The Best Explanation Of Overlanding I've Read

[Jacksonpak]

People ask me this question all the time. What is overlanding?

I've done my best to answer the question. I've even written my own article. I've taken the time to speak with many folks who have made their own incredible overland journeys to try and understand what it is that we do and how best to explain it to others.

This article, written by Expedition Overland (NOT BY ME) agrees with many of the points that I have made in the past on the topic.

I really believe that this article by XO nails it, and that it is well worth a read.

I'd love to hear the thoughts of this community after reading the article and to discuss it.


Article: What is overlanding?

Uh ok so I’ve only done a little off-road and remote camping. I like the goal of “overlanding” but I also just want to enjoy some outdoor beauty in a capable car.

 

[Sylvester]

Hi Timothy,

First let me just say that I appreciate your response and I can clearly "see" your heart and passion for inclusivity in your post. There is some of what you said that I fully agree with and some that I fully disagree with. My response to you is thoughtful and not intended to spark your ire, or upset you and I hope you read it with the heart that I have as well. I appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts and would love to have a further discussion if you feel so inclined.

1. "We should support overlanding no matter what you drive, where you go, or how you do it." - I agree with this statement. I have run into some amazing overlanders in what are essentially non-4x4 hoopties that looked like they were about to fall apart. They were having a blast and they were out there doing it. A mom and daughter I ran into in Morelia, Mexico who had a rusty VW Van and were making repairs in the parking lot. Pretty amazing ladies!
2. "It's personal, and public, mostly it should be fun no matter how you define it." - Fully agree with this as well. If it isn't enjoyable why do it?

But that is where my agreement with you is at an end.

Overlanding should be defined. If it isn't, then the term has no real meaning.

"The definition of overlanding is what you want to make of it." - This makes no sense to me. This is like the jogger who says he's a marathoner who has never ran a marathon. That is ludicrous. Just because you say you are a marathoner does not make you one. Would you agree? But this is because marathon has a specific definition. Without a specific definition, everyone is a marathoner. Or in this case an overlander.

I think the problem comes in when a group of people who want to "identify" as overlanders feel that a major entity in the space like XO or OJ is telling them they aren't what they think they are and they feel offended or slighted. But that isn't what the hope is. The hope is to help the hobbyist who wants to take it up a notch to achieve their dreams and become part of that smaller group that is actually out there overlanding. I think this was the heart of the article and what XO was conveying.

Overland Journal was quoted in the article by XO as saying:

"To assist people in determining whether or not they are, in fact, overlanding, Overland Journal suggests asking yourself the following questions:

1. Am I traveling remotely?
2. Am I experiencing a culture unique from my own?
3. Am I visiting an under-explored or under-documented region?
4. Am I traveling self-supported in unfamiliar territories for multiple days, weeks, months, or years?"

You say it is because they want to control the narrative. I disagree. I could be wrong. But I do disagree. I've met and personally spent time with the leadership of both and having spent that time and hearing their hearts, I think that both XO and OJ really care about this industry as a whole, not just from a money making perspective, but rather genuinely care enough to take a stance and voice their opinion. I believe that they feel that the definition is important enough to take a stance on which is why XO published this article 6 days ago.

I also believe that both XO and OJ would help anyone who was serious about taking their hobby to the next level. I've experienced this personally. The leadership at both have gone out of their way to help me and my family on our current journey with no expectation in return and never a payment rendered.

Also, overlanding is not going out for ice cream. Just saying. But that one did make me laugh.

Anyway Timothy, I don't think it is about being elitist any more than the marathoner would consider themselves better than the jogger. I think as a general rule marathoners encourage joggers and don't push them to become marathoners, but are willing to help guide and mentor them should they decide to take their jogging to that level.

Personally I love car camping, road tripping, and off roading. Done a lot of all three. And all three can be part of overlanding, but in and of themselves, they are not by definition overlanding. That is if overlanding has a definition.

If not then call yourself whatever you like. But when a jogger who's never run a marathon tells you he's a marathoner, make sure you call him a marathoner.

Hope that makes sense and that you understand why I (and others like XO and OJ) think there is merit in defining the term.

