Must-Have Gear for Visiting the Baja Peninsula
Crossing the boarder into Baja California, Mexico is a daunting task for some, but with the right gear and a bit of planning, your trip can go smoothly. Below are some of our favorite gear items for a short or long trip down the Baja.
A Phone with an International Data Plan and Google Translate
Because our Spanish is just good enough to order a fish taco or purchase fuel, Google Translate is a huge help when traveling abroad. Be sure to download both the English and Spanish packs for offline use. You can even use the conversation mode if you are navigating a particularly tough topic and most locals are helpful and understanding.
Other apps that are handy for traveling around Baja are Ioverlander and a currency exchange app like Xe.
A 12V Compressor Refrigerator
Having a 12v compressor refrigerator in our vehicle has has been a game changer. It allows us to load up on food when we find it somewhat cheaply and keep it longer. Without having to worry about filling ice every couple of days, we are free to travel farther and longer and all of our goods are still cold upon arrival.
We reviewed our Dometic CFX3 compressor fridge here:
The DOMETIC CFX3 95DZ is a BEAST of an Overland Refrigerator
Stand Up Paddleboard or a Kayak
Baja is known for epic desert landscapes and beautiful beaches. To explore the vast shoreline of the Baja Peninsuila, some kind of water craft is really nice to have. On our first trip to Baja we didn’t have any way to get in the water besides swimming and tours were wildly expensive. On our most recent trip south of the border, we brought our PEAK Paddleboard (now ISLE) and we were glad we did.
While camping on Bahia de Los Angeles, we were able to paddle every morning with a variety of fish species, starfish, and even SEA TURTLES! Without the SUP, we would have never been able to get up close and personal with the variety of wildlife that Baja has to offer.
We will spend more time in the water when we return to Baja and hopefully we will have a kayak or two in tow.
Recovery Gear to Get Unstuck
The amount of exploration that you can do in Baja will only be limited by how much time you have, how much gas money you can swing, and how far off the pavement you can take your vehicle. Having the proper gear is critical to get yourself and your vehicle out of difficult situations off-road, especially in a foreign country. Baja has deep sand everywhere and having some of the following tools could save your bacon in the Baja.
The first line of defense for getting unstuck anywhere is a shovel. A longer shovel is preferred for big jobs, but a half-sized shovel works wonders in sand and doubles as a poop shovel. Next, a pair of traction boards, like the Maxsa Escaper traction boards, work wonders to get out of sand and mud and even can be used as a bridge over big gaps and holes. A more permanent and expensive tool for getting unstuck is installing a winch on your vehicle. On a whim, we installed a Harbor Freight 12,000 pound winch on our GX and have been happy with the performance. Our next winch will likely be a Warn VR EVO-S 12K.
A Camera, Tripod, and Drone
Baja is epically beautiful and there are jaw-dropping landscapes around every corner. Bring a camera on your next Baja trip to capture the beauty as completely as possible. A wide zoom like the Sony 18-105 F4 is a great all-around lens for a variety of landscapes. I like to take photos of stars and water, both require long exposures and sometimes wide apertures. A good tripod and a lens like the Sigma 16mm F1.4 is a perfect combination for star photos in the dark skies of Baja.
The drone is an optional piece of equipment that we use more sparingly as they have become more and more prevalent. Be wise about when you use it, there is nothing worse than a beautiful campsite being ruined by the buzzing of a drone. We use an older DJI Mavic Pro and have found it more than capable at capturing all of the images and video that we want recorded from the sky.
Tools, an Air Compressor and Spare Parts
Baja can be very remote and cell service is spotty at best, so when your vehicle breaks, you need to be able to fix it. A good set of tools that include at minimum a socket set, a variety of hand tools(hammer, pliers, screw drivers), and any spare parts that might be hard to find or could possibly go bad. We also carry a Viar 400P air compressor to quickly air up our tires from time spent off-road and to air up after repairing holes or leaks. We carry a spare ignition coil and a spare serpentine belt as those are fairly common points of failure, especially out in the sticks.
Baja is a fantastic destination and with the right gear, you can have an even better trip south of the border. Think we missed something in our list, send us an email or message us on social media, we would love to hear from you!
