Off-Road Ranger I
Overlanding is Gucci term now.
Overland Vs Off-Road
- Thread starter Johnmosessa
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I've been car camping starting in the Black Rock Desert in 77.
Pic is overlanding by bike Great Divide Mtb Route 2004.
Pic is overlanding by bike Great Divide Mtb Route 2004.
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Member III
Thinking obout my self with nerest friends in 2024 doing a combo going by my 110 and some bike aswell from Sweden to Spain
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If we were out on the trail, stranded, trying to get home, no one would care.
Off-roading vs Overlanding. Is there a difference? No.
Everything else is a nuance. One nuance, Overlanding is ‘vehicle dependent travel’, meaning your vehicle provides transport, food, shelter, life. Your travel is dependent on a vehicle. That’s a nuance that distinguishes Overlanding from camping, where you may not actually be dependent on your vehicle.
I do think there is off-roading and Overlanding that gets into a sport by definition - competition. You know yer gonna break stuff. The Rubicon or King of the Hammers for example. But I think few would argue that is off-roading by definition. Most off-roaders would say, “Hey, I need to drive it home”. Most overlanders would say, “I’m not doing that with my home”.
There are overlanders who’d say you ain’t real unless you cross international borders, break axels and smell like roo guts, but that’s BS.
Also, this thing about Overlanding being elite or expensive…only if you say so. Get off it. Doesn’t need to be. Boating. Yacht or canoe. Still boating.
Let’s be grateful this is the debate we are having on a Saturday, not one about the safety and welfare of our family. Or where our next meal is gonna come from.
Overland or off-road and enjoy.
Off-roading vs Overlanding. Is there a difference? No.
Everything else is a nuance. One nuance, Overlanding is ‘vehicle dependent travel’, meaning your vehicle provides transport, food, shelter, life. Your travel is dependent on a vehicle. That’s a nuance that distinguishes Overlanding from camping, where you may not actually be dependent on your vehicle.
I do think there is off-roading and Overlanding that gets into a sport by definition - competition. You know yer gonna break stuff. The Rubicon or King of the Hammers for example. But I think few would argue that is off-roading by definition. Most off-roaders would say, “Hey, I need to drive it home”. Most overlanders would say, “I’m not doing that with my home”.
There are overlanders who’d say you ain’t real unless you cross international borders, break axels and smell like roo guts, but that’s BS.
Also, this thing about Overlanding being elite or expensive…only if you say so. Get off it. Doesn’t need to be. Boating. Yacht or canoe. Still boating.
Let’s be grateful this is the debate we are having on a Saturday, not one about the safety and welfare of our family. Or where our next meal is gonna come from.
Overland or off-road and enjoy.
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I sometimes cringe at the term "off-roading".
To me "off-roading" is to drive where there is not, or has never been a road. Destroying the vegetation and making new tyre tracks in the untouched ground. Another description that was used here in Australia was 'bush-bashing". It is an activity to be avoided to preserve the environment.
I don't "off-road" I overland.
I suppose it depends on your definition of "road". For some that definition is paved tarmac, to me, a road is any type of cleared path made for a vehicle, including fire trails and 4wd tracks.
So much of the road system here is unpaved and the distances between towns are huge.
The roads are often rough with soft surfaces, washouts and water crossings.
Having enough ground clearance is necessary, 4wd gives an extra element of safety.
But it's still "on-road".
To me "off-roading" is to drive where there is not, or has never been a road. Destroying the vegetation and making new tyre tracks in the untouched ground. Another description that was used here in Australia was 'bush-bashing". It is an activity to be avoided to preserve the environment.
I don't "off-road" I overland.
I suppose it depends on your definition of "road". For some that definition is paved tarmac, to me, a road is any type of cleared path made for a vehicle, including fire trails and 4wd tracks.
So much of the road system here is unpaved and the distances between towns are huge.
The roads are often rough with soft surfaces, washouts and water crossings.
Having enough ground clearance is necessary, 4wd gives an extra element of safety.
But it's still "on-road".
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Advocate I
Sweden to Spain, now that's some ride! Is there a map online of a route?
Red_Leaf_Overland
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I guess I walk a fine line between both. I have driven this across borders, and over the last 5 years more offroad miles than on road.
We have a term "off highway vehicle" that tends to cater more to my style, and there are organizations much like tread lightly that train people in proper off road etiquette ( stay on trail to not damage land, how to deal with others on trail etc.) Which use a vary small paid membership to help keep trails open, and maintained with the help of volunteers.
I don't know if I clarify as an overlander or an offroader but I get out and have fun.
I frequently drive this 500 km ( round trip) to get to official trails, and for events it usually ends up around 1800 km round trip. I drove it to Pennsylvania a few years back to camp and wheel at Rausch Creek offroad park. Would love to make it to moab or the Rubicon at some point but time hasn't been on my side lately.
I never tow the rig and always drive it round trip, carry the tools ( and knowledge) to repair just about anything on the trail or side of the road within reason. Generally the people I meet up with from time to time also have the same set of skills and getting a rig moving again takes less time than it takes most to drink a beer ( we've tested that theory as well ... not the drivers). Most trails I like to run are between 25 a d 35 km long as they are the longest I have here and I enjoy being as far away from others as I can get.
