The Ultimate Gear for The Ultimate Baja Road Trip
The best gear for road tripping and vanlife in Baja California, Mexico.
by Josiah Roe
Baja can be a beast but with the right gear it is an adventure paradise.
This holiday we sent a team in four vans the entire length of Baja California. Other than getting stuck a couple times (don't forget those tow straps) there were no hiccups.
There are the basics that everyone should take to Baja: water, extra fuel, a spare tire or two, and a high-jack, but here are the products that can really take your Baja Road trip to the next level in terms of comfort, connectivity, and fun.
Jackery Explorer 440
Baja is remote. The best parts of Baja are *damn* remote and if you plan on staying in any one place for awhile you can expect no power source other than the sun and what you bring with you. The lithium-ion Jackery 440 power station and foldable solar panel is both portable and powerful. It will charge your cell devices for days *and* will give you a few extra hours on your laptop. Even better: its 12v output is perfect for our next product.
Cel-Fi GO M / Mobile
The unique terrain of Baja means that you may drive 20 km down an arroyo to a perfect empty beach and somewhere out of sight on a peninsula up the coast is a cell tower giving you one bar of 3g. The Cel-Fi Go M from Nextivity takes that one bar and cranks it up like you are sitting right next to the tower, making the Go M a vanlife/overlanding essential whether in Baja or anywhere else in the world.
Mountain House
Empty beaches and deserted canyons mean no $.50 taco stands and nothing feeds that breakfast craving in the cool desert morning like Mountain House. The Breakfast Hash was so popular we ran out by the fifth day into the trip
Bare Republic reef-friendly sunscreen
Jacques Cousteau famously called The Sea of Cortez "The Aquarium of the World" and there really is no way to describe the abundance of sea life and wildlife that thrives in the waters around Baja. It is a special place and a sacred place that deserves to be protected even as we protect our skin from harmful uv rays. Reef-friendly sunscreen from Bare Republic is an excellent choice and it lasts forever.
Soundboks
The best, loudest, and most-durable portable speaker on the planet that will run for nearly 40 hours on a single charge (and you can swap the batteries) doubles as a table, a nightstand, a ladder, and (on its side) a bench for two. The Soundboks can handle dirt, wind, rain, sand, and is damn near weatherproof so you can strap it to your roof. Just because you aren't in Cabo doesn't mean you can't have a dance party on the ocean.
Revive Kombucha
Want to avoid the infamous "Baja Belly"? Stay on top of your gut flora and hydration with Revive Kombucha. Revive is not an overwhelming kombucha: you really can drink two in a row, and it is damn refreshing in the heat. The mocha java coffee is awesome in the morning, particularly after an evening drinking mezcal around the campfire.
Olukai
Baja requires footwear that can handle sand, water, jagged volcanic rock, and cacti that will haunt your dreams. Olukai has long been famous for their sandals (and rightly so) but recently have made amazing strides into durable swim/run shoes and lifestyle footwear that cover a variety of occasions. My go-to everyday pair of shoes are the Nalukai Kapa Boot. Keep a pair in your van along with their sandals and you will cover all the Baja use cases
Oru Kayak
Baja is a peninsula made of peninsulas. With so much coastline, the best way to explore it is by kayak and there is no more convenient and portable kayak setup than from Oru Kayak. When space is at a premium in your van they are perfect for storing and strapping down almost anywhere.
Baja Bound Insurance
While not technically "gear," no visit to Mexico or Baja should be done without insurance from a Mexican insurance company. In fact, it is the law. The advantages are that you will have a local adjustor *and* rep there to handle any and all negotiations with third parties and authorities, and Baja Bound is one of the best places to find insurance.
The feeling of timeless immediacy.
