Overlanding is Dead! Is it? Finally!!

[DaPierogiKid]

They’re just being with nature (while blasting music on a bluetooth speaker )

I personally love the flashing lights and speakers on the UTVs I come across on the trails.

DISCO IN THE WOODS!

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[MadMan4BamaNATL]

I started doing what I call off-road adventures in the late 70s with a 1973 FJ55 Landcruiser. I don't call my self an Overlander but do enjoy the remote wilderness. My wife and I would go by ourselves because we could not find anyone that wanted to do this stuff back then. We could go out and rarely see anyone else. We did stick to established trails so as not to damage the wilderness environment. We only had maps and a compass back then.

Initially, we used a large cooler that was kept cold with a couple large Tupperware containers that we filled with water and froze. We could get about 5 days out of that and then had to buy ice. The problem with buying ice was getting everything wet inside the cooler as the ice melted. So, we treid to limit our trips to 5 days. Once we found out about ARB refrigerators, we could go for two weeks before having to restock with food. I like roughing it but also want some decent quality food to eat. I had enough of the K rations or worse in Viet Nam.

We slept inside the vehicle and that worked well for us.

I have seen this type of thing slowly grow over the years and suddenly get very popular about 10-15 years ago. The growth seems to have tapered off but I don't see much decline. It is getting very hard to find places that are not traveled much.

Everybody tells me I travel stealth because I don't have stuff hanging on the sides and top of my vehicle.

It’s guys like you who’ve been my role model without even knowing or caring, but you old school guys are an inspiration and I’m just out here posing trying to look like you did.

I use a ground tent to camp and I hate snakes and wasps, so at times, it’s a wonder why I love the woods so much, but I do. When I camp, I put out little containers of ammonia if camping in warm weather. Just 3-4 around the camp. Basically plastic containers with breather holes almost like a salt shaker. Keeps snakes, bears, and some rodents away from the site and at night.

A few modern amenities such as the fridge are what just make since now that we have them and wouldn’t trade my Dometic for anything. Good for power outages in the home as well with a battery.

 

[Badrap]

This is the ultimate overlanding.

 

[KT_bronco]

 

[indio22]

I have a roof rack and RTT on my bronco all the time. I always wonder why people keep their rotopax, shovels, axes, and whatnot on the side of their truck all the time.

I have a 2 door, so storage space is a luxury. The little bit of gear I do have, is to make it more comfortable for my wife so she will join me on my (mis)adventures.

All this hate for the hobby, as a trend or not, doesn’t make much sense to me. I could offer the same opinion to people just getting into car racing, carpentry, welding, football… take your pick. It’s just a hobby that crosses over into something almost all of us on this forum enjoy too.

The off-road experience is most the fun. There are some very remote places in Southern Nevada and Utah that don’t see much motorized travel. Camping where nearly no one else goes is a cherry on top of a great day.

Last year I spent 3 days in the San Rafael Swell and only saw 2 other humans until I reached Goblin Valley. Also, 2 days in the mountains of central Nevada and didn’t see anyone until I made it out the other side at a gas station.

Next week I’m driving South end to North end of Arizona, mostly on dirt, rocks and whatever else comes my way.

I never did any off-roading before buying my Bronco, but I’m fairly competent with tire placement and car control. So after typing all this out, I don’t feel like I’m included with the negative remarks. There are definitely people that should travel in groups with someone more capable.

Riffing on your carpentry analogy, for me it's more like buying a hammer to carry around, but not actually hit anything with it. Or buying a very expensive hammer, just to hang a few pictures. People buy an image.

I think we're all swayed to some extent by the image of things, but at some point it can jump the shark.

 

[monsterfd]

man, theres a lot of opinions in this thread

 

[Canyon Coolers]

I've been going to the Flagstaff Overland show for over a decade. Lots of overlanding around here, but honestly awesome locations to do just that surround us. In early days It was often minivans with trustafarians, and their minivans had 300K to 600K miles on them, and they had been driven to Bolivia or thereabouts. Those 'dirty hippies' met a lot of people in all that misadventure, and they were better for it. It was way less bling looking before the gram, and before the trustafarians morphed into influencers. .

I often find the 'scene' ridiculous. Its ponderous underwhelming 'adventure' populated by people that often don't contribute to a community. Yes it is fun to check out some of the rigs, and I do have a rooftop tent on my trusty old Diesel Dodge. Then we look at Earth Roamer, the epitome of "I want to see the world, but from my couch and clearly be removed from any real culture I may come across". It is both awesome engineering and offensive to be so removed from the rest of the world.

Its a mature market, not a dying one, its just settling into a newer lower plateau, but the options and equipment are better then ever. I've met some nice people and great businesses. No real hate, but I may tease you if you try to share your chicken fajita skottle recipe.

