What got you started overlanding/offroading?

[Jeff Swain]

What was the first experience you had either offroading, camping, overlanding etc... that made it a part of you?

Probably my first actual overlanding adventure would have been on a old Suzuki four wheeler. It was mid 80's Suzuki 250 2wd. It didn't even have a rear suspension. All it had was a front rack. I loaded it up with a tent and a cooler and headed off for the lake to spend the night. I was probably around 15 or 16. It was a lot of fun to get out and away from everybody. It was also a learning experience being in the middle of nowhere by yourself.

A few years earlier.... When I was a kid (probably around 7-8) my older brother had a friend who had a Jeep CJ. This particular year the lake had flooded the old road down from my parents house. I remember being in this jeep with the top down and doors off, driving through a foot of water along this path. Water splashing up all around us. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced in my young life.

Ever since then I have always been a huge Jeep fan. When I turned 17 my parents got me a Suzuki Samurai. It was great until I rolled it my senior year of high school. Later I had a Geo Tracker, followed a few years later by my first Jeep, a 03 Wrangler X. I had it for about a year or so and had to get rid of it. I always told myself I would own another one someday. Fast forward another decade and I finally bought the Jeep I always wanted, 06 Wrangler Rubicon. I have had my Jeep now about a year and a half. I am hoping to keep this one til my kid puts me in a nursing home....

Enough of my rambling. What got you started?

 

[britz]

I've always been an outdoors person, even living in the City. When my boyfriend retired, we moved to Idaho and built a little offgrid cabin on the edge of the National Forest. Two years ago a firestorm came through, but our place was spared. Even though the BF is Ret. Fire and we have our own fire apparatus, department radios, etc. I told myself I want to have multiple escape routes and be equipped to haul my Mom and dogs at moments notice. I helped out at the shelters down in the closest town and that sealed the deal on a devoted overlanding rig.

We enjoy banging around in the woods and exploring, but refining our self-sufficiency and evacuation is always a factor.

 

[Jasalvas]

Good thread!

My first experience off-roading was way back when I was about 4 or 5. I remember being in back of my father's friends CJ7, crawling through Kings Canyon National Forest on our way to a camp site.
About 7 years later my father and I would frequently head out in the forest to cut fire wood. At that time we had a Jeep Comanche pick up and we would end up in all kinds of situations. My father taught me quite a bit about 4 wheeling during this time of my life. We cut firewood out there for years and got into and out of many different situations.
Throughout my teen years I focused on the ladies and once I was about 23 or so, I ended up with a '96 4runner SR5 4WD. I absolutely loved that rig. I would be somewhere, or visiting someone and get stir crazy, I would jump in the runner and go exploring. That thing was a beast. No matter what I tried doing, the 4runner handled it with ease. I never "beat" the rig but I pushed its limits. I was never disappointed in what the 4Runner could do... I know for a fact that 4R never let me down. I ended up selling the 4Runner and getting a BMW, then a civic in 2008. Probably about 6 months to a year after I got the civic, I saw a Tacoma that made me say Ahhhh....
I was never able to get a Tacoma but purchased a '16 Trail edition 4runner last year. Due to the 4runner being a safer vehicle, we ended up with the runner over a taco. I am (use to be) an avid fly fisherman and had that civic stuck so many times. If I had someone with me, no big deal. If I was by myself, it was such a pain in the ass. My trail edition will not have any crazy mods, only mods that will actually improve its capabilities.
I have yet to take an extended trip but have always been camping/car camping.
I wouldn't consider myself an "overlander" but yearn to be on a dirt road in 4wd, on my way to a river or even just exploring.
When I'm not working, being a husband or father, I'm lurking you tube or Instagram, day dreaming of being out and about, exploring.


