Is the Overlanding community killing itself

[rgallant]

Even if I get out for day, I enjoy myself. It is quiet, just me my truck and universe. And best of all because it is BC, 20 minutes up the FSR no cell service I get to completely disconnect.

 

[RoarinRow]

I haven't read every post here, but yes there are some 'overland' gear that is very expensive. The gear that I see that are expensive seem to be gear that is built in small quantities, hand made, unique design, and/or something hardly no one is making. So those companies have to charge more to make up for their unique requirements. I normally check my own gear if I could make up something similar, go to Amazon.com, or I bite the bullet and buy it.

There are some 'overland' gear, which I think have been useful to me in non-overlanding events, e.g. using my portable fridge for family road trips in my other rig, my Jackery for power outages at home, and my Jet Boil because my other camping stoves, while they still work great, take a lot of room in my camping containers or don't fit at all.

 

[TX95ZJ]

To answer the OP's original question, I believe the answer is no. For people who WANT to do something, they'll find a way. For those that don't, they'll find an excuse. If a grown man says to me, "overlanding is not for me because it is too expensive", I interpret that as, "I'm just not that interested in overlanding", or "I've got other priorities and interests that are more important to me right now". Overlanding is about getting AWAY from life's pressures, getting out into nature, and having an adventure with family and/or friends.

Everyone approaches this hobby from their own perspectives, life stages, financial situations, and interests. In my particular case, I use my rig (1995 Jeep ZJ) for general camping (with two young kids), weekend-landing, off-roading, and hunting (in Colorado). The first time I took my son camping (he was almost 3 at the time), we folded the seats down and slept in the back. In the 5+ years since, I've added a RTT, awning, rear bumper with tire carrier, storage racks, etc., all in an effort to add efficiency to packing/unpacking and setup/takedown. If you've camped with young kids, you know that anything that reduces time/effort in the field is worth its weight in gold! These have been deliberate, experience-driven decisions as funds have allowed.

I watch a lot of the YouTube influencers to get ideas and to live vicariously through them at times, but I never once felt pressured to buy something in order to fit in. When you truly get away, there are no Joneses to keep up with!

Just my 2 cents.
-Brent

 

[SLO Rob]

To answer the OP's original question, I believe the answer is no. For people who WANT to do something, they'll find a way. For those that don't, they'll find an excuse. If a grown man says to me, "overlanding is not for me because it is too expensive", I interpret that as, "I'm just not that interested in overlanding", or "I've got other priorities and interests that are more important to me right now". Overlanding is about getting AWAY from life's pressures, getting out into nature, and having an adventure with family and/or friends.

Everyone approaches this hobby from their own perspectives, life stages, financial situations, and interests. In my particular case, I use my rig (1995 Jeep ZJ) for general camping (with two young kids), weekend-landing, off-roading, and hunting (in Colorado). The first time I took my son camping (he was almost 3 at the time), we folded the seats down and slept in the back. In the 5+ years since, I've added a RTT, awning, rear bumper with tire carrier, storage racks, etc., all in an effort to add efficiency to packing/unpacking and setup/takedown. If you've camped with young kids, you know that anything that reduces time/effort in the field is worth its weight in gold! These have been deliberate, experience-driven decisions as funds have allowed.

I watch a lot of the YouTube influencers to get ideas and to live vicariously through them at times, but I never once felt pressured to buy something in order to fit in. When you truly get away, there are no Joneses to keep up with!

Just my 2 cents.
-Brent

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Great two cents that probably sums up most of us. …and wow, what a cool ‘95! That’s such a great setup you’ve built.

 

[MiamiC70]

Killing, no. KILLED, yes.

 

[Sea Diamond]

Wow...this post has definitely hit a nerve and keeps on giving. Has been some excellent emotional testimonials here which has been a pleasure to read. Gotta love the passion...that's why chillin' in the woods will never die.

Just my under valued two sense worth ;-)

 

[CR-Venturer]

Wow...this post has definitely hit a nerve and keeps on giving. Has been some excellent emotional testimonials here which has been a pleasure to read. Gotta love the passion...that's why chillin' in the woods will never die.

