Fake Overlanding?

[Stomper4x4]

Overlanding isn't dependent on 4 wheeling, at all.

Vehicles. You can overland by horse, motorcycle, 4x4, 4x2, quad, on foot, whatever gets you out there. Overlanding by definition is adventure travel, and I would add in getting off the beaten path, being self sufficient, and often exploring areas that are a bit remote and previously not explored by you.

Car camping is taking a car to a camp site, and camping in one place. Overlanding is travel and exploration.

If someone does this in a family sedan, more power to them.

So my answer is the people you are watching may or may not be overlanding, but your perception of what overlanding is, is misguided a bit. I hope this helps.

 

[Bookerman]

Do I have an incorrect concept of overlanding or is what these guys are doing amounts to pretend overlanding?

@GUTB If you haven't read them already, may I suggest you have a look at the Overland Bound Founding Principles

TL,TR; relevant bits
"Vehicle Dependent Travel"
It doesn't matter what you drive
adventure in their heart
uncomplicated ventures
We DO NOT engage in "this is better than that" competitions.
We don’t brag about exploits at the expense of others.
We engage in the smallest of interactions.
We have fun.

We don't need to define "overlanding." What is overlanding for one person might be just another trip to town to get groceries for another. It's about outfitting and exploring, and helping others out along the way.

 

[grubworm]

helping others out along the way.

yeah, the purpose of this site is for like-minded people to share info and help each other, not to get bogged down in rhetoric and b.s. that most of us are "overlanding" to get away from!

 

[Tim Roberts]

yeah, the purpose of this site is for like-minded people to share info and help each other, not to get bogged down in rhetoric and b.s. that most of us are "overlanding" to get away from!

Well said, thank you.

 

[GUTB]

There are some descriptions and posters in here which seem like anyone would safely label as an "overlander". It seems that some of these replies are arguing that overlanding is a state of mind or whatever you interpret it as. This militantly subjective view just seems to me to be a false attempt to be in the "overland" club without actually overlanding. I have plenty of experience with this kind of psychological fakery. For example I'm an audiophile who spent $20k on a stereo system and my listening room. Actually the dollar figure isn't important, what's important is that the audiophile places a high degree of value in sound quality. But, if you go to the audiophile Reddit sub you will mostly see home theater setups and very few of the people there are what you would consider real audiophile -- they place maybe a little value in sound quality but not that much. They want to be a part of the "audiophile" label.

Some of you guys I'm sure are shaking their heads thinking "$20k on a stereo damn think of what you could accomplish with a overland rig for that kind of money". What can I say, I'm an auidiophile with a disease. I bought a $600 alignment tool for my turntable. But those people who read that and can't imagine spending that kind of money on overlanding....probably aren't overlanders.

 

[RedneckRanger7MM]

Overlanding is vehicle based travel. Off road is simple one outlet of it. Not to mention the overland rule, "doesn't matter what you drive"

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

So after a day well spend discussing this in the whatsapp group (yes, i had nothing better to do today). For me Overlanding is the following: "Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and spanning international boundaries."

That means, 99% of us are just campers, adventurous campers, but campers. That's what it was called for the past 100 years. The reason most of us like to call it overlanding is just to have an excuse to buy stuff you don't need but really really want. Compare it with for example tennis, 99% of the people playing tennis are just doing that, PLAYING tennis , only a small 1% (or less) are real tennis players. A portion of the 99% dreams of being a tennis player and is buying stuff they don't need but really want because Federer or Nadal has it.
The same goes for the outdoor enthusiasts. A small % are real Overlanders, the rest of us (me included) are dreaming of that lifestyle. and the stuff we buy is a reflection of that dream, and for some the closest we ever get to realise the dream. So if you feel better by calling what we do Overlanding, be my guest. But for me, I never use the word Overlanding or overlander, I’m not, I’m an adventurous traveller.

I think this definition is way too specific. Can't I overland America? Why months or years? If I like my camping spot why do I have to leave after 1 night?
I think it's more about the journey than than the destination.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I just can't help, but I have that strong feeling that some people are just here to spread their negativity...

I agree, too many closed minds these days and not just here. 90%+ of the OB group are very nice and open minded people but I have noticed as of late a lot of the negativity is coming from non member comments that are allowed to post in this forum without being a member.