Sorry for the long drawn out post buy I have been trying to figure out where I fit in between the offroad/rock crawl/overland community for years and u still havnt figured it out. The line between the 2 isn't that thin sometimes and when it comes to meeting someone else on the trails it seems nearly non existent. If someone needs a hand it's all hands on deck, and of someone needs food or beer it's the same response. Being out on a trail and away from the majority seems to be what's most important.
We have a term "off highway vehicle" that tends to cater more to my style, and there are organizations much like tread lightly that train people in proper off road etiquette ( stay on trail to not damage land, how to deal with others on trail etc.) Which use a vary small paid membership to help keep trails open, and maintained with the help of volunteers.
I don't know if I clarify as an overlander or an offroader but I get out and have fun.
I frequently drive this 500 km ( round trip) to get to official trails, and for events it usually ends up around 1800 km round trip. I drove it to Pennsylvania a few years back to camp and wheel at Rausch Creek offroad park. Would love to make it to moab or the Rubicon at some point but time hasn't been on my side lately.
I never tow the rig and always drive it round trip, carry the tools ( and knowledge) to repair just about anything on the trail or side of the road within reason. Generally the people I meet up with from time to time also have the same set of skills and getting a rig moving again takes less time than it takes most to drink a beer ( we've tested that theory as well ... not the drivers). Most trails I like to run are between 25 a d 35 km long as they are the longest I have here and I enjoy being as far away from others as I can get.
Sorry for the long drawn out post buy I have been trying to figure out where I fit in between the offroad/rock crawl/overland community for years and u still havnt figured it out. The line between the 2 isn't that thin sometimes and when it comes to meeting someone else on the trails it seems nearly non existent. If someone needs a hand it's all hands on deck, and of someone needs food or beer it's the same response. Being out on a trail and away from the majority seems to be what's most important.
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Yep, throw in a $400 stove, and a $600 tent you're going to need driving gloves next. LOL.
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I’l Will putt it out i the forum when the route is set
For know its look like we start with Ferry over to the Balkan countrys then down the coast to Germany then across Germany in to France and down to Spain
Along the way we hoping to find some overland meetings
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Never thought there had to be a difference I did 2000 Km through BC a few years back, about 800 on hiway, there was no choice on those. The rest was on Forest service roads, most could easily be traveled by an AWD Subaru, I had a R50 Pathfinder at the time. Most days I saw no one, it was a good trip a bit long for a solo run though at 9 days.
Explorer I
Explorer I
Although there is no doubt overlap between the two and various degrees to fit everyone's own definition I do think there are some serious differences. When I rode my Harley Low Rider up the Haul Road to the Arctic Circle with the bare camping necessities strapped on back I call that overlanding but certainly not off-roading, ditto a week of canoe travel in Quetico where you are hard pressed to see any other human but thrive on the call of the loon. Overlanding to me entails a journey and some (hopefully) level of discovery about places, people and yourself. Off-roading on the other hand entails the challenge of getting through or over and obstacle for no other reason than to get over or through it.
Both are great but they are not the same in my mind. If you really want to stir the pot add in the difference between overlanding and camping (car camping)!
Both are great but they are not the same in my mind. If you really want to stir the pot add in the difference between overlanding and camping (car camping)!
Red_Leaf_Overland
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Like all good things that make people money, it becomes a marketing term that increases the cost of everything in that segment.
When I was a kid it was just 4x4‘ing regardless of what you did ( mud slinging, hill climbs ) and rock crawling if you were really into it..
I like backpacking with a truck too, describes it better..
When I was a kid it was just 4x4‘ing regardless of what you did ( mud slinging, hill climbs ) and rock crawling if you were really into it..
I like backpacking with a truck too, describes it better..
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In my eyes, when Overlanding you might also have to go Off Roading, when Off Roading chances are you will not be Overlanding. In the video, what he is calling Off Roading, I call rock crawling. Also I call Overlanding going from one place to another, Off Roading to me is going out and returning to the same place.
Back in the 1980's with my Jeep CJ7, I would off road in the area west of Albuquerque, but didn't camp out there and then I did a lot of Camping for a weekend or so and some mild off roading. Never a long trip.
Then came 2010, some friends and I planned a long trip to NM & CO from Texas, for me again this was just a camping trip that included Off Roading. This trip was a planned for us to be out for about a week, so we carried everything with us, camping or Overlanding is what I would call it.
I do Overlanding to get to where I want to go, if that includes off roading, winching, etc, then it does, sometimes it is just paved and dirt roads.
Back in the 1980's with my Jeep CJ7, I would off road in the area west of Albuquerque, but didn't camp out there and then I did a lot of Camping for a weekend or so and some mild off roading. Never a long trip.
Then came 2010, some friends and I planned a long trip to NM & CO from Texas, for me again this was just a camping trip that included Off Roading. This trip was a planned for us to be out for about a week, so we carried everything with us, camping or Overlanding is what I would call it.
I do Overlanding to get to where I want to go, if that includes off roading, winching, etc, then it does, sometimes it is just paved and dirt roads.
I cant watch way of life, its like watching infomercial hahha but I would have to say Trail Recon said it best that the Rocklander is a good inbetween. When we overland I still refer to it as light offroading