Respectfully,

Eric

I never get upset by Opinion's - Tell ya what let's Overland to Phoenix for Ice cream and talk about the Merits of defining something, we'll make it a group event and invite everyone

That came of sounding a Little Harsh - Meant more in fun to be funny but why not meet in Phoenix.

 

[shansonpac]

Hi Stephen, thanks for your service as a first responder. How is retired life? Sounds like you got a nice set-up with that 4xE and Turtleback. We'll be heading into Guatemala next week and are really looking forward to it. But right now trying to stay present in Belize. Appreciate your comment. Have you connected with Robert D. by chance. He's also part of the herd of turtles and he's out of Death Valley. Great guy. You can find him at @waltzingmatildajt on Instagram if you want to connect. He's always heading over to Trona Pinnacles and the like and he's a first responder as well. Might be a great guy for you to connect with if you haven't already. ~ Eric

Thank you Eric! Our 2022 mission to Guatemala got cancelled as we could not assemble a full team (We take 100 people) We cancelled in 2020 and 2021 also due to COVID. I would love to meet Robert. Will be semi-retired in July (working 1 day a week) but only work part time. Loving it. Can't wait to run my rig all over the place!

 

[Hourless Life]

I never get upset by Opinion's - Tell ya what let's Overland to Phoenix for Ice cream and talk about the Merits of defining something, we'll make it a group event and invite everyone

That came of sounding a Little Harsh - Meant more in fun to be funny but why not meet in Phoenix.

Phoenix is a great town and I have friends in the area. But I'm in Belize, how about you come down here instead? It's the trip of a lifetime and I've been to Phoenix many times, but never been down here till now. If it takes you more than a week to get here I'll be in Guatemala. And that's not harsh, just facts.

But if you come down to Belize or Guatemala, I'll buy you the ice cream and we can talk about the merits of definitions. ~ Eric

 

[North American Sojourner]

I disagree with almost everything in that article. So in a nut shell if you're not crossing borders and ordering a sandwich in a foreign language, it's not overlanding. Horseshit. The fact that the pictures in that article show $200,000 rigs heavily sponsored and outfitted with equipment that 80% of the folks here can't afford says it all. Spending money not overlanding folks.
Zim

 

[NMBruce]

While they are defining “Overlanding”, I believe their opinions and not much else,.Why didn’t they define what’s an “Overlanding Rig”, do you have to have a Land Cruiser or Land Rover or will a pickup or motorcycle work, does it have to forge 40” of water, does it need 35” tall tires, does it have to have a RTT?

so to define “Overlanding” while not use Oxford Languages (is the world’s leading dictionary publisher).
By this definition, it means to travel over land, nothing about. different countries.
o·ver·land
/ˈōvərˌland/

verb
BRITISH
gerund or present participle: overlanding

1. travel a long distance over land.
   "they left the ship and overlanded to Coolgardie"
   • HISTORICAL•AUSTRALIAN
     drive (livestock) over a long distance.
     "100,000 cattle were overlanded out of the Territory annually"

What about what BlueRidgeOverlandgear says. Are they more correct about an overlanding definition?
To put it simply, Overlanding is vehicle-based, on-road and off-road, adventure travel with a focus on self-reliance, resilience, and enjoyment of the journey. Since the dawn of four-wheel drive vehicles, modern overlanding has captured the imagination of eager adventurers worldwide.

While truly an international movement, here in the U.S.A overlanding has taken on a life of it’s own with regional and national gatherings and various expos that feature training, vendors and expansive outdoor venues.

Eric to use your own words, I like what you have said, except I I would remove “extended”
Modern Day Overlanding: Vehicle-based, self-reliant travel over an extended period of time, during which the traveler experiences differing terrains and the experience, adventure, and enjoyment of the journey itself are the goals of the traveler.