Hi, I'm new here but I'm curious about the overlanding I see on many youtube channels. It seems to me that what they're doing is going on flat, very well-worn offroad trails which look like a Corolla could cross them let alone a lifted Jeep. Also I see them crawling along, so I wonder if they might as well be driving Corollas. I had this idea of overlanding being something like long-range off-roading, or off-roading with camping mixed in. Off-roading to me meant crossing a terrain you couldn't in a regular commuter vehicle. Do I have an incorrect concept of overlanding or is what these guys are doing amounts to pretend overlanding?

This is overland bounding:

 

[stoney126]

Thank goodness for another one if the threads . Can we get a sticky for these threads. Geez is other one still one the front page?

 

[Tim Roberts]

There are some descriptions and posters in here which seem like anyone would safely label as an "overlander". It seems that some of these replies are arguing that overlanding is a state of mind or whatever you interpret it as. This militantly subjective view just seems to me to be a false attempt to be in the "overland" club without actually overlanding. I have plenty of experience with this kind of psychological fakery. For example I'm an audiophile who spent $20k on a stereo system and my listening room. Actually the dollar figure isn't important, what's important is that the audiophile places a high degree of value in sound quality. But, if you go to the audiophile Reddit sub you will mostly see home theater setups and very few of the people there are what you would consider real audiophile -- they place maybe a little value in sound quality but not that much. They want to be a part of the "audiophile" label.

Some of you guys I'm sure are shaking their heads thinking "$20k on a stereo damn think of what you could accomplish with a overland rig for that kind of money". What can I say, I'm an auidiophile with a disease. I bought a $600 alignment tool for my turntable. But those people who read that and can't imagine spending that kind of money on overlanding....probably aren't overlanders.

Wow, spent some time today following these posts and it hard to understand the negative nature of some. I am an Overlander, Camper, Explorer and someone who enjoys seeing new places and meeting great people. If you don’t like that I describe my activities as Overlanding, I guess you’ll just have to go outside and scream! Life is there to enjoy, not listen to some of this psycho babble. Sorry but I’m heading out to go ( Overlanding )!

 

[Dave K]

I agree, too many closed minds these days and not just here. 90%+ of the OB group are very nice and open minded people but I have noticed as of late a lot of the negativity is coming from non member comments that are allowed to post in this forum without being a member.

You think pay to play would curb this?

 

[rsweet]

Went to Australia last year. Saw so many campers on the road. Let's stop. Think. US has been overlanding since the beginning. The Aussies and South Africans too. The roof top tent is something introduced to the US because we don't have lions, spiders and very venomous snakes. We have always car camped for the peeps who don't want to hoof it. You want to hoof it at 50+ with your wife, good luck with that. My wife is willing to camp out in a RTT because she doesn't have to worry about critters. This thread is a troll thread. I don't want to do stupid rock crawls, not what I am into to. Does that make me a NON overland? Absolutely not. Take you your Corolla down Monache meadows 4x4 trail...goog luck. I have been on the internet since the beginning. Politeness and respect still stands, this is not a soapbox. Respect everyone. The only thing that is fake is you never left your computer screen. As the guys do a level 5 kayak run look on to the dumb guys doing a 5.12 pitch...those guys are idiots. Overlanding is just about getting out...and better with others!

 

[GUTB]

Went to Australia last year. Saw so many campers on the road. Let's stop. Think. US has been overlanding since the beginning. The Aussies and South Africans too. The roof top tent is something introduced to the US because we don't have lions, spiders and very venomous snakes. We have always car camped for the peeps who don't want to hoof it. You want to hoof it at 50+ with your wife, good luck with that. My wife is willing to camp out in a RTT because she doesn't have to worry about critters. This thread is a troll thread. I don't want to do stupid rock crawls, not what I am into to. Does that make me a NON overland? Absolutely not. Take you your Corolla down Monache meadows 4x4 trail...goog luck. I have been on the internet since the beginning. Politeness and respect still stands, this is not a soapbox. Respect everyone. The only thing that is fake is you never left your computer screen. As the guys do a level 5 kayak run look on to the dumb guys doing a 5.12 pitch...those guys are idiots. Overlanding is just about getting out...and better with others!

I don't think anyone has anything against car camping. But does "overland" properly fit that activity?

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

You think pay to play would curb this?

Nawww, negative people are negative even when they pay to play. If I don't agree with people I just ignore them, life is too short to dwell on nonsense.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I don't think anyone has anything against car camping. But does "overland" properly fit that activity?