Just my under valued two sense worth ;-)

I often say "A day spent in the woods is never wasted"

This thread fairly exemplifies why Overland Bound is such a great community. It's really not about the hype and the gimmicks and the gadgets, it's about the love of adventure and the outdoors. The majority of folks here are passionate about vehicle based adventure travel, and really don't care what you drive or what kit you have, they care that you share the spirit of adventure and respect for wild places.

 

[MiamiC70]

Really? Seems to me “Overlanding” (a made up marketing word) is 100% about hype and consumerism. Just check social media, YouTube and especially the various events. I’m 110% over it and the whole toxic community that sprung up around it during and post Covid.

 

[rgallant]

@MiamiC70 Ah but that is true of every activity, hype and consumerism is rampant. It is up to you to filter it, I get though in a smaller location like FL it can be hard to get away from that when you are out and driving.

 

[Anak]

Dead horse anyone?

 

[smritte]

If I'm not mistaken, this was the only post the OP made.

 

[Dave K]

This is literally the only notification that will make me come back to this site every time I receive it!

 

[grubworm]

this thread is now required reading for harvard anthropology students....

 

[CR-Venturer]

I usually go out on my own or with my kids.
I got tire of feeling like my truck was getting looked at by those who had all the name brand gear.
I can't afford all the cool "toys," just what's already in my garage.

So I go on my own and explore, camp and make memories with my boys and daughter with what I have.
Most of what I have are re-purposed items found in my garage.

As a fellow Ghettoverlander, I know that feel, bro lol I got your back.

It's about the adventue, not spending the most money. If you're ever up around Edmonton, shoot me a PM and I can show you a couple nice little hidey hole camp spots in the area :)

 

[MOAK]

This thread keeps going and going and going. I wasted 15 minutes of my life yesterday watching a vid telling me to spend 3 grand on a brake upgrade, in order to save my life. Ya rite! It’s a whole lot easier to just keep the GVWR in mind and don’t drive stupid. Hey, our hobby is expensive, even for budget minded DIYers as many of us are. A 25 year old truck requires over the top maintenance to keep it dependable. Going out for just a weekend? 150-200 in gas. Wanna stay out longer? Ka-ching Ka-ching it all adds up quickly. Nope, overlanding will never end, but a lot of folks are being weeded out as they have come to realize just how expensive it is. Even back when gas was 80 cents a gallon and I had my 66 VW bug, a styrofoam cooler, army surplus sleeping bag and a garage sale backpack, I had to save up a month or so, just to get out on the Mohave for a weekend. There will always be a high end market for any hobby one chooses. I’m a model railroader, a DIYer, I find basket cases and rebuild them for my railroad, which is made up of all old second hand track. I wouldn’t dream of spending 3 or 4 hundred on an engine, yet people do and they keep the hobby alive, in the same way as high end stuff for the overlanding consumer.

 

[WYWander]

I feel like I'm walking through a museum for the first time. My first sight of this thread.

I might argue the other way, that the "shot in the arm" to car camping has increased competition and in turn, innovation and improvements. And the increase in full-time Overlanding YT'ers (yes, with corporate funding) has allowed people like me, who get to sit behind a computer all day, to "scratch the itch" a little, at least. Everything we see needs to be filtered through our common sense, of course.

Without growth, things die. Even if too many people are not good custodians of the wild, if no one visited, our tax dollars would have long ago stopped going towards maintaining access.

If you disagree, don't worry... things always ebb and flow.

 

[MiamiC70]

This is literally the only notification that will make me come back to this site every time I receive it!

Ditto

 

[ThundahBeagle]

To answer the OP's original question, I believe the answer is no. For people who WANT to do something, they'll find a way. For those that don't, they'll find an excuse. If a grown man says to me, "overlanding is not for me because it is too expensive", I interpret that as, "I'm just not that interested in overlanding", or "I've got other priorities and interests that are more important to me right now". Overlanding is about getting AWAY from life's pressures, getting out into nature, and having an adventure with family and/or friends.

