Influencer II
Has overlanding become elitist ?
- Thread starter John D.
- Start date
I agree. A lot of overloading Gear is a Rip Off and not even that good quality. I speak of like camp cookware, etc. 100.00 for a camping pots n pans set. gimme a break. Don't get me wrong, I love my Engel MT45 Fridge but overland fridges shouldn't cost more than what you can buy a household refrigerator for LOL.
Enthusiast I
Nah. There are still a bunch of good videos that give you good ideas.
Member III
Lots of great thoughts shared in this thread. Adventure is necessary! We all can share stories why we are here. We all can share what we drive. We all can share information with others on what we found works great or is just more stuff to carry, load and unload! If you get caught up in having all the latest and greatest new things, nothing wrong with that. If you sleep in your car and have a $10. Dollar sleeping pad and a Dollar Store sleeping pad, that works too. You will always find people that will have more of everything, but you know by now I hope that you don’t need the same to be happy? We all have different comfort levels on what we like when outdoors. I like others, have been playing in the outdoors for many years. It has been over a lifetime of camping, backpacking, mountain climbing, and fishing, that I have the gear that I do. My vehicles are set up to 4wheel and explore safely wherever I want to go. That is a different hob I enjoy. Overlanding for me is the base that I use to jump off and enjoy my many other outdoor activities! The adventure starts when I leave my front door, and ends when I walk back in that same door, and share my traveling adventures with my friends. Hopefully you were part of the adventure, going with, helping out with information beforehand, enjoying the arm chair report when done! To me this is why I Overland and have the gear I do. Vance.
Influencer II
It seems like I'm seeing more and more people talking about this.
Are people more defensive these days about what they have and/or don't have? Has social media made it look like everyone ELSE has it so much better than us?
I'm quite comfortable when I get out and go camping... like the saying goes, "Any idiot can be UNcomfortable"
As long as you are happy with what you have who really cares what some person may or may not think?
I've been car camping for quite a number of years and have slowly built up what I have and use... to the point where some may think I've spent too much. Then when they see where I go and for how long they understand a bit better.... but really, the only opinion that I care about is my family's opinion.
Are people more defensive these days about what they have and/or don't have? Has social media made it look like everyone ELSE has it so much better than us?
I'm quite comfortable when I get out and go camping... like the saying goes, "Any idiot can be UNcomfortable"
As long as you are happy with what you have who really cares what some person may or may not think?
I've been car camping for quite a number of years and have slowly built up what I have and use... to the point where some may think I've spent too much. Then when they see where I go and for how long they understand a bit better.... but really, the only opinion that I care about is my family's opinion.
You could be right. Its the reason my wife won't get on social media anymore. She's tired of seeing everyone post their extravagant vacations spending 5+K a trip etc. It makes her feel bad she quit working to raise our kids. I tell her not to worry its how we wanted it.
So yes a lot of people probably have a jealousy factor to it all but it still true that a lot of the overland NICHE is a high priced market because the demand is probably so small and many are willing to pay. Stop buying and prices will probably drop.
Pathfinder I
Pathfinder I
Thanks for that, I never looked at it that way. I never tried to impress anyone though, just feel "less than", and left out.
Pathfinder I
If it's any consolation, having mom raise them is most important and they will appreciate that a lot someday.
A thread like this pops up every few months. If i had the opportunity to drive around the country testing sponsored gear, filming for youtube, with all the coolest gadgets i would be all over it. Its just not in the cards for most of is. It also doesnt look like an easy life. Fun and challenging yes.
I dont focus too much on others because im just doing things my way. The best part of all the overlanding channels and forums is getting ideas and solutions from others with experience and everyones setup is different.
Whether youre in an old beater or new fancy rig, there is something unique to your needs in your setup. Thats why i love that overlanding is showing such a surge in popularity. I cant wait to see the cool stuff that will keep coming out.
I dont focus too much on others because im just doing things my way. The best part of all the overlanding channels and forums is getting ideas and solutions from others with experience and everyones setup is different.
Whether youre in an old beater or new fancy rig, there is something unique to your needs in your setup. Thats why i love that overlanding is showing such a surge in popularity. I cant wait to see the cool stuff that will keep coming out.
Overlanding to me is just vehicle assisted exploration...car camping. Most of us grew up car camping and it used to be the domain of the poor. Now you need to fight for reservations 6 months out to get a site in any national park and camping gear costs have risen beyond the means of the average income in a lot of cases, but it doesn't have to be that way. The beauty of "overloading" is it's a no reservation camping. Most people have a vehicle in the driveway that will get them out and back on most dirt roads and most people have some dusty old camping gear in their garage that will do the trick and if not the thrift stores, garage sales and family and friends garages are filled with unused camping gear. Walmart (although I am not a fan) is a campers dream. I bet you I could roll into wall mart right now and roll out with an entire basecamp set up for a family of 4 under $300, throw it in the family car and go take on a backroad appropriate to that car.
If you want my tip on the currently most undervalued 4 wheel drive vehicle to get into cheap and start overloading? Check out used first generation Toyota sequoias. Tundra Frame, 100 series land cruiser axles, 100 series land cruiser reliable v8, room for the whole family and all the gear and you can pick up a 4 wd with a center diff lock with 200k or less miles on it for as little as $4000 right now. So if you want to start a budget build, sell the buick, grab a sequoia and get out and explore. Or just use the buick.
I currently overland in my families daily driver full size truck, it's not fancy but it get's the job done.
You don't need 100 grand to overland! You don't even need a tent, just a sleeping bag, pad, stove and some food. The best mod for your newly purchased cheap sequoia is a full tank of gas and a backroads map.