Peak overlanding has been reached, a better chill version is in front of us.

 

[Tricky Mike]

My goal is to get the Bronco higher to help with debris collecting on the underside. Maybe 3" with 37's OR simply a 2" with 35's I already have. It's expensive so I'm having to work some overtime to pay for it. Hopefully by summer it will be done.

In regards to the rooftop tent, they're great as long as you choose the right one (weight and simplicity) is the key. Otherwise they're more of a hassle than beneficial. I'd recommend close to 135 pounds and clam shell. You wont even know it's up there and 2 min set up / take down. Oh...keep a urinal up there!

I'll admit, there's something about being in a rooftop tent that make you feel like a kid again. It really is fun

I didn't "get" RTTs until I got one, and made sure it was a clamshell. A nice mattress and 30 second setup is priceless.

The monstrosites that fold out and are just a regular tent but in the air, those don't make any sense to me.

There's a non-zero chance it may have contributed to my flop though.

 

[KT_bronco]

Then we look at Earth Roamer, the epitome of "I want to see the world, but from my couch and clearly be removed from any real culture I may come across". It is both awesome engineering and offensive to be so removed from the rest of the world.

Interesting that you mention being completely removed from your surroundings—I recently saw one of these beasts in Death Valley, shipped over from Germany. Never even spotted the owners; they were locked away in their cabin the entire time. I’ve got mixed feelings about these rigs. They definitely look capable, but with that much mass, I have to wonder how much they’re actually limiting where they can go.

 

[Canyon Coolers]

Interesting that you mention being completely removed from your surroundings—I recently saw one of these beasts in Death Valley, shipped over from Germany. Never even spotted the owners; they were locked away in their cabin the entire time. I’ve got mixed feelings about these rigs. They definitely look capable, but with that much mass, I have to wonder how much they’re actually limiting where they can go.

If I wanted to setup basecamp and count desert tortoises for a month, that thing would be awesome. That Bronco by comparison is visceral. You have dirt in your hair, maybe even a sunburn, but your eye level with humanity for better or worse, and you can drive into the city or across the sandiest of beaches, or up a goat trail if need be. You don't need a crane to change a tire. You are stopping for food and gas and interacting with locals if even just a little. You are never in the cocoon the way they are, you are present in your surrounding at all times. There is something 'more' in that. OK a hot shower and a cup of coffee is at the other guys fingertips but trading comfort for presence isn't always where the best stuff happens. Growth is usually uncomfortable.

 

[BearPatrol]

And @BearPatrol, I totally agree—keeping things as simple as possible makes the experience way more enjoyable. I’ve learned that spending more time on the trail is way better than constantly packing and unpacking at every stop. That said, my biggest game-changer was switching to a small fridge—I’ll never go back to a cooler.

I recently added a fold out camping chair. That's enough QoL improvements for me at the moment lol

Honestly the food & beer I take stay chilled enough for the 2-3 days I'm out & about. Any longer & I'd probably consider one!

 

[Felix808]

Truth be told I go overlanding every time I drive down the freeway no matter the vehicle, because I sure the heck don't go subterranean

I share a lot of the presenters thoughts. And for the folks that think of a roof top tent because bears and such have never seen a bear climb. They'll out climb a cat and are extremely dexterous. Just picture a Russian Bear riding a bicycle

 

[ironmike]

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the guy who posted that Columbia and Snowpeak make “top of the line gear”!

 

[Montana Bronco]

They’re just being with nature (while blasting music on a bluetooth speaker )

You laugh, but I always play my Bluetooth speaker while hiking. I live in grizzly country and I have had numerous close encounters. One of my best friends was mauled to death while fly fishing at our favorite fishing hole 2 years ago. I consider my Bluetooth speaker my first line of defense, grizzlies have great hearing. And they hate the mumble rap I’m playing.

 

[KT_bronco]

You laugh, but I always play my Bluetooth speaker while hiking. I live in grizzly country and I have had numerous close encounters. One of my best friends was mauled to death while fly fishing at our favorite fishing hole 2 years ago. I consider my Bluetooth speaker my first line of defense, grizzlies have great hearing. And they hate the mumble rap I’m playing.

And I thought I had smoked one too many when I heard rap music emanating from the woods.

I’m just gonna go ahead and say the takeaway from this thread is: overlanding is slowing down as more people head to Cabo, rooftop tents can tip you over in certain situations, don’t waste money on an overpriced transformer shovel, and yes—the jerry can Illuminati is real. Also, if you’re 'overlanding' long distances by carriage, watch out for dysentery.

Did I miss anything?

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