The Overlanding Luxury Accessories That Experts Say Are Worth Their Weight In Gold

While many overlanding accessories help meet a person's basic needs while out on the trail, or make the vehicle more capable, some are just there for comfort alone. Luxury upgrades aren't totally necessary, but can help make the overall overlanding experience much more pleasant. You don't need to sleep on twigs and wash in a stream in this day and age.

On a recent overlanding trip hosted by eBay Motors, SlashGear spoke to Sara Morosan of parts supply company LGE*CTS Motorsports. Sara has overlanded for decades, and helped modify some of the vehicles eBay showcased at the event. During our conversation, Sara told us what she thinks are the best luxury overlanding accessories on the market at present.

A couple of the choices are technically on our list of overlanding essentials, but reflect the higher-end choice, For instance, a Yakima Openrange cooking system is one of the more expensive options, but also one of the most well-regarded. The system seems to do its job very well, can contain everything you'll need from a cooking perspective, and stores away easily. Similarly, in the world of rooftop tents, Annex camping solution is one of the best regarded. Add a 270 awning — which Morosan regards as something that "can be made into a full room" — and you can take your on-trail living space to the next level. Some higher-end tents and awnings come with built in lighting, outlets, and even Bluetooth speakers.

Electricity is pretty essential to modern overlanding. You can always pack a generator, or a couple of portable power-stations to meet your needs. While many modern trucks have AC outlets and inverters, relying on your vehicle's built-in power can be risky: draining all of your juice will leave you stranded and in need of a battery booster, which is arguably another essential. But if you have the budget, solar panels might be exactly what you need. They deliver a constant (indeed essentially unlimited, if the weather obliges) supply of auxiliary power, and can even charge your batteries during a drive.

Finally, nothing is more refreshing than a hot shower. You can purchase camping showers with built-in water heaters for your overlanding vehicle. As smelling a bit funny won't kill you, and you can always wash in a stream, this has to be regarded as a purely luxury item. That said, it's also Sara's top pick when it comes to luxury upgrades for an overlanding vehicle, and we can't say we disagree.