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[Luis Merlo]

For me, it was my kids ...given their ages (13 and 16) they like nothing better than to be glued to a screen...TV/ PC/ Xbox etc...and if you let me...I'm a bit of a geek as well...so A few years ago we started heading out...a National Park, a Dam project a historic town etc...and we saw some great sights which gave them a taste of the outdoors...the trips (with the kids) have now slowed down...friends, parties, school stuff takes priority and I understand that was always going to happen...but we have some great memories and we often look at the photos and videos we took !
Hopefully one day soon, they will join me on another trip !...cheers

 

[PNWExplore]

I grew up outdoors so I always have enjoyed being outside, having an appreciation for nature.

I only recently began to camp again as an adult after not doing it for a handful of years. My love for vehicles and photography naturally mesh with overlanding/vehicle assisted adventure. What started it recently for me was getting my Tacoma, something I can actually drive in the places I want to go (had an old subaru before this for 8 years)

It also helps that my GF is into it as well and we are always planning on where we will go next.

 

[Edward Gentle]

I've been off-roading for years. Ever since my son could walk he and I have been hitting the trails with one of our old beat up trucks. We also enjoyed going hiking/camping. It was just a natural progression I guess into the full overloading way. My son now has a Ram 2500 he's in the process of getting ready and I'm working on my 2000 Ford F-150. Hopefully real soon we'll be out on the trails together.

 

[pl626]

My parents took us camping when we were wee lads, then, in my teens, my friends & I got into dirt bikes, hunting & fishing. After college, my overlanding tapered off, except the occasional mountain biking or ski trip.

Funny thing is, most of my "overlanding" was done in cars & minivans. My first SUV was a 2WD Blazer, which took me deeper off-road than many 4WDs & across the US on a tour of the national park system. I then upgraded to a Range Rover Classic, which I took across country as well. It was mostly stock, plus some underbody armor and sliders. EAS was even intact. Then, I managed to overheat the motor, and it sat on my driveway for over 10 years.

Between my work schedule & my lack of desire to pour money into the Rover, my overlanding days came to a halt. Then, a few years ago, after years of pestering by friends, I finally decided to bring the Rover back to life. After a lot of money, blood, sweat & tears, she's back to life and more capable than before.


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[The other Sean]

It was the creek near my house. I was the typical loner kid with divorced parents in the 80's and would ride my Huffy as far as my legs would take me in search of my place in the world. The Minnehaha creek was a tucked away nature area right in the middle of the city. When I was unhappy I could ride there, ditch my bike in the bushes and explore.

 

[RockyMountaineer]

I grew up hunting, fishing, and scouting. Being outdoors is just in my blood. It has never been about the style of the for rather about a connection to the dirt under my feet.

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[Doug C]

I've always loved hiking and getting out and exploring new areas. When I got my Tacoma that gave me more options of places I could now get to. It really took off when I came across an Expedition Overland video on YouTube, which led to me finding Overland Bound. It was inspiring to watch videos and read about trips people were taking. It got me out to Arizona earlier this year to explore and now I'm planning a trip out to Utah.

 

[Delete Me]

I've been riding dualsport for awhile and thought it would be great to take more gear along ... like with a truck or something ... to those truly remarkable locations that defy description. Then, I watched the Enchanted Rockies Trail videos, by Lifestyle Overland, and realized I could coax my 4x4 truck into some modest overlanding adventures. That did it for me.

 

[Young Satchel]

Strangely enough, what got me started was selling my lifted 1987 Toyota 4Runner, having kids, and getting a Volvo Station Wagon.

I realize this seems backwards and makes no sense [emoji24][emoji23]


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[buckwilk]

I was 16, we lived in Alaska. My buddy's father had an old military Dodge Power Wagon he let us use. I still blame him for all the cash I've spent on this pursuit. (<;

 

[Kevin108]

I had a few offroading experiences leading up to this, but the first overnight trip in 2001 is what sold me on things. I was 21 and had a red 85 S-10 4x4. It was primarily a work truck, and the idea of running a ladder rack on the trail made some of the internet know-it-alls really nervous.

