The Ultimate Baja Gear for Your Road Trip to Escapar
The ultimate Baja gear list
Every year, more travelers are venturing down the beautiful Baja peninsula for the road trip of a lifetime, which will end at the vanlife gathering Escapar a la Baja. For some — if not most — it will be the first time. We asked a few Baja veterans to answer some of the most asked questions, to help you plan an expedition you’ll never forget.
Is Baja safe?
We’ll start with the #1 question we get. Our answer remains the same: Baja is safer than a lot of places on our side of the border. People are amongst the nicest and most welcoming in the world, and crime against tourists is non-existent. There are two main paved roads coming from the US, and they merge into one half-way: if you stay on or near that axis, there's really not much that can happen to you.
That said, it is always recommended to avoid driving at night - roads are narrow and get crowded with trucks. It's in our DNA to encourage people to explore beyond the pavement: in Mexico or elsewhere, it's always better to caravan in case anything happens. And no, 4x4 isn't necessary: get an air compressor, learn how to deflate your tires or install your spare.
We recommend bringing a pair of GoTreads, a family-owned, US-made recovery board that also serves as levelers. And because you'll often be hours away from medical centers, come prepared with a solid first-aid kit.
My Medic stands out with their high-quality kits stocked with the highest quality gear, convenient features, and specialty tools that you won’t find anywhere else.
Last but not least, ask on relevant forums which basic tools to carry with you for the vehicle you're driving. We recommend the Official Toolroll which will allow you to optimize the space in your rig, while keeping your go-to tools handy!
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How much food should I bring?
Baja doesn't differ much from a lot of areas of the United States: in some places, you might not encounter a supermarket for a few long hours, and you'll most likely fall in love with many camp spots where you'll want to stay for multiple nights.
But the peninsula is scattered with towns large and small, and if you do your homework, you should easily be able to stock up along the way. And we should also mention that you'll find dirt-cheap fresh fish tacos (or fresh seafood you can cook yourself) along the way. Now, if you have your own dietary habits, we do recommend to stock-up on these before crossing the border.
We spent a long time looking for the best options to help you keep your dry food for as long as possible. Our go-to storage bags are the Porter Reusable silicone bags - the starter pack includes many different sizes, which will transform your life on the road.
We are equally fond of Planetary Design's award-winning airless containers, which will keep all your beans, rice, coffee and dry herbs safe for the long weeks you'll be on the road.
For emergency food (or lazy nights!) we always carry a few Mountain House’s delicious meal options: just mix it with boiling water, and you've got yourself a full meal!
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What should I bring for outdoor cooking?
One of the best things about Baja is the amount of time you get to spend outside. Do yourself a favor, take your time! The Baja peninsula is over 760 miles, and between San Felipe and La Paz, you could drive any dirt road, and it will bring you to an awesome camp spot that will blow your mind. You won't be able to do it all, so allow yourself to stay a few nights where it feels right! We always find ourselves cooking more out there than anywhere else. Whether thanks to the cheaper products, the lesser known ingredients, or the fresh seafood sold to us on the beach, we simply end up cooking (and eating!) more! Baja is made for shared fire-cooked meals, so come prepared.
For those of you who have been looking for a high-quality yet affordable outdoor two-burner stove, we've found the one! The Kovea Slim Twin is compact, light, highly durable and of the highest quality. Be sure to pack up on 1lb propane bottles, though, as you won't be able to find them until La Paz's Walmart, where they cost triple what you'll pay in the US.
For your camp fire, we fell in love with the all-in-one foldable fire pit from Kovea as well, or the more affordable M1 from Wolf and Grizzly. Or if you already have the highly desirable Snow Peak Large Takibi, our friends at T3tris have designed a propane adapter that will guarantee you endless nights around the fire! And don't let yourself run out of options by running out of gas in your lighter: grab one of MK's awesome refillable lighters that'll last you a lifetime.
