What is Overlanding?

[OscarMk]

I went away for work last week. I loaded myself up with some podcasts to listen to while stuck in an aluminum can at 30,000 feet. One podcast I listened to discussed 'What is Overlanding?' The text of the link summarizes the podcast well but, to save people a click, I will quote some below.

"Overlanding describes self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. Typically, but not exclusively, accommodated by mechanized off-highway capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping; often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and often spanning international boundaries. While expedition is defined as a journey with a purpose, overlanding sees the journey as the purpose...

...The critical point to the term overland travel is that the purpose is to include at least two or more of the following: 1. Remote locations, 2. Cultures other than your own, 3. Under-explored or under-documented regions, 4. Self-reliance in unfamiliar territories for multiple days, weeks or months. That is to say, an overnight trip to the local mountains on a well-documented route, staying in an established campground with full-hookups, is not an overland adventure, it is a backcountry trip or at the very least, car camping. "

I got the sense that the growing popularity of Overlanding is diluting the host's past achievements and, by implementing requirements, the hosts were 'gate keeping' the term to preserve a legacy.

Is there a minimum time limit ('months to years')? Do I really need to cross international borders? Would Canada even count? What do others feel?

 

[grubworm]

here's a couple threads on here already that might be interesting reading....got a little bickering here and there, so grab a beer and some pretzels before diving in!

Define "Overlanding"

Overlanding is not the same as extreme Jeeping, Mud Bogging, Rock Crawling. There is no need to even modify an overlander. Stock they are more reliable than lifted with oversize tires. I've done all those mods, now I overland in a box stock Rubicon with an AEV HighLine and 33s. I'll back up a...

www.overlandbound.com

Has overlanding become elitist ?

Let me start off by saying, being on disability I may be biased, but still no need to rip me a new one. I watch many, many overlanding videos from all kinds of overlanding Youtube channels, and I have yet to see one, except "iamjake" that doesn't have $10,000 or close to it (usually more) worth...

www.overlandbound.com

 

[Correus]

I do agree with the above. Take a good, long look at the actual history of overlanding. Then take a good, long look at the history of camping. Then take a good, long look at the relatively short history of modern-day 'glamping'. I'm pretty sure that, with very very few exceptions, the vast majority of people on this forum, as well as several other forums and social media sites, fall somewhere amongst camping and glamping.

Just because someone kits themselves out for a fully fledged expedition - with the latest and greatest 'toys' - and goes driving about the countryside camping for a week or two doesn't make it 'overlanding'.

IMO - trying to say that what most of us do is actual overlanding is no different than someone who loves to go swimming saying they are an olympic swimmer; or the DIY plumber saying he's an actual plumber because he has tools and knows how to use them.

 

[Dlnuckolls]

While expedition is defined as a journey with a purpose, overlanding sees the journey as the purpose...

This is my main motivation... Whether the journey is a few days, weeks, or months; the main purpose of my treks is the journey! I outfit my rig to make it capable enough to take me places I would not have been able to see otherwise, but not being a rich man I cannot got crazy overboard with upgrades.

 

[USStrongman]

It has become a social media term for people who otherwise are boring and need attention. It isn't overlanding in the US, its trail driving and camping in style.

 

[Correus]

This is my main motivation... Whether the journey is a few days, weeks, or months; the main purpose of my treks is the journey! I outfit my rig to make it capable enough to take me places I would not have been able to see otherwise, but not being a rich man I cannot got crazy overboard with upgrades.

Same here.

My philosophy is 'KISS'; way too many people go overboard with upgrades and toys. We all know 'those people' who spend just about the amount of a small nation's GDP on upgrades and toys - yet rarely use them or know how.

 

[Dlnuckolls]

My philosophy is 'KISS'; way too many people go overboard with upgrades and toys. We all know 'those people' who spend just about the amount of a small nation's GDP on upgrades and toys - yet rarely use them or know how.

Nothing more dangerous (or humorous, depending on your viewpoint) than someone with tons of gear that they don't know how to use. I personally keep essentials that I need, or may use to help others, and drop the others. Besides the extra toys just cost weight, which means more fuel and less travel time!

 

[GordyP]

The way I see it is, who cares what its called if you are having a good time. Call it overlanding, trail driving, glamping whatever. Yes typically overland travel is for longer durations but I don't necessarily agree with the crossing international borders requirement. Bottom line is to get the gear that you feel you need or want, go to the places you want to see for as long as you want to see them and who the hell cares what anyone calls it, I would'nt worry about trying to fit into a particular box.

