What is “OVERLANDING”?

I guess that's the difference between camping and overlanding. Campers don't call it quits when it starts raining.

 

yeah, you’re right. How did people ever explore for hundreds of years without rooftop tents?! Lol.

 

They still had them, but the horses weren't happy about it.

 

Overlanding in Colorado is strapping $20K worth of shit to your truck for the daily commute so you can then drive to camp at a spot I used to get my Subaru Impreza to with some careful driving.

But really, it’s a marketing buzzword like “tactical” and “side country skiing” that was created to sell more stuff.

 

I think they were the 1st overlanders.

 

And while you sit at said campsite you can complain about the tourist that goes scooting by in the rental RAV4 and Texas plates .

 

Back in the 80's... this is a "duh" moment for me... I had a squarebody Chevy, 3" lift and off road suspension. I had skids, winch etc and KC HiLites everywhere. I loved taking that thing offroad.
So, we hit a new trail one Saturday morning. Lots of rock, lots of off camber. Took two hours to get about a mile with my Jeep buddies. We stopped for lunch on the side of the trail. We heard something coming up the trail behind us. A middle aged guy with his wife was cruising past in a 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass. He had his window down and had his elbow resting on the windowsill. He went by us and waved.
I learned right then it's not the vehicle.
Google Crown Vic on Moab.

 

and africa too.
much of the new and improved over-landing style gear makes sense for those locations. awning would be mandatory for me.
even in oz or africa, vehicle travel seems to always involve a track, trail or road.
specifics regarding landscape, trip duration, remoteness and isolation determine necessary gear.
by isolation i mean me alone or with others.
in general, aimlessly driving off designated roads and trails is stupid and illegal ( as it should be).
it fucks up the environment when everybody does it. looks like shit too.
there may be odd places permitted to drive wherever your heart desires (dunes, beaches, slick rock etc) but in
most places roads are needed or you would be chainsawing deadfall or moving rocks or maxtracking yourself all day.
creature comforts and toys are personal choices. logistics for carrying them is personal and based on where you go.
stuffing too much into a taco gets costly and limits ability to get to where you want.
i am generally not a destination camper.
i like wandering as the situation unfolds.
i dont like trailers. they prevent me from making impulse side road exploration. they suck when roads get steep and at narrow dead end roads.
i consider myself a minimalist and dont need a trailer for a bunch of stuff.
ground tent (or sleep in the truck if needed).
i dont camp in extreme weather unless i have to.
many people want to be comfortable and not just survive. i get it. you do you.
i use old fashioned belt mounted manual cordless folding ham slicer.
if you want a new rechargeable style slicer to bring along, have at it.
i can easily live without a Jackery and a solar panel to keep it all running.
i do like the lithium boosters though.
might buy one yet.
until then, roll start the truck if needed.
remember to park on a hill.
conflicts with RTT setup, so im told

 

Simple…WTT’s! Pioneers were smart about those things too!

 

or.....Off Road.

 

I have much more time camping with minimal gear then whatever it is I do now. Used to be that all I did was stay in one place and survive. The best technology I ever had was a cheap cooler. It was a ton of work gathering wood, cooking, making a shelter (a few times-sometimes I'd just sleep under the stars, but also had a Wal Mart tent).

Getting an RTT changed a lot. I never woke up in 2" of water again, or with neck or back pain from a root or rock. Then came a gas camp stove. Now I could sleep well and eat well (and much more quickly). My trips started changing from going out and surviving, to wanting to go to different places and experience different terrain, flora and fauna. The destinations became more remote and the trips longer. Ice was the next thing causing me to seek out civilization when I didn't want to, and now I am carrying tools, spare parts and more supplies to stay out longer. Organization suddenly became very important when I got tired of unloading my entire bed to retrieve something...so a refrigerator, bedslide, diamondback and Jackery came on board.

I finally achieved a bucket list trip to MT, and also spent time in SD, UT and CO. 6500 miles in a month. I'm sure I could've done it without all my gear, but it would've been a totally different experience. I dunno if that's "overlanding," but I'm glad I got to experience "minimalist camping" first and work my way up to whatever this is. The gear gave me ultimate flexibility. There was really no plan, and I could turn down any road and follow it as long as I liked, knowing I could stay in place for about 2 weeks and even be comfortable during that time.

Unfortunately, I do not have an Instagram account to post to.

 

RTT's... i think we've been there, done that.

 

One thing I find odd is driving $100K vehicles but still crapping in the woods. If I’m spending that kind of money I want a toilet and a shower.
Maybe the shitting in the woods is what makes it Overlanding?

 

Well I sure as shit ain't crapping in my $100k vehicle. That's grody.

 

Motel 6 for me!
Just make sure I have my tetanus shot and I am good.

 

.

 

even though i consider myself a minimalist i use a coleman propane stove and ice chest most of the time
chucked my gas lanterns for led lights.
inflatable bed feels good compared to foam pad but wont be sleeping on the roof of my truck.

bears, buffaloes, rocks be damned.
overlanding gear craze is mainly sales hype. some decent advancements in gear, however.
thankfully we are all free to partake as we choose.
my camping experience spawned from solo dualsport overlanding exploration and mountain backpack hunting in bc.
lawn chair was a luxury then.
now progressed to lightweight basic car camping using a small truck.

i may feel different after spending time in baja and usa desert later this year.
intense sand storms and cactus spines everywhere are something i have not experienced.

some want to strap lots of gear to the truck to feel comfortable like home.
kids and wife to please too.
i dont begrudge you.

 

I am going overlanding where this person is going lol

 

I go away for a day or so, come back and your still talking about crapping lol

 

Think that more of a big camp trailer than a rtt, an rtt of that time would need to be permanently affixed to the top of the oxen, not towed behind.