Whilst some off-road vehicles, like the Polaris General for example – are designed to be the ultimate adventure vehicle, adding specific parts and accessories can make your adventure even more epic.

There’s a huge number of Polaris Engineered and third-party, aftermarket parts and accessories available that are specifically designed for certain tasks and requirements. Directly from the feedback given by the riders that completed the Polaris Outlanding Project in Iceland, here are their top 10 suggestions of kit to look into before your next big adventure…

The most useful thing about a top tent? They make camping more clever and convenient with a simple set-up and fold-down in just a matter of minutes. 

Gone are the days of getting to the campsite and spending hours fixing broken tent poles and hammering pegs into the ground, only to find it needs to be moved 10-metres to the left. For the two lucky riders that were camping with the top tent-equipped Polaris General each night in Iceland, they had a lot more time to spend looking for the Northern Lights than sorting out their camping gear.

The Polaris Outlanding Project used the Skycamp Mini tent by CAMPWERK – one of Germany’s biggest roof tent and camping product providers. It offered plenty of space for up to two people with beautifully-designed interior space offering excellent insulation in the cold of Iceland, alongside easy-to-operate windows to admire the volcanic landscape. When packed away, it folded back down into a neat fibreglass hard shell – the perfect size for atop the Polaris General without affecting vehicle stability.

We’ve all been at the stage where a back-to-basics camping trip quickly becomes a very long list of things you need and a packing dilemma, defeating the point of camping in the first place. 

Here’s a packing hack fresh from the Polaris Outlanding team: Find a clever solution that packs all the essentials for you in an innovative way! Enter: The XOBI Extreme Outdoor Kitchen, a portable kitchen unit that packs everything you need to make your campsite feel a lot less like a basic stopover and more like a home away from home.

Featuring food-safe oiled bamboo wood, you get a 10-litre water tank, stainless steel bowl, 12V water tap with micro switch, a 12V car connection and cutting board, all packed within a lightweight, splash-proof, heavy-duty aluminium box. The riders also added handy accessories like the aluminium stand, Imax camping stove, extra clip-on boards for more countertop space and a magnetic XOBI light that securely clips to the top of the box when open. Not only have XOBI thought of everything for you, but it really redefines the outdoor cooking experience.  

Not sure what the road ahead has in store? Make it less of a worry by arming your vehicle with added protection for lights, bodywork and suspension.

For Iceland, the riders equipped the Polaris General with Polaris Engineered Rock Sliders – securely fastened to the tough expansion anchor mounts designed for the Polaris General, allowing for a quick installation without damaging the vehicle’s frame. You can also add front and rear bumpers for added protection.

It really is very difficult to master the art of “packing light”, no matter how many times you re-pack. So rather than making it a struggle every time you need to get something in or out of a bag that’s crammed at the bottom of the pile, why not explore storage solutions that’ll help you pack systematically? 

The Polaris Outlanding team enlisted the help of Taubenreuther, who built a special structure that allowed them to mount the roof tent to the Rhino-Rack roof rails (a solution specifically designed for the Polaris General and Ranger), whilst optimising the cargo bed space and still allowing the team to operate the tilt-function of the cargo bed in case they needed to work on the vehicle at any time – genius!

As you can see from the image above, they certainly put it to good use – but it did ensure the team could carry their kit, camping equipment, food and tools.

What’s worse than arriving at your campsite much later than planned so it’s pitch black, the wind has picked up and you’re trying to unfold your lightweight tent ready for the night ahead? Doing it in the dark with nothing but a head torch to see what you’re doing.

Luckily for the Polaris Outlanding team, they had a Pro Armor light bar fitted to the Polaris General for powerful combo (flood and spot) lighting, enough to light up their patch of the camping ground – highly recommended!

When you’re in difficult terrain with miles until the next village (or in fact, any signs of civilisation), it’s good to know you’ve got a helping hand nearby in case you get into a sticky situation, and by that of course, we mean a winch!

Getting stuck is sometimes all part of the fun of off-roading, but only when you’ve got a way to get out.

It goes without saying that a spare tyre is helpful (and knowing how to fit one) – especially if you’re somewhere remote on sharp, rocky terrain.  Consider this when you’re planning your storage space.

Not necessarily an issue if you’re going somewhere warm and sunny (unless you want to keep dust swirl at bay), but when the heavens opened on the Polaris Outlanding Project in Iceland, the riders in the windshield-equipped Polaris General and Polaris Ranger were very thankful. Not so great for those in the RZR with the half-windshield, but you live and you learn. 

Of course, a fully enclosed cab in a side-by-side vehicle comprises a windshield and rear panel, along with doors and a roof – all with various models and attributes so you can choose what’s right for you. You can even add an in-cab 8-vent heater system!

Where would the team be without their trusty GARMIN navigational systems? Well, probably lost somewhere in the plateau of middle Iceland, following those yellow waypoints until they find their way home. 

But in all seriousness, the team had a Garmin Tread® all-terrain sat nav installed in each vehicle, which was invaluable in helping the team to navigate the daily route and stay on the legal tracks (did you know off-roading is illegal in Iceland?). IP67 weather-resistant and with an ultra-bright glove-friendly touchscreen display, the Garmin Tread® not only allowed the team to plan ahead, but also to track the entire off-road journey turn-by-turn – even the unpaved roads and trails – with OpenStreetMap (OSM).

Probably the least important of them all, but definitely the most entertaining. When all is said and done and the adventure is a mere memory, it’s always nice to be able to revisit those moments via a photograph or video. Then again, getting those memories can become tiresome and you feel like you’re spending the whole trip behind a lens… The solution? Mount an action cam to your vehicle and let it do all the work for you (note, you do still need to push the on and off button)  – you get dynamic, cool content without the stress of stopping and starting with every turn of a corner! 

GoPro was kind enough to support the Polaris Outlanding Project with the Hero 10, and the footage in unbelievable… See it for yourself by checking out the Polaris Outlanding Project official video, coming soon to Polaris UK social channels!

For more information on the parts and accessories available for Polaris’ off-road vehicles, check out the online brochures, or contact your local dealer today!