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Trail Riding Essentials—What to Take on Your Next UTV Trip

By Megan Randall | Behind The Wheel on January 5, 2023
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Off-roading is a lot of things—wild, thrilling, adventurous. But it’s also unpredictable. You never know what the trails are going to throw your way, so your best bet is to prepare for as many scenarios as possible.

Packing your off-road essentials gear can be tricky though. There’s a fine line between being prepared and packing way too much. How can you know what to ditch and what to keep in your side-by-side at all times?

The bottom line: you can’t know for sure. But we’re doing our best to help you travel lightly and be ready in case of any type of emergency.

Keep reading for some ideas on what to take on your next UTV trip!

Common Tools You May Need for Your Ride

Your axle doesn’t care how far from the garage you are. If it’s reached the end of its life, it won’t hesitate to give out and leave you stranded. So whether you’re heading out for a quick midweek cruise or making a whole weekend of it, it’s important to keep the right tools on hand. You never know when you’ll need to make some emergency repairs!

The Basics

It would be nice if you could travel with the entire contents of your garage but due to the spatial limitations of your UTV, that’s just not realistic. Here are some basic tools that we recommend keeping in your ride at all time.

  • Allen wrench set
  • Interchangeable screwdriver
  • Pliers or Vise-Grips
  • Extra hardware, nuts, and bolts

In Case of Emergency

If you’re a seasoned rider, you probably know by now (maybe even from experience) that a basic set of tools doesn’t always cut it. When you’re broken down in the woods and need to rig up some quick repairs to make it back to the garage, sometimes nothing does it quite like a good, old-fashioned roll of duct tape.

Here are some other things to consider adding to your list of UTV must-haves.

  • Zip ties and duct tape
  • Flash light or head lamp with spare batteries
  • Tire plug kit
  • Air compressor
  • Winch and tow strap
  • Fire-starting essentials
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Pocket knife
Keep a well-stocked bag of basic tools in your UTV to make sure you have everything you need when that happens. Our friends at Assault Industries have you covered.

Spare Parts to Bring During an Off-Road Trip

You can have all the tools in the world at your disposal, but they won’t do you much good if you don’t have the right replacement parts. If you ride a lot, chances are you’re going to have a part crap out on you at some point. We’re not fortune tellers though, so it’s hard to tell which part exactly that will be.

Cover all of your bases by keeping some (or all!) of these spare parts on hand, especially on long or particularly rough rides.

  • Axle
  • Ball joints
  • Drive belt
  • Extra fuel (not really a “part,” but just as important!)
  • Tie rods
  • Tire (check out this article for more on how to change a tire on the trail)
Close up of SuperATV Polaris RZR PRO XP Spare Tire Carrier
We can’t stress enough how important it is to keep a few spare parts in your UTV, especially on longer rides. Our spare tire carriers make it easy to keep a spare on hand at all times.
Photo by SuperATV

Clothing and Accessories You’ll Need for Your Trip

When you’re making a list of what to take on a UTV trip, don’t forget about maintenance for yourself, too. You’ll need protective clothing to keep yourself safe and comfortable, a few personal items to get you through the day, and some way to navigate in case things veer off course.

Here are some items that we recommend keeping on hand any time you hit the trails.

Clothing

  • Boots
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Helmet
  • Long pants

Personal Items

  • Cell phone and charger
  • Drinking water (lots of it!)
  • First-Aid kit
  • Sunscreen

Miscellaneous Must-Haves

  • Off-road GPS
  • Map and/or compass
Don’t forget to take care of yourself while you’re checking things off your list of off-road essentials! Having plenty of drinking water is one of the smartest things you can do. Image by SuperATV.

Packing for an Overnight Trip

Most of the items we’ve talked about should stay in your UTV at all times, whether you plan on riding for one hour or five. But if you’re heading out for an overnight ride, you’ll need a few more things to stay safe and comfortable.

Take a look at this list of essentials for your next overnight UTV trip.

  • Biodegradable soap
  • Bug spray
  • Camp chair
  • Food for the trail
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sunscreen
  • Tent or hammock
  • Tarp
  • Trash bags (pack out what you pack in!)

Camping with an ATV or UTV might mean traveling more lightly than on a typical camping trip, but it’s totally doable and can make for a really fun adventure.

Tent outdoors
With the right gear, turning your next UTV trip into an overnighter is easy. Throw a tarp, sleeping bag, and some personal items into the back of your side-by-side and you’re ready for a peaceful night under the stars. Image by Speyside Way.

If there’s any piece of advice you take away from this article, let it be this: never ride empty handed. The one time you set out without a cell phone, spare tire, or bottle of water will surely be the one time you actually need that item. (That’s a fact. It’s Murphy’s law.)

Once you’ve got your UTV must-haves packed, all that’s left to do is grab a buddy and hit the trails!

Did we leave any off-road essentials off of this list? If there are any other items you make sure to keep in your machine at all times, let us know in the comments! And don’t forget to check out our collection of cargo boxes if you need somewhere to keep your gear dry, secure, and organized.

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