What makes you think that it is not ? Please explain your opposition to the thought. Covered wagons were mans first overlanders !!

 

[GeoCampers #4771]

Nawww, negative people are negative even when they pay to play. If I don't agree with people I just ignore them, life is too short to dwell on nonsense.

Yes, but sometimes arguing just for the sake of the argument is fun!
And yes it is a valet argument we are having, if you make a statement like "I'm an overlander" you better be prepared to explain what it is. Because in this case, the word overlanding has a history, a history of self-reliant, long distance travelling over land to remote locations. And if you use the word “overlanding” in a way those 4 ingredients are not present it is logical you get these questions.

In my opinion, this discussion is not about the OB principles, it is about the actual word Overlanding and what it means. The OB principals do not describe overlanding. I'm 100% behind the OB principals, but I’m not an overlander, I’m a camper and so is 99% of the rest here in the forum. We (or you because I’m not) only want to call it overlanding because than you have an excuse to buy expensive stuff you don't need but is really cool and you really really want because you want to display a certain lifestyle to the world.

In my definition a few post above, I mentioned crossing borders. This is because I'm European, I totally agree that you can "overland" in the US or in AUS without crossing borders.
I also mention time (months, years). This for me is a critical part of the definition. If you don't ad time in the definition, every person who drives to a campsite for the weekend is an overlander?
It would be the same as calling every person who ever read a book about a topic an "expert". Yes, we all would want to be, but face it, we are NOT.

The same goes for overlanding, we all want to be overlanders, but most of us don't have the time or the means to do it. But since overlanding sells, on FB, Instagram and Youtube, we fake our way through by making up a new definition so we can call ourselves an overlander!

This is not a negative post by any means, but it seems that there are some people here that find it terrifying that not all members think exactly the same as they do. And of course in this case don't want to be exposed.
I love OB and the OB principals and yes overlanding sounds way more sexy than car camping.

So let’s all agree not to agree on the meaning of the word “overlanding”. Get out there, start a campfire and meet people. It is way more fun having this discussion around the campfire with friends instead of here on the forum.

Outfit ,Explore, Connect

 

[stoney126]

 

[76_overlander]

There are some descriptions and posters in here which seem like anyone would safely label as an "overlander". It seems that some of these replies are arguing that overlanding is a state of mind or whatever you interpret it as. This militantly subjective view just seems to me to be a false attempt to be in the "overland" club without actually overlanding. I have plenty of experience with this kind of psychological fakery. For example I'm an audiophile who spent $20k on a stereo system and my listening room. Actually the dollar figure isn't important, what's important is that the audiophile places a high degree of value in sound quality. But, if you go to the audiophile Reddit sub you will mostly see home theater setups and very few of the people there are what you would consider real audiophile -- they place maybe a little value in sound quality but not that much. They want to be a part of the "audiophile" label.

Some of you guys I'm sure are shaking their heads thinking "$20k on a stereo damn think of what you could accomplish with a overland rig for that kind of money". What can I say, I'm an auidiophile with a disease. I bought a $600 alignment tool for my turntable. But those people who read that and can't imagine spending that kind of money on overlanding....probably aren't overlanders.

In your first posts you don't understand why people spend a lot of money in their rig and seem on a mission to discredit a lot of our adventurous or outdoors DNA, claiming "hey you could do the same thing with a corolla" and then come back showing off a 20K audio setup : don't you understand that "hey you could listen to music on a 15 dollars device?". Of course it would not sound great. And the difference of money you want to put to satisfy your needs and your passion for something is strictly up to you. And after 3 pages of sterile debate upon definitions you say people not able to put 20K in their rig are not real overlanders? Come on man. It has nothing to do with money. OB garage goes from the cheapest to the most expensive rig. Please don't divide people, don't disrespect one of the core principle "we don't care what you drive". Put as much or as low money as you want in anything. Be a real overlander or a mall crawler, a super audiophile or a guy who streams from his iphone on a bluetooth speaker. Fine. Do you think people buy very expensive gear they might not even ever use but still do it for the hype? I do. And? Is it your or my money? Let them be who they are, who they want or who they can buy. And do your thing. Unless your thing is trolling.

 

[grubworm]

Do I have an incorrect concept of overlanding or is what these guys are doing amounts to pretend overlanding?

yeah...this is a bit of trolling

 

[Murphy Slaw]

We're just campers.............

We're the cool campers.