be able to get to the least accessible camp spots that are far less likely to be taken. the picture below is only about .2 miles away from a popular easily accessible spot, but I was all alone since the trail to get there required high clearance 4x4.
to find camping type locations my preferred method is to use an APP called "The Dyrt". Camp locations are able to be input and updated by the users of the application. Most camp spots list cell coverage by carrier and reviews. You will find the same information on other services as well. I recommend testing different ones out while you are at home planning for a trip to see which one you like the best. I ended up choosing The Dyrt because I found the use of the app to be the easiest. I also chose to pay the annual fee for the additional map layer to only show free sites meeting my criteria and offline use ability for the added convenience. Try out different ones and see which one you like to best. Most have a free trial period or no charge if you are willing to deal with adds. The two most popular ones I also use are Campendium and freecampsites.net.
How to find off grid overland work locations?
Looking for a place to set up camp in off grid overland locations is a completely different story. I would recommend scouting them well in advance and in person. Don't forget to ask a local to the area if you meet someone before heading out.
Due to the remote locations, things like cellular signal and the difficulty of the trail to get to the locations will be the key challenge. The stress level being miles away from everything is also amplified. For me that only adds to the sense of adventure. My favorite places to find remote overland camp sites in advance are: Gaia overland & Cellular coverage layers combined with satalite maps, iOverlander, and Trails Offroad. I use them all frequently, but my favorite for finding things in advance with the least work is Trails Offroad since it will show all the details on the trail to get there. It does require an annual fee, but for the time it saves me I consider it paid for after the first use. The only downside for finding camp locations is that it is designed for off-roading, so it does not list things like cellular coverage as part of the camp description. when I first make it to an area I scout overland locations in person the weekend prior to know exactly what I am getting into along with confirming the cellular coverage and protection from weather at the sites. I want to get out and explore anyway, so I combining overland exploration with camp site recon is a win win. When I find an epic camp location I make sure and mark it with a waypoint in Gaia and write notes into the description and sometimes a photo. In the beginning I didn't put notes into the waypoint and I could never remember which place was which. After the recon of the area I usually have enough waypoints saved to have a location to head to for the work week and over time they build into a nice grid of stay locations.
how to plan travel?
In the beginning I recommend taking the time to plan things out and always have a rough backup plan in case the primary plan hits a snag. It will help take a lot of the stress out of things especially in the moment when things go wrong. Try to build in buffer time to have plenty of time to stay on track without having to worry about keeping to a tight timeline. Weather will often play a big role in your travels as well. When weather comes into play don't be surprised if you find yourself altering your original plan to take storms into effect.
Don't be afraid to shift plans around if there is something you would rather do. Quite often when you actually get to a place you change your mind about what/where you want to explore. Give yourself the freedom to change plans to make the adventure custom built to your desires. The more you go through your planning routine the easer and faster it will get. As you build familiarity with the different tools and learn to estimate how long different things will take, it will start to come as second nature. I went on a month long overlanding trip with my daughter. The highlight of the trip was supposed to be Colorado, but after a few days there she was done with the rain and cold temperatures at elevation. Instead of sticking to our original plan we shifted and drove out to MOAB to warm up and dry off. We missed seeing some stuff I had planned in Colorado, but overall we had a better time enjoying the warm temperatures. Besides it was kind of disappointing to get to the top of a mountain pass only to find that you could barely see your hand in front of your face because it was in the clouds.
How to take full advantage of the lifestyle?
I know it seems like I have been droning about how to planning over and over, but in the beginning it really pays off. Now for the secret I use when I want to turn great into epic. When visiting an area I really want to explore in depth, I cheat. I extend my time off into 3-4 day weekend to give myself more time in a location by taking Friday and Monday off. I always feel like taking an entire 5 days off in a row leaves me with too much mess to take care of when I return anyway. Having 3 days in the middle of the week is perfect to take care of work items building up while still making the most of my time adventure trips. Typically I time my travel to get somewhere nearby on a Sunday to work through till Thursday. I take care of most of the pack up Thursday night and knock out final pack up first thing in the morning on Friday to hit the trails for 4 full days of exploring. Not only does it give me an opportunity to scout the area out to a greater extent, it also gives me the time not to feel rushed. I get a few days to just sit back and just enjoy the ride. Constantly planning things out for the next move takes a lot out of you and the added days off give you time to focus on yourself and recharge your batteries.
If you are like me and have family at home that does not often travel with you, I would recommend having them come to meet you for a vacation in the middle of one of your trips. A few months ago I took a slow travel camp trip down to Florida that lasted over a month. In the middle of my trip the family came down for vacation and we all went to Universal studios. It was a great break for me and we saved money because I was able to take all their luggage with me in the vehicle and they could fly down cheap on Spirit Air with no bags. they enjoyed going out camping with me for part of the time and I enjoyed hotel living for a while. Everyone came out of that a winner.
Summary
I know it can seem a bit overwhelming at first when you are putting things together. Work on one aspect at a time and give yourself time get good at things. You will make mistakes along the way and things will go not as planned. that is just part of adventure travel mixed with work. Start small with a safety net in your back yard or local campground. Take the time to practice before building into long trips. Having the correct tools on hand and practicing the skills ahead of time will pay off huge when it comes time to take your first trip. When things don't go as planned you will just shift as second nature. After a year I find myself planning almost nothing. Typically I just pick spots and know that I can plan for any unexpected changes on a moments notice. Do your research, get the necessary equipment, test things out with a safety net, and you will be set up for success. That first leap will always be scary, but the payoff is huge.
Don't allow yourself to get so caught up in how you are going to work the next week that you forget why you started this adventure in the first place. This lifestyle is as more about fitting work into adventure overland travel than fitting travel into your job. I hope this guide help you out. Please let me know how things are working out for you.
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