The Overlanding Thread

Right, so in the US, are the majority of the consumers tackling the expedition conditions you're describing? And if not, how did the products that already existed and up under their ownership but under a rebranded title that had become a popular image in the last decade.

That is the marketing.


Just because an area in the world has coined a termed and uses it in a certain fashion doesn't mean it's globally adopted to the letter.

My point is that only two things have changed as of recent.; The activities name, the new people doing that activity.

Not many folks that I've encountered who have been doing this as recently as the 90's just decided to change their minds on what the trip is called and now use the term overlanding.

This isn't an attack towards those folks or the activity itself. I'm just merely pointing out it was a media and market based shift that brought it about here, already represents an activity that was called many things but until recently wasn't called overlanding, and that as a result a ton of product and services are now behind sold to folks who just don't need them (which is the part I don't like, much like the time share analogy)

I'm happy that you've got to travel and see the world. It's great that other countries use the term Overland. Here it is new, but the activity has been done for many decades.

 

Well said Sir. I understand what you are saying and having been to some other countries I agree. True overlanders are a different breed. Our Capitalist economy has found a niche market for it, good for them, I personally still think it’s great to see more people getting outdoors call it whatever they like

 

Can we all just agree that at its core, 'Overlanding' involves a vehicle and camping and leave it at that?

 

Just like most things in life it is what you make of it

 

I just call it truck camping!

 

A heavier more secure spring clip.

 

After @Casper66 called it to my attention, I went back to the L&R Website and verified it.

 

From what I understand, "Overlanding" has been popular in Australia, South Africa and Brazil for a long time but it just started catching on in America in like the last ten years. Note that when you go Internet search for overland gear, a lot of it is made in Australia and only a few of those market to the US.

To me, Overlanding is different from Wheeling. Wheeling is when you and your buds take a Saturday to go bouncing down National Forest trails and old logging roads. You basically drive in a big circle and come that evening with a new layer of mud.

Overlanding is more like a multi-day expedition from Point A to Point B. Like if I want to go to MOAB and only take back roads and dirt roads to get there, camping along the way and enjoying the sights as I go along. When I reach my destination I may or may not come back the same way.

Anyway, that's the kind of stuff I want to do.

 

I understand that. But it's no different than the sportsmen or the oudoorsmen that take a multiday trip and are are a couple hundred miles away from the closest human beings. That's been going on for decades and has never been called Overland until recently. Again, just stressing that that exact activity has been done for a long time here and the recent name change ties in with products, media, and serviced being pushed.


The activity itself is great. I just don't like the origin of the term over here. That's all.

 

Progress on the trailer build. Completed these to Slide-Outs yesterday. I have ordered a kitchen system; ETA Mid-September.

 

Finished my trailer build.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZsQaaoiszw

 

Last fall I met up with an overlanding crew from Georgia. This July I will be joining them for a trip out to Colorado to do some serious camping and trail riding. I plan on taking lots of pictures and videos for my Instagram and YouTube pages.

Stay tuned.