Document Everything. Then Document the Documents.
This can be classified as some of the least-sexy overlanding advice ever offered, here or anywhere. But what it lacks in sex appeal is made up for in subtle utility.
You’ve just entered a new country, having successfully navigated the Byzantine border process, and you’re feeling the buzz of opening a new chapter in your travels. That fresh visa sticker or stamp in your passport? While you’re admiring it, snap a quick photo of it with your phone’s camera. The carnet stamp (either “in” or “out”), the compulsory insurance form, all receipts, any mysterious slip of paper with a stamp or signature that came into your possession at any border crossing or checkpoint: document it. These images serve as a backup in case of loss, and as an archive your future self will appreciate when you’re trying to piece together a timeline or sequence of events.
The same principle applies before you leave home. Anything that exists only in paper form deserves a digital copy. Anything that exists only digitally deserves a printed hardcopy. Build both directions of redundancy into your preparation, and maintain them throughout the trip.
Before You Leave: Identity and Ownership
Have a dedicated album of images of the following:
- Passport photo page
- Clear, high-resolution passport photo
- Any visas obtained ahead of time
- Your vehicle from at least 4 angles
- Your vehicle’s VIN/chassis number (and engine number, if different)
- Your vehicle’s license plate, registration document, and ownership document
Before You Leave: Transaction and Process Records
- Screenshots of website booking or registration confirmations, when no email receipt is sent
- Shipping bills of lading, manifests, invoices, and receipts
On the Road
Every border crossing and checkpoint adds to this archive. Keep it current.