 

[MOAK]

My wife & I have been 4x4 camping/touring way before the term overlanding began being used so loosely. We visit some of the most remote areas in the lower 48 and a couple of areas up in Quebec. ( currently planning a 2 month trip to Alaska, via the Canadian Rockies ) We are usually gone for a month to six weeks a couple times a year. When people ask what we do I’ve always explained it as remote camping. And- hold your breath- that’s what we do. We camp in remote sites. Each summer I lead a tour of a State Forest here in my back yard. It is not, nor do I permit it to be called Overlanding on the sign up page as it is a tour. For some it fits the definition of exploring so the organizers call it an expo tour. A few years ago a young gal was obviously having a great time and kept exclaiming how much fun Overlanding is. I cringed. Definitions are important. Another hobby I’m involved in is Model Railroading. That’s it, I’m not a model railroad craftsman. There is a huge difference and I wouldn’t dare consider myself a Model Railroad Craftsman. Definitions are important. My wife and I enjoy strapping on a day pack and going for a long walk in the woods. We have a pack on our backs. Does that make what we are doing Backpacking? Definitions are important. I’m a retired “Over The Road” truck driver. A person driving a small delivery truck is certainly driving on a road, but would they dare to say they were an Over The Road driver? I think not. Let’s get back to the top. My wife and I enjoy remote camping far from home and all that it entails. We drive thousands of miles, over land, to get to these remote regions. Are we Overlanding? I don’t know, I don’t care. Just don’t confuse what we do with hooking up or driving a camper and heading out to the state park, plugging in, going 4wheeling and bringing the rat race with you. Why? Because we don’t confuse what we do with what world over land travelers are doing. Definitions are important.

 

[Hourless Life]

While they are defining “Overlanding”, I believe their opinions and not much else,.Why didn’t they define what’s an “Overlanding Rig”, do you have to have a Land Cruiser or Land Rover or will a pickup or motorcycle work, does it have to forge 40” of water, does it need 35” tall tires, does it have to have a RTT?

so to define “Overlanding” while not use Oxford Languages (is the world’s leading dictionary publisher).
By this definition, it means to travel over land, nothing about. different countries.
o·ver·land
/ˈōvərˌland/

verb
BRITISH
gerund or present participle: overlanding

1. travel a long distance over land.
   "they left the ship and overlanded to Coolgardie"
   • HISTORICAL•AUSTRALIAN
     drive (livestock) over a long distance.
     "100,000 cattle were overlanded out of the Territory annually"

What about what BlueRidgeOverlandgear says. Are they more correct about an overlanding definition?
To put it simply, Overlanding is vehicle-based, on-road and off-road, adventure travel with a focus on self-reliance, resilience, and enjoyment of the journey. Since the dawn of four-wheel drive vehicles, modern overlanding has captured the imagination of eager adventurers worldwide.

While truly an international movement, here in the U.S.A overlanding has taken on a life of it’s own with regional and national gatherings and various expos that feature training, vendors and expansive outdoor venues.

Eric to use your own words, I like what you have said, except I I would remove “extended”
Modern Day Overlanding: Vehicle-based, self-reliant travel over an extended period of time, during which the traveler experiences differing terrains and the experience, adventure, and enjoyment of the journey itself are the goals of the traveler.

Hi Bruce,

Appreciate you chiming in. There's been some good discussion going on. I think that it is important that we talk about this article by XO as a community. Appreciate you quoting my definition from my own article in which I wrote:

"Modern Day Overlanding: Vehicle-based, self-reliant travel over an extended period of time, during which the traveler experiences differing terrains and the experience, adventure, and enjoyment of the journey itself are the goals of the traveler."

At the very end of my article, as I reflected on all I had personally learned both from history and personal experience, I provide my own personal definition of "What overlanding means to me" which I define as:

"A lifestyle of self-reliant, vehicle-based travel over an extended period of time, during which the traveler experiences differing terrains, micro-cultures, and people groups, and where the journey, experience, adventure, and memories made are the primary focus."

Interestingly enough (though I wrote that article back on July 10, 2019) the article which XO just released 7 days ago has a lot of the same conclusions that I came to.