Whether you've got $100,000 jeep build rolling on 40's or a $4,000 sequoia bone stock, if you want to see, adventure in and protect the backcountry of America you are an overlander.
If you want my tip on the currently most undervalued 4 wheel drive vehicle to get into cheap and start overloading? Check out used first generation Toyota sequoias. Tundra Frame, 100 series land cruiser axles, 100 series land cruiser reliable v8, room for the whole family and all the gear and you can pick up a 4 wd with a center diff lock with 200k or less miles on it for as little as $4000 right now. So if you want to start a budget build, sell the buick, grab a sequoia and get out and explore. Or just use the buick.
I currently overland in my families daily driver full size truck, it's not fancy but it get's the job done.
You don't need 100 grand to overland! You don't even need a tent, just a sleeping bag, pad, stove and some food. The best mod for your newly purchased cheap sequoia is a full tank of gas and a backroads map.
Whether you've got $100,000 jeep build rolling on 40's or a $4,000 sequoia bone stock, if you want to see, adventure in and protect the backcountry of America you are an overlander.
Enthusiast III
Yes and no.
It's like anything worth doing.
The most visible way of doing it is expensive and elitist because that's what makes money. And a lot of us buy into that (literally and figuratively) and then we advertise for those companies.
But, you can always find people just going because they want to.
And you can find elitist responses in the opposite direction. "Built not bought" is one such example of an elitist response to monetary elitism. Not everyone has the time or the skillset to build, just like not everyone has the money to buy. Neither is "better" than the other and neither is better than just making do with what's affordable in both time and money.
I don't show off all of my builds because some of them are just hacked together out of materials at hand and with the skills I do have. They're ugly and they don't always show my best work. So I don't share them.
Perhaps we need an "ugly builds" or "hacked together" or similar thread...
It's like anything worth doing.
The most visible way of doing it is expensive and elitist because that's what makes money. And a lot of us buy into that (literally and figuratively) and then we advertise for those companies.
But, you can always find people just going because they want to.
And you can find elitist responses in the opposite direction. "Built not bought" is one such example of an elitist response to monetary elitism. Not everyone has the time or the skillset to build, just like not everyone has the money to buy. Neither is "better" than the other and neither is better than just making do with what's affordable in both time and money.
I don't show off all of my builds because some of them are just hacked together out of materials at hand and with the skills I do have. They're ugly and they don't always show my best work. So I don't share them.
Perhaps we need an "ugly builds" or "hacked together" or similar thread...
I like it a budget builds thread. Maybe a badge or award for the best build under a certain budget would be fun to see what people come up with and do. Michael did a video with a guy who had put together an overloading rig out of an old toyota pick up, home made and thrift store finds. He had made a set of drawers and fold out table out of an old book case or entertainments center, got a ram mount from a thrift store, it was a build that showed great ingenuity on a small budget.
Enthusiast III
Nice!
Sometimes a budget build also needs to be time-restricted, not just money-restricted.
For example, depending on what I'm doing, I value my non-paid-work-time at 1.5x to 5x my paid-work-time, so if it takes me 2 hours to build something, it has to save me three to ten times the money it would cost to buy it.
Unless it's one of my hobbies, in which case I'm not doing it to save time or money but just to do it.
Trail Blazer III
I started overloading my VW Bug when I was a starving student. I now have my Jeep and am slowly getting some better equipment, but I never let a lack of the fancy stuff deter me from going out exploring. Yes it can get crazy expensive as can anything, and there are definitely people who could be labelled posers and only like to show off their equipment, but the point is being able to get out, go on adventures safely.
Happy Trails!
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Kind of ... a lot of people become suckers on gear and equipment and trendy things. I don’t buy into that . I’m to logical. I will just go off-road and upgrade what I need to. And I always make sure o get the best bang for the buck .
Enthusiast III
My only issue is if you get into most "overlanding" social media groups you cant get genuine help. You try to ask one simple question ot get some feedback on what has/hasnt worked and everyone turns into keyboard commandos and not picks or trashes on everyone else.
I was trying to find some real world experience with something, cant remember what, and I asked about the common $500 version or some of the cheaper copies. Every single reply was "stop being poor" or "if you have to ask you wont need it" or "you just want it for instagram likes"
Traveler III
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It's been said in different forms, however, you go and do what you want to do. Overlanding is a term for what we do. All encompassing term at that. Like most hobbies, there are those that throw around a lot of money right off the bat, and that's ok! There are perks with it becoming more popular. More options for sure, but the technology is improving on everything and prices tend to be reduced as it becomes cheaper to manufacture. The added competition helps too with keeping pricing fair. I'm with you on not having a ton of $$ to blow on the fancy gear. But I make it work with what I have and prioritize spending. I've been doing this for a few years now and initially I thought my rig would be further along. The more I do, the more I see, and the more I learn, I have come to realize that my rig and my kit overall do not dictate where and what I can do. I do. Shoot, I've been sleeping in an Ozark Trail pop-up tent for the past year and a half. The thing works. It was cheap, but I have put maybe $35-$40 into it with a ground tarp, tarp as a rainfly, and waterproofing it better than it came. Granted, more expensive gear generally works better, however I just want to get out and adventure. You do you man. Enjoy
Only thing elitist is the ''Look at this great camp site and trail I was on.'' threads. Without GPS locations or tracks.
Please share GPS coordinates.
Please share GPS coordinates.
Enthusiast III
People have varying amounts of disposable income and time available for their hobbies and lifestyles. Equipment elitism and conspicuous anti-elitism are equally tedious. Enjoy what you do at any price point, be neither condescending to those with less or jealous of those with more.
