Article: Vehicular Exploration 101

[RaggedViking]

Tribe -
In my spare time I write for The Gear Institute. We're a team of outdoor enthusiasts who come from all walks of life but generally enjoy good gear and good clothing in the outdoor world. We test this stuff by using it in real life situations, as well as some lab-style testing - and give back unbiased reviews.

I was initially brought on a few years ago to test and review knives and tools and it's blossomed into all sorts of other wild coverage. I've been working and designing products in the outdoor product industry for 20 years, and I live and play in the outdoors - so it's easy for me to adjust to new assignments and keep the gig fresh.

Overlanding is a grey area in the outdoor product industry. People know about off-roading, and they know about camping, but overlanding isn't really a mainstream thing. But that is all going to change as there is a MASSIVE WAVE of products coming out over the remainder of the year and next year aimed at getting people outfitted for Overlanding. At a recent tradeshow, it was hard to miss this focus and theme. It's excited as we'll all have more "stuff" to buy and play with - I just hope people consider the toll this type of stuff can have on their vehicles, and - overall - are ready to drive "on location".

With that being said, I was assigned by my editor to do a little overlanding (or, as I like to call it, spend my weekends as usual) and present a solid set of gear that I used when I was out there in it. I don't know if you would call this the purest form of overlanding as there was a destination in mind and I set up quite a camp when we got there - but, then again, I feel that what we consider "overlanding" is an evolving thing that centers around getting off the road and getting out on to some technical terrain - however long it takes and what you do when you're planning the next leg of the journey is really open-ended.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. "Vehicular Exploration" is something I've been doing for some time without labeling it so I struggle to say that this is just overlanding as I don't want to offend any purists. So, read it, enjoy it, maybe get some ideas on new gear to test out.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.gearinstitute.com/gear-news/gear-institute-top-stories/item/vehicular-exploration-101-a-gear-guide-for-the-flourishing-off-road-overland-adventurer-2

 

[Barton Fink]

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[RaggedViking]

Bookmarked to read later this evening, and looking forward to it.

I appreciate that! There's some really great gear in there. Let me know what you think.

 

[expeditionnorth]

great read

however to me there is a difference of opinion as to what overlanding is

to some, its tearing up muddy trails, to others its exploring new areas, trails, the culture of the area you visit

I prefer the latter

great minds think alike

however all the gear most folks bring make me think of the term "glamping" glamor camping

its so overbuilt for the purpose it kills, I know I buy the best I can afford as so do others, but you see it at all the events, heavy bulky gear

I prefer to take the minimalist approach, lightweight gear, hammock, rain fly etc

just because we have all that space doesnt mean we have to fill every inch

I would have liked to met up with you, if you ever make it back to VT let me know, I'll show you around

 

[RaggedViking]

great read

however to me there is a difference of opinion as to what overlanding is

to some, its tearing up muddy trails, to others its exploring new areas, trails, the culture of the area you visit

I prefer the latter

great minds think alike

however all the gear most folks bring make me think of the term "glamping" glamor camping

its so overbuilt for the purpose it kills, I know I buy the best I can afford as so do others, but you see it at all the events, heavy bulky gear

I prefer to take the minimalist approach, lightweight gear, hammock, rain fly etc

just because we have all that space doesnt mean we have to fill every inch

I would have liked to met up with you, if you ever make it back to VT let me know, I'll show you around

Thanks for reading the article.
It was a blast getting to try out some gear I may never have otherwise, but for the bulk of it - a lot of that stuff was already mine.

I feel like all of that muddy trail tearing was practice for what I'm doing now.
I like getting out there and just exploring - slow and easy.

If I go with my family we "glamp" for sure.
My wife is fine with a tarp on the ground and a blanket - but with the kids and all, I figure I'd like to make it comfortable.
We don't bring carpets and throw pillows, however..

If it's just me I keep it pretty simple, granted I have the awning and tent already with me.
And at that point I approach overlanding like a mix between backpacking and a weekend at the cabin with most of the extra bulk coming from food.

I have a cabin in Readsboro - so I'm up there quite a bit.
I'll let you know before I go next time and maybe we could meet up?
I'd love to see some of the more meaty and established trails.. We've got quite a cache of Class IV's all around us - but they only go so far.

