7 Must-Have Car Accessories for Land Scouting
If you're serious about finding your future Home Base, chances are you're going to spend a lot of time behind the wheel.
We could fill an article with hundreds of decent accessories for your vehicle, but our whole schtick is not wasting your time. So with that in mind, here are only the most absolutely necessary upgrades we wouldn’t send you into the field without.
Self-Recovery Treads
A no-brainer for anyone seeking rural / off-grid land or doing any viewings in the Spring (a.k.a. Mud Season).
Unless your vehicle is equipped with a winch, you need a solution to free yourself from unexpected deep mud. GoTreads are traction mats you deploy in front of your tires in the event you get stuck. They collapse into a small carrying case, which you should throw in the trunk and hope to never use.
The Best Portable Tire Pump
Avid Power Portable Air Compressor
Often you’ll be traveling to rural areas with limited cell service, and using roads that are relatively rough on tires. And since driving on low tires can damage them, it’s important to have a backup plan.
This is Car & Driver’s pick for the best overall tire inflator. These things have gotten pretty fancy over the years, with integrated batteries you’ll never remember to charge in advance. The Avid Power has a battery but also—importantly—a backup cord that uses your vehicle’s 12-volt cigarette lighter outlet.
The Best Dash Cam
For peace of mind on the road, the Viofo A229 Pro features 4K front-facing and 2K rear-facing video cameras, making license plates and landmarks easier to recognize later. It’s easy to install and utilizes a supercapacitor instead of a lithium battery, which holds its charge much longer inside hot cars.
First Aid Kit
ThriAid 330-Piece First Aid Kit
Really any first aid kit would be a wise addition to your trunk or backseat, doesn’t have to be this one. Especially if you’re heading into remote areas.
That said, this is the kit we use. It’s complete, compact, easy to use, and easy to locate in an emergency.
The Best iPhone Holder
ESR HaloLock Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger
This is the best and most popular dashboard phone holder for iPhones equipped with MagSafe charging (iPhone 12 and on). It securely holds compatible iPhones while charging wirelessly at the same time. Strong magnets make it easy to attach or remove your phone with one hand. After all, the last thing you want is your phone sliding around every time you turn onto a dirt road.
The Best Android Phone Holder
The Auto Sense 2 automatically opens and closes its arms as you place your phone in the cradle, making it incredibly convenient when you're making frequent stops.
Its adjustable design works with many Android phones and protective cases, as well as iPhones too—just not as well as the ESR above.
Learning on the Go
For this lifestyle we’ve got to recommend a subscription to Audible, which gives you remarkably cheap access to thousands of audiobooks covering personal finance, homesteading, gardening, construction, history, business, and travel. We think of this as automatically downloading knowledge into your brain with basically no effort. It's just such an easy way to make progress toward your Home Base goals while you're driving to the next property.
Did we mention we have a separate guide for for must-read books? Click here to see it!
The Home Base Herald may earn a commission from purchases of the items on this page. But we only promote the products and services we think are great.