What Should You Bring Along With You For ATV and UTV Riding?

October 1, 2026

Trail Gear & Riding Tips

What Should You Bring Along With You For ATV and UTV Riding?

If you're taking your machine out for a day on the trails, it's easy to get excited and want to head out immediately, but it's still important to know that there are a few things you should be bringing along to keep you safe and secure. Today, we'll be talking about the best items to carry when riding the trails and what to pack before you ever leave the driveway.

Keep in mind that these are all very common items and many drivers will be carrying them as well, so if you're missing anything on our checklist, you should be able to get it pretty easily. So, let's jump right in!

01Best Health-Related Items To Carry In Your ATV or UTV

First Aid Kit

No matter what you ride, you'll first and foremost want to have a first aid kit packed in there. You never know when something could happen, and no matter what it is, from a small scratch to a serious issue, a first aid kit will come in handy, and you'll definitely be glad you have one. You can find small first aid kits to fit in your machine's factory storage areas, and you could even just bring a backpack along and throw one in there.

Water and a Cooler

With safety in mind, a first aid kit is a must, but the next best thing to carry would be water. As simple as it sounds, it's important to always carry some extras, and if you've got the room for one, bringing a cooler along will be helpful too. When you're out off-road riding, you don't always have stops that are very close together, so it's important to stay hydrated.

Something else to keep in mind is that ATVs and UTVs are just like the cars and trucks that we drive. They're not immune to breakdowns, which means that you could get stranded for some time out on the trails, so having water with you can literally be a lifesaver.

02Best Trail-Related Items To Carry With Your ATV or UTV

So far, our trail essentials checklist has two huge safety and health-related items, both of which are affordable and easy to take with you on your next ride. Now, let's get into some of the trail-side things to carry, starting first with tire plug kits.

Tire Plug Kits

We always carry tire plug kits, because flat tires happen. From previous experience, if you ever get a flat tire, in many cases you can throw a plug or two into the puncture to get it to hold air again. Tire plug kits, for the most part, are very affordable for basic kits, and some of the fancier ones on the market come with CO2 canisters and a mini air fill hose to throw a bit of air back into your tire.

Portable Air Compressor

That leads us to the next item to consider, which is a portable air compressor. This way, when you do have that flat tire situation, you can get the tire all plugged up and good to go, and you can now fill your tire back up to where you need it to be. Some portable air compressors even come with PSI gauges so you know what your tire pressure is at.

03Other Essentials To Bring on ATV and UTV Rides

There are a few other items worth bringing on your off-road ride. Tow straps are always a win if you need to tow a machine that broke down, and recovery gear like a kinetic recovery strap or winch is always smart to have along for the unexpected. Whether you ride an ATV, UTV, or side by side, any kind of survival gear is always smart to bring along with you as well.

In terms of UTVs and side by sides, many riders will carry fire extinguishers, and you can easily mount these to the roll cage somewhere, and spare tire carriers are also very popular for many UTVs. Sometimes, UTV owners tend to carry spare belts or even axles, but this will depend on what machines they have.

04Shop ATV & UTV Accessories Online at Function Powersports

There are all sorts of different variables on what to pack when you head out for the trails, but our best advice to you would be to carry the essentials for both safety and health. It never hurts to carry more if you have the storage and cargo abilities, and of course, if you need to stock up on supplies for your next off-road ride, you're more than welcome to check out our store today and grab the trail essentials that you need.

Wheels, tires and suspension are available as well, so whatever you're looking for on your machine, Function Powersports has you covered. Happy riding!