I've really appreciated reading everyone's take on the subject and I'm glad that we as a small subset of this community are talking about it together. ~ Eric

 

[Hourless Life]

My wife & I have been 4x4 camping/touring way before the term overlanding began being used so loosely. We visit some of the most remote areas in the lower 48 and a couple of areas up in Quebec. ( currently planning a 2 month trip to Alaska, via the Canadian Rockies ) We are usually gone for a month to six weeks a couple times a year. When people ask what we do I’ve always explained it as remote camping. And- hold your breath- that’s what we do. We camp in remote sites. Each summer I lead a tour of a State Forest here in my back yard. It is not, nor do I permit it to be called Overlanding on the sign up page as it is a tour. For some it fits the definition of exploring so the organizers call it an expo tour. A few years ago a young gal was obviously having a great time and kept exclaiming how much fun Overlanding is. I cringed. Definitions are important. Another hobby I’m involved in is Model Railroading. That’s it, I’m not a model railroad craftsman. There is a huge difference and I wouldn’t dare consider myself a Model Railroad Craftsman. Definitions are important. My wife and I enjoy strapping on a day pack and going for a long walk in the woods. We have a pack on our backs. Does that make what we are doing Backpacking? Definitions are important. I’m a retired “Over The Road” truck driver. A person driving a small delivery truck is certainly driving on a road, but would they dare to say they were an Over The Road driver? I think not. Let’s get back to the top. My wife and I enjoy remote camping far from home and all that it entails. We drive thousands of miles, over land, to get to these remote regions. Are we Overlanding? I don’t know, I don’t care. Just don’t confuse what we do with hooking up or driving a camper and heading out to the state park, plugging in, going 4wheeling and bringing the rat race with you. Why? Because we don’t confuse what we do with what world over land travelers are doing. Definitions are important.

Hello Donald, thanks for chiming in. We are in full agreement that definitions are important.

What you do sounds like a lot of fun and if I were back home in the USA I'd love to join you on one of those 4-6 week journeys.

Looks like you've been on this platform since darn near the beginning. I'm sure you've seen this topic covered ad nauseum so I really appreciate you taking the time to offer your thoughts to someone who is just bringing it up for the upteenth time. I think that the fact that the XO team has landed so firmly on their stance is worthy of discussion. I've really appreciated a lot of the dialogue that has taken place here.

Hope we can share a campfire someday. Greetings from Belize. ~ Eric

 

[Arailt]

OVERLANDING IS TRAVELING - OVERLANDING IS ABOUT SPENDING A WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS - OVERLANDING IS GOING OUT FOR ICE CREAM - IT'S NOT SPENDING A MONTH IN AFRICA - THAT IS A PART OF IT. - THE DEFINITION OF OVERLANDING IS WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE OT IT - IT'S PERSONAL & PUBLIC, Mostly it should be FUN No mater how you define it.

This ^

OP, while I do enjoy their content and they seem like a genuine and good group people, XO has become (post Jeff an Kurt days) easily the most unrelatable of the "overland" content creators on YouTube. They parade around like a military convoy in $200K Toyotas, over-dramatisizing every bump and puddle on the path for the sake of the show. Is their stuff fun to watch? Yes, very. Is it relatable to the average person looking to go 4-wheeling and camping on the weekends? Not even close.

I think this is the crux of everyone's argument here. Essentially, folks who do this "professionally" with sponsorships, a budget in the millions, and nothing but time to travel the world are telling me that my hobby isn't really my hobby because I don't do it right according to them and I don't fit their definition. Had Mountain State Overland, or Lifestyle Overland, or Michael written an article about the definition of overlanding, it would have most certainly been received better. Those folks are much more relatable. I'm sure XO's intention was not to provide us with an elitist definition, but that's what they did... full of links to their videos and website to drive traffic up.

Additionally, nobody is asking for it to be defined. To @Sylvester 's point above, overlanding is what you make of it. Go out and have fun. It's going camping off the beaten trail on the weekend with your family, it's driving to MOAB, running the trails, and camping for a few nights, hell- it's buying an overpriced skottle and a roof top tent if it makes you feel better and feel like you're part of the community. Who cares!? Sure, overlanding can be month long trips to remote areas, meeting new people, embracing different cultures, conveniently knowing bush pilots to deliver fresh donuts in the Alaskan wilderness, etc., but it doesn't have to be.

 

[shansonpac]

Additionally, nobody is asking for it to be defined. To @Sylvester 's point above, overlanding is what you make of it. Go out and have fun. It's going camping off the beaten trail on the weekend with your family, it's driving to MOAB, running the trails, and camping for a few nights, hell- it's buying an overpriced skottle and a roof top tent if it makes you feel better and feel like you're part of the community. Who cares!? Sure, overlanding can be month long trips to remote areas, meeting new people, embracing different cultures, conveniently knowing bush pilots to deliver fresh donuts in the Alaskan wilderness, etc., but it doesn't have to be.