 

[Disco_Berty]

Well, I for one am jealous you get paid to go out exploring and testing new kit. I read the article with great interest and recognise some of the kit that I also use. Your point in the article about overlanding evolving is very true. Here in the UK we do an activity called green laning, which is basically finding trails that have never been tarmaced but have vehicular rights of way. Some of these can be very challenging and I will often see very highly modified rigs testing themselves against these trails. Mostly these are single day trips with no camping involved. Conversely in Spain on our last trip, the majority of trails were easy, with some technical trails mixed in but all had stunning views and we camped each day. Both activities have similarities and cross overs and therefore sometimes get mixed up.

What your article and the responses above says to me is that having a large rig gives you lots of flexibility in how comfortable you want to be and how quick you want to set up and break camp. When I am with the wife and four kids, we take everything with us, oztent RV4, tagalong tent, 270 awning etc as we need lots of space for sleeping and preparing food. When I am on my own, I will often sleep in the back of the car rather than pack a tent, or bring along my hammock and tarp. I am doing Icefest in January in Buxton this will involve me taking most things as it will very cold with snow on the ground.

An informative article overall. Have you thought about having this as the summary article, and then doing a series of more in depth ones for each key category. for example you cover the tag along RV5. A great bit of kit. Some of the real benefits come with it being modular which you make reference to with connecting it to the foxwing. You could do a more in-depth article on shelters for overlanding, recover the Oztent and all its benefits, then compare against roof tents etc. Sorry, don't want this to come across as teaching you to suck eggs as I am sure you are a very experienced writer and have already thought of this.

Keep em coming anyway. I always like to read gear reviews and they are even better when written by someone who is actually using them routinely.

 

[RaggedViking]

Well, I for one am jealous you get paid to go out exploring and testing new kit. I read the article with great interest and recognise some of the kit that I also use. Your point in the article about overlanding evolving is very true. Here in the UK we do an activity called green laning, which is basically finding trails that have never been tarmaced but have vehicular rights of way. Some of these can be very challenging and I will often see very highly modified rigs testing themselves against these trails. Mostly these are single day trips with no camping involved. Conversely in Spain on our last trip, the majority of trails were easy, with some technical trails mixed in but all had stunning views and we camped each day. Both activities have similarities and cross overs and therefore sometimes get mixed up.

What your article and the responses above says to me is that having a large rig gives you lots of flexibility in how comfortable you want to be and how quick you want to set up and break camp. When I am with the wife and four kids, we take everything with us, oztent RV4, tagalong tent, 270 awning etc as we need lots of space for sleeping and preparing food. When I am on my own, I will often sleep in the back of the car rather than pack a tent, or bring along my hammock and tarp. I am doing Icefest in January in Buxton this will involve me taking most things as it will very cold with snow on the ground.

An informative article overall. Have you thought about having this as the summary article, and then doing a series of more in depth ones for each key category. for example you cover the tag along RV5. A great bit of kit. Some of the real benefits come with it being modular which you make reference to with connecting it to the foxwing. You could do a more in-depth article on shelters for overlanding, recover the Oztent and all its benefits, then compare against roof tents etc. Sorry, don't want this to come across as teaching you to suck eggs as I am sure you are a very experienced writer and have already thought of this.

Keep em coming anyway. I always like to read gear reviews and they are even better when written by someone who is actually using them routinely.

Thanks for reading and responding!
Not only are we seeing a wave in Overlanding / Off-Roading / Glamping / Greenlanding come through North America, but a majority of the outdoor camping product companies are designing products for 2017 that are aimed at these vehicular activities. So, in essence - it's going mainstream!!!! With that being said, I'm fairly certain there will be more product reviews that deal directly with these products.

I recently did a brief intro to "swags" and I have a "skottle" on the way from Tembo Tusk. I'd like to go more indepth with vehicle accessories, but Gear Institute really isn't the forum for that - so we'll see where that goes - but expect some more "anti-pavement" goodness from me in the future.

 

[Disco_Berty]

[QUOTE="I recently did a brief intro to "swags" and I have a "skottle" on the way from Tembo Tusk. I'd like to go more indepth with vehicle accessories, but Gear Institute really isn't the forum for that - so we'll see where that goes - but expect some more "anti-pavement" goodness from me in the future.[/QUOTE]

I nearly mentioned these as I also watch some aussie channels. Thankfully for me, these are a no go. Whilst I see the benefit and can appreciate how quick they are to set up and take down, I suffer with mild claustrophobia and this would set me off big time. Had a quick read of this article as well. Like your style. What else have you done that would benefit this community?