Everyone approaches this hobby from their own perspectives, life stages, financial situations, and interests. In my particular case, I use my rig (1995 Jeep ZJ) for general camping (with two young kids), weekend-landing, off-roading, and hunting (in Colorado). The first time I took my son camping (he was almost 3 at the time), we folded the seats down and slept in the back. In the 5+ years since, I've added a RTT, awning, rear bumper with tire carrier, storage racks, etc., all in an effort to add efficiency to packing/unpacking and setup/takedown. If you've camped with young kids, you know that anything that reduces time/effort in the field is worth its weight in gold! These have been deliberate, experience-driven decisions as funds have allowed.

I watch a lot of the YouTube influencers to get ideas and to live vicariously through them at times, but I never once felt pressured to buy something in order to fit in. When you truly get away, there are no Joneses to keep up with!

Just my 2 cents.
-Brent

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Ah, the venerable ZJ. A pleasure to see one any time, especially "out and about."

 

[MOAK]

To answer the OP's original question, I believe the answer is no. For people who WANT to do something, they'll find a way. For those that don't, they'll find an excuse. If a grown man says to me, "overlanding is not for me because it is too expensive", I interpret that as, "I'm just not that interested in overlanding", or "I've got other priorities and interests that are more important to me right now". Overlanding is about getting AWAY from life's pressures, getting out into nature, and having an adventure with family and/or friends.

Everyone approaches this hobby from their own perspectives, life stages, financial situations, and interests. In my particular case, I use my rig (1995 Jeep ZJ) for general camping (with two young kids), weekend-landing, off-roading, and hunting (in Colorado). The first time I took my son camping (he was almost 3 at the time), we folded the seats down and slept in the back. In the 5+ years since, I've added a RTT, awning, rear bumper with tire carrier, storage racks, etc., all in an effort to add efficiency to packing/unpacking and setup/takedown. If you've camped with young kids, you know that anything that reduces time/effort in the field is worth its weight in gold! These have been deliberate, experience-driven decisions as funds have allowed.

I watch a lot of the YouTube influencers to get ideas and to live vicariously through them at times, but I never once felt pressured to buy something in order to fit in. When you truly get away, there are no Joneses to keep up with!

Just my 2 cents.
-Brent

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Truth- I’ve noticed over the decades that once you get out, truly remote and away, no one really cares about your gear. Folks we have encountered are much more interested in our minds and how we think. Why are we there alone? Where do you come from? In my mind ( and my wife’s ) it’s not about getting away from, it’s about coming to.

 

[CR-Venturer]

Really? Seems to me “Overlanding” (a made up marketing word) is 100% about hype and consumerism. Just check social media, YouTube and especially the various events. I’m 110% over it and the whole toxic community that sprung up around it during and post Covid.

"Overlanding" really isn't a made up marketing word. It's a tradition that goes back a very long way in Africa, particularly, and means something specific to them. Since then, it's evolved somewhat. Although OB's definition of overlanding as "vehicle based adventure travel" may not be a precise match to the term's original meaning and is deliberately broad, I would argue that it certainly encompasses the spirit of the original term at least. I think that although the original overlanders of Africa, Australia and perhaps elsewhere might not agree on all aspects, I think they would likely agree that OB's definition is a good general description.

I also argue that "car camping" and "overlanding" are not the same thing either. To me, "car camping" is driving your car to an established campground like a KOA or a state park campground and camping there. Yes, technically overlanding involves camping and vehicles, but it's something more and different than what I just described. Overlanding, at least in my view, involves exploring, going off the beaten path, camping in the wild (bush camping/dispersed camping/crown land camping, whatever you want to call it) with the travel and adventure being supported/conducted from a vehicle. It places more emphasis on the whole journey, the experience, the adventure, not just going out and camping. It may not be a huge distinction, but I believe it is an important and relevant one. There's nothing wrong with car camping, either, although it's not my favourite thing.

Having said all that, I agree that "the boys from marketing" have gotten their claws into the term and are using it to push the newest, best, most expensive doodads. That doesn't make the original term any less real or meaningful, however.