Amen. What is more important is to love what you are doing, and do it. I really don't care what others call it. The focus should be on shared common ground, not differences.

 

[Hourless Life]

This ^

OP, while I do enjoy their content and they seem like a genuine and good group people, XO has become (post Jeff an Kurt days) easily the most unrelatable of the "overland" content creators on YouTube. They parade around like a military convoy in $200K Toyotas, over-dramatisizing every bump and puddle on the path for the sake of the show. Is their stuff fun to watch? Yes, very. Is it relatable to the average person looking to go 4-wheeling and camping on the weekends? Not even close.

I think this is the crux of everyone's argument here. Essentially, folks who do this "professionally" with sponsorships, a budget in the millions, and nothing but time to travel the world are telling me that my hobby isn't really my hobby because I don't do it right according to them and I don't fit their definition. Had Mountain State Overland, or Lifestyle Overland, or Michael written an article about the definition of overlanding, it would have most certainly been received better. Those folks are much more relatable. I'm sure XO's intention was not to provide us with an elitist definition, but that's what they did... full of links to their videos and website to drive traffic up.

Additionally, nobody is asking for it to be defined. To @Sylvester 's point above, overlanding is what you make of it. Go out and have fun. It's going camping off the beaten trail on the weekend with your family, it's driving to MOAB, running the trails, and camping for a few nights, hell- it's buying an overpriced skottle and a roof top tent if it makes you feel better and feel like you're part of the community. Who cares!? Sure, overlanding can be month long trips to remote areas, meeting new people, embracing different cultures, conveniently knowing bush pilots to deliver fresh donuts in the Alaskan wilderness, etc., but it doesn't have to be.

This is a really interesting and insightful comment to me. Appreciate you putting it out there Brian.

I would agree that the XO folks are a genuine and good group of people. They have been kind and selfless to Brittany and I as we've started our own overland journey with no expectation of anything in return. I've truly appreciated their time and counsel. I think I have a personal perspective which informs my comments here that many don't have as a result.

I can also understand how the XO team could be unrelatable to most (with their rigs, budget, sponsors, and their convoy) and at the same time seen by many who want to get into overlanding either as an enthusiast, hobbyist, or even as a lifestyle as aspirational.

I'm not sure you are drawing a correct conclusion however in your analysis. To say that folks who do this "professionally" with sponsorships and budget and nothing but time are telling you that your hobby isn't really your hobby isn't what they are saying at all.

On the contrary, I'd suggest that they are saying it is a hobby for you and there is nothing wrong with that at all. I think what they are doing is providing a framework for what actual overlanding is compared to what the average overland enthusiast does. Again something to aspire to for those who wish to take it to that level.

I think with the list of questions that Overland Journal provided to "assist people in determining whether or not they are, in fact, overlanding" that the folks at Overland Journal and behind Expedition Portal and Expedition overland are saying the same thing. Obviously both XO and OJ think it is important enough to define and discuss. I think that as a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists, and overlanders (wherever you place yourself) who have chosen to be on platforms dedicated to the discussion of this thing we call overlanding, we should enjoy the discussion.

I think what both entities are saying is that in the same way that a jogger who wishes to become a marathoner has to work towards that goal, and just because he has a pair of sneakers and shorts doesn't make him a marathoner, until he actually, well, runs a marathon so it is with overlanding. Because a marathon is defined it can be achieved. Prior to that, the jogger is a running enthusiast who may or may not pursue the goal of becoming a marathoner. But he may always be a running enthusiast or hobbyist and that is totally fine and supported.

I do not agree that overlanding is "what you make of it" and that is the point of the information that both XO and OJ has put out. It isn't whatever you want it to be. It is something. It actually means something if we have a definition.

I think that we can all enjoy the aspects that we enjoy of overlanding for our own style of travel and enjoyment however. Meaning if your thing is getting out your vehicle with your RTT and propane stove and heading to a state park (which I've done a lot of) then that's totally cool. But that doesn't make it overlanding. Just because you want to call it overlanding doesn't make it so. Anymore than the jogger who jogs 2 miles could call his jog a marathon.