Also, love the way you introduced the thread, "tribe'. Classic description and very apt.

 

[Barton Fink]

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[RaggedViking]

[QUOTE="I recently did a brief intro to "swags" and I have a "skottle" on the way from Tembo Tusk. I'd like to go more indepth with vehicle accessories, but Gear Institute really isn't the forum for that - so we'll see where that goes - but expect some more "anti-pavement" goodness from me in the future.

I nearly mentioned these as I also watch some aussie channels. Thankfully for me, these are a no go. Whilst I see the benefit and can appreciate how quick they are to set up and take down, I suffer with mild claustrophobia and this would set me off big time. Had a quick read of this article as well. Like your style. What else have you done that would benefit this community?

Also, love the way you introduced the thread, "tribe'. Classic description and very apt. [/QUOTE]
I prefer to take a two-man tent when I solo camp, for the same reason - I don't like the feeling of the walls caving in on me - so we'll see how these swags turn out.
I'm hoping to get to test one here in a month or so, once the snow starts falling.

In terms of benefiting the community, on a more local front, I make sure the trails in my area are clear and clean for other adventurists.
I have 10 acres in Southern Vermont which borders on a massive forest. Vermont, like most of New Engand, is ripe with old farm roads and trails, and we have a healthy circuit of trails by our property. So when I go up to my cabin to clean up or just hang out, I check the trails out and make sure they're clean and free of anything massive that may have fallen (lots and lots of old fruit trees that have gone to rot over the past 50 years).

Otherwise, I do what I can to share little tidbits here and there and be helpful.
And I always make sure to help my fellow man or woman out on the trail - on foot, or in vehicle.

 

[RaggedViking]

A

Hey, finally had a few uninterrupted minutes to read the article. You've got some nice toys, man. I'm jonesing hard for the Rhino Rack Pioneer system for the Jeep JKU and Maxtrax, but I saving pennies for suspension & tires first. I am working with my dad on building a dedicated camping trailer, so that may abate the roof rack desires.

I get some of the ambivalence about the language. I don't really call my weekend escapes overlanding. That carries with it a connotation of journeying great distances with the intent to immerse oneself in the culture and countryside. Much of what I really end up doing is wandering around for a day or two until it's time to go back to work. My dreams for trans-American or transcontinental trips are more of what I consider overlanding.

As someone who used Thule his whole life, Rhino is a nice change. Both companies make stellar gear - but the fact that Rhino tests and rates their stuff for off-road use is awesome. Furthermore - platforms are probably the most universal and utilizable piece of roof rackage I've ever had the pleasure of using.

But I like your approach - get the necessities first - tires and suspension make a world of difference.
What kind of camper are you building? Are you going frame up? Modifying?

 

[Barton Fink]

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[RaggedViking]

Frame up. I grew up on a ranch, and we've built several trailers for our needs there. This will be a simple 4x6 utility trailer with beefed up suspension and tires, and a rack 4' off the deck. I'll use it as a place for my canoe, and eventually add an awning and a rtt. Once we begin the build, I'll probably start a build thread.

That is completely awesome. I can't wait to see and hear more about it. I'm a sucker for a good beefy trailer!

 

[expeditionnorth]

Thanks for reading the article.
I have a cabin in Readsboro - so I'm up there quite a bit.
I'll let you know before I go next time and maybe we could meet up?
I'd love to see some of the more meaty and established trails.. We've got quite a cache of Class IV's all around us - but they only go so far.

I'd be honored to meet you & show you some local trails
just let me know

 

[RaggedViking]

I'd be honored to meet you & show you some local trails
just let me know

Will do.
How far North into VT are you?
We're down by Readsboro, but have family and friends in Andover, Fayston, and Burlington, and Burke.

 

[expeditionnorth]

Will do.
How far North into VT are you?
We're down by Readsboro, but have family and friends in Andover, Fayston, and Burlington, and Burke.

about 14 miles South of Middlebury or 18 miles North of Rutland, right off of RT7

 

[RaggedViking]

about 14 miles South of Middlebury or 18 miles North of Rutland, right off of RT7

And all that state forest between us......... Could be quite interesting, if not completely awesome!