For the gourmets, we love ROME’s products which allows you to bake or cook waffles, popcorns and more in cast iron. And be aware that firewood is scarce in Baja: we recommend bringing a few sets of Duraflame's stackable, USDA Certified crackling fire logs made from recycled and renewable wood, designed and tested for cooking campfire foods. De nada!
Any tips for long-term beach camping?
This is pretty obvious, and we know it is why you're coming to Baja: you'll be spending a loong time at the beach. Now, you probably think there's nothing more to it than just laying down in the sun. Not untrue, but also not true. For example, temperatures vary a lot in winter - you might wake up freezing and seek shade a few hours later. Managing sand in your van will become a daily chore - in fact, you'll be tracking it constantly. You'll want to keep your camp furniture outside. Last, you'll have so much time on your hands, and no service: you need to learn being off-the-grid again. And please - always leave the beach cleaner than you found it!
If you haven't set your hands on an awning yet, we'll say it again: we are big fans of Moon Fab’s Moon Shade. Packs small, takes a minute to set up, and once it's on, it won't move an inch! Grab your own before you leave, you won't regret it.
We also love our Sandlite windproof and sand-free mat: originally built for the military, these beach-ready mats allow sand, dirt, and dust to fall through the fabric without being able to come back up. This handmade van broom from Leafted will be your new best friend to keep your interior clean. To avoid losing things in the sand, we keep our stuff organized in our RUX storage system.
Last but not least, leave the beach better than you found it! For that, we always keep reusable trash bags from Tombag, a B-Corp from Australia, that are perfect to carry trash to our Trail Stove, a large hand-sewn spare tire trash container from Roam & Shelter.
Now, grab your Tripster chair - made of robust maple, it won't tip in the fire or get dirty - treat yourself with an Official Escapar Beer by Cervecería Transpeninsular, and enjoy your front row to paradise! And at night, delight your travel companies with one of these National Parks themed family games - the profits support the National Parks Service.
How much self-reliance should I prepare for?
Baja sure has a well-earned reputation of endless glorious remote spots, and while you could stay on pavement most of the time, we guarantee you'll want to get lost. Well... please don't actually get lost - but yes, take that dirt road, try to reach that beach you saw on Google Earth. And we've said this already: once there, you'll be happy you set yourself up for self-reliance! Don't cut your stay short of a few days at that spot that took you half a day to, only because you didn't plan it well! Have an auxiliary energy set-up you trust, fill your fresh water container, empty your grey/black water tanks ahead of time in designated areas, and be ready to pack-in, pack-out.
You don't need a complex, uber-expensive solar system to achieve energy autonomy for a few day. There are great all-in-one options, like the GoPower Duracube portable power stations you can pair with a foldable solar panel, or the ultra-reliable Dakota Lithium Powerboxes, designed as waterproof and submersible mobile power stations for use in extreme environments - with over 1,000 cold cranking amps (CCA) of engine starting power! If looking into building a more permanent setup, Dakota Lithium’s complete 100AH off-grid electrical system is a great kit to get you started.
For those of you with water systems, be sure to empty that grey/black water tank in designated areas. We recommend using iOverlander or Sekr to find what you need ahead of needing it, like fresh water ("Agua purificada") fill-up stations or grey/black water dumping stations. As your black tank fills up, prefer Walex's black tank deodorizers than dumping it on the beach. For your #1, we love Clean Waste’s Go Anywhere foldable portable toilet for additional comfort. Be sure to dig deep with that shovel out of respect for your neighbor (or successor, if you've scored a spot for yourself). We use Gerber's shovels: the Gorge, or the higher-end E-tool. Or prefer a portable flushable toilet like the Reliance 3320 for more comfort. Last, for your laundry needs, be sure to travel with a biodegradable multi-prupose soap like the Campsuds. We also love our Fozzils foldable laundry basin for those beach laundry days.
Tap here to browse our full 2023 Baja gear list
Tap here to browse our full 2023 Baja gear list
We do the research so you don’t have to: browse our carefully curated selection of home goods and outdoor gear for your life on the road