That is where this is rubbing people the wrong way. People are feeling excluded by the definition and I don't think that by defining it we need to be excluded or feel excluded.

I think we should try to understand it and enjoy whatever aspects of it we personally enjoy each in our own way and there is nothing wrong with any of that.

Personally I don't have a huge budget, I'm solidly middle class. My overlanding vehicle while "expensive" (at least to me) costs much less than the average home in the states and I own no other home or property. I have a 5 year old son who is with me and my wife currently in Belize on a global overlanding trip. I have a YouTube channel, and don't own a skottle, everything I own fits in my Jeep. I've been traveling by vehicle full-time since 2014. Does that make me unrelatable? I'm really no different than anyone here. I personally have made decisions that have enabled this as a lifestyle for us, it is hard life and one full of sacrifices and amazing experiences all at the same time. I don't look down on anyone, nor do I consider myself better or superior to anyone here. Or less than for that matter. I'm just another member of this forum trying to make the most out of the one shot we get around.

Bottom line, I love this lifestyle and the community of friends I've made along the way. I'd gladly share a campfire with 98% of the people here I'm sure and there would be no sizing up. Just stories shared and laughs had. I hope I get a chance to meet many of the people on this forum someday. People who have similar passions as me and have done their respective best to live life to the fullest. ~ Eric

 

[OcoeeG]

Maybe what they/you do should be called Expedition Overlanding, they hit it on the head. Maybe what the rest of these fine folks do should be called regular old overlanding.

Because your marathon analogy is so full of holes. How many people fit XO's definition of overlanding in the world? Maybe 5%? Within the running community there are WAY more marathoners than that. Look at the start line of any big marathon, thousands of people. You are lucky that there are not thousands of "overlanders" lining up to cross the border of Guatemala with you; you are special, you are extreme, you are elite! So maybe these thousands of fine folks here should be allowed to call themselves marathoners aka overlanders and you and the elite should call yourselves something a bit more special like ultra marathoners or Expedition Overlanders or whatever else you would like to call yourselves to set you apart from the masses. Just a thought.

 

[MOAK]

I also want to add that the early days of XO were an inspiration for us, as well as Andrew St Pierre White, Graham Bell, the folks at Landcruising Adventure and the entire staff of Overland Journal are to this day. Just as with all careers, hobbies and sports, we look to the elite for aspiration, guidance and simple ideas. We may not be able to do everything they do, but there is nothing wrong in aspiring to be better than we are. Peace out! Oh, PS, yes, I’ve been with OB since very near the beginning and quite honestly am sometimes uncomfortable with some of the tangents that folks veer off into. This is about a hobby/lifestyle after all and we all have that in common. Other topics that some veer into, Jeeze, go to another place for it.

 

[SS308]

I once went "Overlanding" and it turned into a Elk hunt. Dang if I could get the Elk to answer my bugle call...hence the communications problems.
We camped for numerous days in remote hostile (snow/mountains) areas (I believe we even saw Big Foot, laughing at our futile attempts at Elk hunting. But I digress).

 

[MMc]

Interesting takes. I have been a backpacker , a rock climber, mountaineer. They are all very different.

Let's look at backpacking. Is a weekender less of a backpacker than a through hiker. What about a guy that does the John Muir trail is he less than a PCT guy? What about the guy that does the PCT or JMT a week at a time.

Rock climbing. The guy in a Gym can say he is a climber. The student putting on a rope and following is a climber. The guy out a local crag leading a route is also a climber. The guy putting up a route trad or sport is also a climber. Guys climbing EL Capitan is also a climbers. All of these "climbers" have very different skill sets, yet they all call themselves climbers.

I can bring up more examples, I think the point is made.

I travel to Mexico a lot. Some trips 3 to 5 days driving, because I post up for weeks at a time, I am not overlanding according the the writer. Really what ever you call it is fine. I'll be doing the Pan American and taking years to do it, it will nice to know what real overlanding is.