 

[Correus]

It has become a social media term for people who otherwise are boring and need attention. It isn't overlanding in the US, its trail driving and camping in style.

Unless you are someone along the lines of the Last Overland group (or their predecessor); a member of 'Drive the Globe'; or like the Hyland family (traveled 16,000+ miles in a 1957 SI Land Rover - purchased for $300 - and went from London to Singapore in about 6 months in '15/'16, WITHOUT all the upgrades and toys) you're not really 'overlanding'. When I hear most people talk about 'overlanding' on social media what inevitably comes to mind are hipsters, man buns and starbucks.

There's an absolutely beautiful Range Rover (either a '90s or very early '00s) in Wichita that's been so kitted out it looks like it's ready to take on anything. Yet you never see it dirty, out of the city or off-road. I usually see it parked at starbucks, or the ritzy mall, or driving in the posh areas of tge city. Since I'm not around it 24/7 perhaps it does go off-road and get dirty, yet all of the off-roaders I know, who also know the vehicle, say it's nothing but eye-candy for the owner.

 

[Correus]

Nothing more dangerous (or humorous, depending on your viewpoint) than someone with tons of gear that they don't know how to use. I personally keep essentials that I need, or may use to help others, and drop the others. Besides the extra toys just cost weight, which means more fuel and less travel time!

Bingo. I know a guy like this, one of my best friends. Were were out-n-about in his well appointed rig and he got a flat. Poor guy couldn't figure out how to remove the spare tire from its underneath carriage. I couldn't stop laughing.

 

[Dlnuckolls]

Bottom line is to get the gear that you feel you need or want, go to the places you want to see for as long as you want to see them and who the hell cares what anyone calls it, I would'nt worry about trying to fit into a particular box.

WAIT A MINUTE... There's a box? I did't know there was a box. Where is it and can I fit?

 

[Alanymarce]

I've used the Overland Journal definition for a while as a reference. However the key is to get out and explore - as OJ notes, this could be "a weekend trip 100 miles from home or a 10,000-mile expedition across another continent."

OJ seeks to provide some more clarity with:

1. Remote locations - remote from what, I wonder? This could simply be somewhere you've never visited, although the implication is that it should be away from towns and main highways, I guess. When the "head office" for a global operation in which I used to work was in Houston, I always referred to Houston as the only real "remote location", being far from where the operations took place.

2. Cultures other than your own - this could be Texas if you're from NY, or France if you're from the UK. Come to that, it could be Hull if you live in Ottawa.

3. Under-explored or under-documented regions - there's little of the planet not yet explored, so presumably this simply means that few people have been there. So, not the south rim of the Grand Canyon, I guess. I recall that we visited Arches National Park a few years ago; the surfaced roads were full of traffic, and the car parks jammed, however we returned to the highway via the unsurfaced Willow FLats track and saw no-one at all, so that would probably qualify.

4. Self-reliance in unfamiliar territories for multiple days, weeks or months. That is to say, an overnight trip to the local mountains on a well-documented route, staying in an established campground with full-hookups, is not an overland adventure, it is a backcountry trip or at the very least, car camping. So, "multiple days" (sic) seems to be more than 2, so a long weekend trip camping without site power or water would be "overlanding", it seems.

Once again, though, I don't really care about the definitions, except for the fact that discussion can be confusing if one person's "overlanding" is someone else's "rock crawling" or vice versa... Get out and enjoy exploring the world!

 

[rgallant]

@OscarMk I love that definition, mostly because it excludes almost everyone. Think about how many people can take months or years to travel, as to different that is pretty vague. I can get that with in 50 miles of home by attending various cultural festivals and events.

"Overlanding describes self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. Typically, but not exclusively, accommodated by mechanized off-highway capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping; often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and often spanning international boundaries. While expedition is defined as a journey with a purpose, overlanding sees the journey as the purpose...

...The critical point to the term overland travel is that the purpose is to include at least two or more of the following: 1. Remote locations, 2. Cultures other than your own, 3. Under-explored or under-documented regions, 4. Self-reliance in unfamiliar territories for multiple days, weeks or months. That is to say, an overnight trip to the local mountains on a well-documented route, staying in an established campground with full-hookups, is not an overland adventure, it is a backcountry trip or at the very least, car camping. "

To me is about visiting remote locations, whether I get there by predominantly by Hiway or forest service road does not matter it is all about the journey. By that definition a trip to Tuktoyaktuk is not overlanding, it is remote, a different culture and can take 2 to 4 weeks but you can do it a Honda civic (that would be an adventure mind you).

