How to plan a group overland trip

Planning a trip for one rig is easy. Planning for a crew is where it falls apart: the route lives in your head, the fuel math is a guess, and "who's bringing the compressor?" gets asked four times. Here's the repeatable way to do it.

1. Break the trip into segments

A multi-day trip isn't one line on a map. It's travel days and basecamp days. Model them separately: a drive route from home to the trailhead, then a basecamp with daily loops. Each segment gets its own color and its own day.

2. Sort the rigs and the fuel

Everyone burns fuel at a different rate. Pull each rig's MPG and tank size once, then let the route do the math per vehicle. The V8 and the 2.0 Turbo should see honest, separate numbers, and you should know where you'll refuel before you commit to a leg.

3. Lock lodging and beds early

If you're basecamping, get the rental on the plan and let buddies claim the empty beds. No more back-and-forth about who's sleeping where.

4. Share one plan, not five chats

Send your crew a single shared plan. When it changes, it changes for everyone. Export the route as GPX into onX or Gaia for navigation, and you're rolling.

Do these four things once and the next time you think about logistics is when you're parked at the trailhead.