I don't drive around with stuff hanging off my rig full time, no RTT, no Scotty, no Max tracks. I don't have a social media channel and zero sponsors. I don't spend much time watching other peoples social channel. The mods on my rig are for the way I use my truck, hell my rear bumper is stock. The interest is here is seeing how other camp or use their rigs. Some of my runs are hard on the rig but limited as I am usually solo. It will be fun when I can call myself a true overland, can't wait.

 

[MOAK]

I’d like to add one more thing then I’ll close. I joke with my doctor that I’m a retired amateur athlete. I played organized competitive basketball until I was 42 years old.. There is a subtle, but very important difference between the two phrases, I am a basketball player and I play basketball. The subtlety is strikingly obvious to anyone involved in sports. Unfortunately the term overlanding does not lend itself to subtle differences in terms. We are stuck in a conundrum of constantly having to explain to folks outside the hobby what it is that we do. My hat is off to anyone attempting to clarify the term. Can I tell you how many acquaintances, not knowing any better, have said, “ oh, you’re overlanders” then roll their eyes, maybe because they read The Road Chose Me or Jupiters Travels. Nah, we tour, I quickly remind them. Peace out

 

[Sylvester]

Phoenix is a great town and I have friends in the area. But I'm in Belize, how about you come down here instead? It's the trip of a lifetime and I've been to Phoenix many times, but never been down here till now. If it takes you more than a week to get here I'll be in Guatemala. And that's not harsh, just facts.

But if you come down to Belize or Guatemala, I'll buy you the ice cream and we can talk about the merits of definitions. ~ Eric

Funny That you invite me to Belize, I would then be an Overlander by there Definition - If we meet in Phoenix only one of us would be an Overlander. Understand the difference and how goofy there Definition is?

Driver A Leaves Mexico city and spends 2 nights Camping while on his way to Phoenix for Ice Cream it is a 1530 Mile "Overlanding" trip

Driver B Leaves Billings, MT and spends 2 Nights Camping while on his way to Phoenix for Ice Cream it is a 1207 Mile "Car Camping" trip

There is only 1 Difference - this is using there definition. I hope you see How Pointless it is - You don't inspire people by Defining something - you inspire by encouraging them to accomplish a goal. He wanted to define what an Overlander is to control the Narrative.

 

[Hourless Life]

Phoenix is a great town and I have friends in the area. But I'm in Belize, how about you come down here instead? It's the trip of a lifetime and I've been to Phoenix many times, but never been down here till now. If it takes you more than a week to get here I'll be in Guatemala. And that's not harsh, just facts.

But if you come down to Belize or Guatemala, I'll buy you the ice cream and we can talk about the merits of definitions. ~ Eric

Funny That you invite me to Belize, I would then be an Overlander by there Definition - If we meet in Phoenix only one of us would be an Overlander. Understand the difference and how goofy there Definition is?

Driver A Leaves Mexico city and spends 2 nights Camping while on his way to Phoenix for Ice Cream it is a 1530 Mile "Overlanding" trip

Driver B Leaves Billings, MT and spends 2 Nights Camping while on his way to Phoenix for Ice Cream it is a 1207 Mile "Car Camping" trip

There is only 1 Difference - this is using there definition. I hope you see How Pointless it is - You don't inspire people by Defining something - you inspire by encouraging them to accomplish a goal. He wanted to define what an Overlander is to control the Narrative.

I mean the water is great here and I hear there is pretty decent ice cream.

I’ll respond in a bit after lunch….

 

[Sylvester]

Satire - Just for fun

"Communications issues due to language barriers"
EVER TAKE SOMEONE FROM NEW YORK TO ALABAMA IT'S FUNNY

"Extreme cultural differences"
EVER BEEN TO LOS ANGELES or WASHINGTON DC - THEY SAY WERE THE SAME I DON'T BELIEVE IT

"Corruption and the need to deal with bribery"
HAVE YOU EVER DEALT WITH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT or IRS



"A lack of infrastructure to deal with emergencies and vehicle breakdowns"
WHEN YOU BREAKDOWN IT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM - UNLESS OF COURSE YOU BREAKDOWN AT THE MECHANIC -

"The need for sustained resource management: food, water, hygiene, vehicle maintenance'
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO WALMART IN CHICAGO - IT'S A WAR ZONE OUT THERE

"Extreme difficulty in finding potable drinking water"
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE MOJAVE DESERT