I prefer well out of the way, but in here in BC that is easy and does not take months, I have often wondered if that definition came out of NW Europe where getting to a truly remote areas can take some driving

 

[HIALT2D]

I've always wondered where the term Overlanding originated and how old the term was. I don't know the answer & maybe no one does, but I thought this was somewhat interesting:

I just started reading a book (Tschiffely's Ride) written by a Swiss school teacher who traveled alone by horse over 2 1/2 years and 10,000 miles from Buenos Aires to New York in the early 1920's. A big part of his motivation was to prove that a certain breed of Argentine horse was better equipped than any other breed of horse for the rigors of such a journey over all kinds of terrain and in all kinds of conditions. He mentions Overland travel in his introduction:

 

[grubworm]

"overlanding" is the ONLY place where you can feed your kids beans right out of the can and not get shit for being a bad parent....

 

[OscarMk]

I've always wondered where the term Overlanding originated and how old the term was. I don't know the answer & maybe no one does, but I thought this was somewhat interesting:

I just started reading a book (Tschiffely's Ride) written by a Swiss school teacher who traveled alone by horse over 2 1/2 years and 10,000 miles from Buenos Aires to New York in the early 1920's. A big part of his motivation was to prove that a certain breed of Argentine horse was better equipped than any other breed of horse for the rigors of such a journey over all kinds of terrain and in all kinds of conditions. He mentions Overland travel in his introduction:
View attachment 168241

Very interesting! A Paul Theroux of the 1920's.

 

[MOAK]

It’s like the difference between “Ping Pong” & Table Tennis. I play a bit of table tennis once in a while because I am physically equipped for it.. when my wife and I explore the remote areas of the lower 48 we are fully aware that we are playing a very ameturish game of table tennis. We are currently planing a couple of overlanding trips and hopefully our health will still be good enough to explore as much of North America as we can.

 

[Alanymarce]

@OscarMk
...By that definition a trip to Tuktoyaktuk is not overlanding, it is remote, a different culture and can take 2 to 4 weeks but you can do it a Honda civic (that would be an adventure mind you).

Actually, yes it is:

"at least two or more (sic)" of the following:

1. Remote locations - yes
2. Cultures other than your own - if you're not inuit then yes
3. Under-explored or under-documented regions - depends on what this means, I guess, less explored than Vancouver, obviously yes; less explored than central amazonia, probably no
4. Self-reliance in unfamiliar territories for multiple days, weeks or months. If you are unfamiliar with Tuktoyaktuk, then yes - It'll take "multiple (sic) days from anywhere in BC to Tuktoyaktuk and back.

So, certainly two, maybe three, maybe even all four - it's "overlanding" (by the OJ definition). Nice trip too, although best to avoid mosquito season...

 

[OscarMk]

here's a couple threads on here already that might be interesting reading....

Define "Overlanding"

Overlanding is not the same as extreme Jeeping, Mud Bogging, Rock Crawling. There is no need to even modify an overlander. Stock they are more reliable than lifted with oversize tires. I've done all those mods, now I overland in a box stock Rubicon with an AEV HighLine and 33s. I'll back up a...

www.overlandbound.com

Has overlanding become elitist ?

Let me start off by saying, being on disability I may be biased, but still no need to rip me a new one. I watch many, many overlanding videos from all kinds of overlanding Youtube channels, and I have yet to see one, except "iamjake" that doesn't have $10,000 or close to it (usually more) worth...

www.overlandbound.com

Thanks for the links!

 

[Lil Bear]

I feel like way to many people are caught up on using a term that can have many different meanings. Would you still be considered a member of this forum if you didn't buy a membership? Would you still be an overlander if you didn't join? So if you come on here and have useful information to give folks but didn't pay up front then your info isn't any good? That's basically what I see people saying about overlanding. It shouldn't define someone by what vehicle, size tires, radio, patches, portable fridge, or any other piece of equipment you use. People need to worry more about either helping or not hindering and putting people down. It's all throughout this forum where people wants to bash others due to their "inexperience" in where they may have traveled or because of the rig they chose or how they outfit and use their rigs. It's just ridiculous. Drive over the curb of your driveway and pitch a tent and call it overlanding...it doesn't matter. Just be happy, be friendly, help others, and clean up after your damn self!!