There were a few dozen active members on an S-10 forum who were planning a wheeling trip. It was being led by a tall, patient man named Keith. He gathered our ragtag group of inexperienced drivers and unreliable equipment at McDorman's Grocery in Rawley Springs and took us through various beginner-level trails around Harrisonburg.

I can't remember for sure, but Old Long Run, Dictum Ridge, and Second Mountain seem to be the trail names from that weekend.

After wheeling all day, we rode into town and grabbed dinner. We then rolled back to Brandywine Campground. I decided to stick around with the group and just borrowed a parking spot in the campsite of one of the other guys on the trip. I owned no camping gear at the time and just slept on the bench seat of my truck. I think we did two trails on Saturday and a third Sunday morning before splitting up and going home, but I realized with that trip this would be something I was into the rest of my life.

I followed the S-10 up with a fullsize.

And later made the mistake of buying an XJ.

But finally wound up with the best rig I've ever had, an FJ Cruiser.

Keith and I haven't seen each other in years, but we're still in touch on Facebook. He's running a Colorado now, and recently added hardshell RTT.

 

[RescueRangers]

When the daughter went off to college, the wife and I started doing day trips. At the time we had a Suburban Z-71 we bought while doing 18th century living history. While exploring Cades Cove (GSMNP) we realized we were running out of time to get to Knoxville. Looking on the map we saw a trail that cut out of Cades Cove to the main road. We loved it, it challenged our comfort zone and we got to explore an area of the GSMNP that few have seen. A few years later we ran across Overland Journal and the light bulb click on. Overlanding is what we had done. We love exploring, we love the idea of seeing things that few tourist ever see, and we love pushing our comfort zone. We started researching what Overlanding really is and what is needed to do it right and safely. Since then we have been working on the process, learning more about what we like to do, the type of places we like to go and how we do it (maximum drive time per day for example). As knowledge, experience, and money became available we moved closer to the level of Overlanding we want to be at.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

I've been riding dualsport for awhile and thought it would be great to take more gear along ... like with a truck or something ... to those truly remarkable locations that defy description. Then, I watched the Enchanted Rockies Trail videos, by Lifestyle Overland, and realized I could coax my 4x4 truck into some modest overlanding adventures. That did it for me.

So cool, man! Glad we inspired you!

 

[mmnorthdirections]

This is where I started, the future holds new horizons.
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/who-planted-the-seed-for-you-to-be-an-overlander-pic-stories.1850/

 

[Road]

Most of my earliest memories involve traveling somewhere far away by car.

Long trips across Europe in a Chevy wagon with wood-grained sides, a huge
two-room tent strapped to the roof in what I knew was the coolest-ever,
heavy canvas bag with thick leather straps and rugged buckles.

My father drove, and from my seat behind my mother, head turned to the right,
I'd watch the world slide forever by, imagining it was all a long-playing record
and that the scenery changed just for us by the time we got back around.

We camped deep in woods along streams with tumbling gravel and explored the boundaries of everything.
We camped on the banks of the Seine in Paris and explored city streets and buildings.
We had breakfast picnics sitting on dikes in Holland and ate lunch on the tailgate.

I can still taste the baguette and orange-grapefruit juice.

 

[Kevin108]

You know, that makes me rethink a bit of my original post. We seldom went far, but mom was always on the road around town taking us along to buy groceries, drive my grandma around, go visit other family, etc. A significant portion of my childhood was spent in a fullsize van with a couple toys and a pillow in case you needed a nap.

 

[Nullifier]

I have always been into the outdoors and camping. I guess it really started in canoes. I never did get the whole whitewater lets go sit at one spot and surf the wave all day mentality. I wanted to explore waterways and camping was just a natural part of that. As my range increased in my early 20's I would toss my gear in the back of my ranger and after actually camping a few times in state parks I was sick of dealing with generators and people hooking up trailers at 6 am. So I started taking my 2wd ranger to backcountry sites with dirt roads as much as possible. In '04 I got a Tacoma 4x4 and after a trip to Baja the rest is history. My car camping had gotten alot more complex since then but I really love it and am now trying to instill that into my kids.