Overlanding is Dead! Is it? Finally!!

[Steve B]

I think that “unplug from the internet” part is actually the key point of all of this. I get having a SAT phone for emergencies (good idea), but often probably not necessary. Isn’t the idea of getting away to GET AWAY? Maybe you can’t work or your kids will be bored. That’s the idea. I appreciate the content creators and enjoy their videos, but that shouldn’t be everyone’s aspiration. It’s like going to a concert where everyone’s filming with their phone—just watch the concert people! You’re THERE!

Agreed. I always get back home and realize that I didn't take enough pictures of what we did. I am having so much fun that I forget about the camera. This forum is about all of the social media that I post on. I don't do IG.

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[Shrek27]

Always makes me laugh that a grandpa-style fiberglass shell and a carpet kit over a truck bed is really hard to beat for camping. I’ve enjoyed many a night in rain and wind in relative quiet sleeping in the shell of my RAM 1500. No way I’d ever trade solid walls for fabric. (I’m also a hard top Bronco kind of guy.)

The real grandpa style was my 1983 Toyota with the fully insulated Six Pac aluminum sided topper with tinted bubble windows and a carpet kit. It was a hand-me-down from my brother who used it for bass fishing and camping. I had it in high school and part of college so it was more of a hotel for date nights and somewhere to crash after parties though I did do some camping in it too.

 

[indio22]

I can't count how many times I have said that very thing. Someone posts on here "how do ya'll like my new "______". As soon as a few members come along and say "I don't like it". It won't be long before the "Ignore all the haters" posts start showing up. I'M NOT A HATER...I just don't like the Freewheeling Bronco!!!

Back when many forum members could not get even one Bronco, I made a post suggesting owning 3 or 4 Broncos wasn't a cool move. For that I got called a communist, socialist, anti-capitalist and several other names, lol.

 

[KT_bronco]

I think that “unplug from the internet” part is actually the key point of all of this. I get having a SAT phone for emergencies (good idea), but often probably not necessary. Isn’t the idea of getting away to GET AWAY? Maybe you can’t work or your kids will be bored. That’s the idea. I appreciate the content creators and enjoy their videos, but that shouldn’t be everyone’s aspiration. It’s like going to a concert where everyone’s filming with their phone—just watch the concert people! You’re THERE!

Let me offer a counterpoint—on my last trip, I left work early on a Friday to head to Death Valley, knowing I could still stay on top of things with my Starlink. While navigating the trail, I got an email from a customer needing an order for Monday. I pulled over, called her through Starlink, put together a quick quote on my laptop, sent it over, got it approved and paid—all while soaking in the desert sun from my tailgate table.

My point? I totally get that part of the appeal of the outdoors is disconnecting, but in this case, being connected is what even made it possible for me to be out there in the first place.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Agreed. I always get back home and realize that I didn't take enough pictures of what we did. I am having so much fun that I forget about the camera. This forum is about all of the social media that I post on. I don't do IG.

One day I realized I took way too many and have all this data saved I'll never look at again. I try to keep it to 5 a day or so now.

 

[dgorsett]

Missed the premise that having soggy food in a sloshing ice chest = TrUe OvErLaNdEr. And those that prefer to not listen to the sloshing ice and having non-soggy food = PoSeUr OvErLaNdEr.

Not really to your point, but just as a FYI to folks: I have no fridge and I have not had soggy food or the sound of sloshing ice for decades. I keep several one gallon milk jugs filled 2/3 full in the freezer, one or two in a cooler with things like meat pre frozen, depending on conditions, keep things good for days. A couple years ago did five days in over 100 degree weather and only got ice once, just for the beer cooler.

 

[SierraBronco]

Not really to your point, but just as a FYI to folks: I have no fridge and I have not had soggy food or the sound of sloshing ice for decades. I keep several one gallon milk jugs filled 2/3 full in the freezer, one or two in a cooler with things like meat pre frozen, depending on conditions, keep things good for days. A couple years ago did five days in over 100 degree weather and only got ice once, just for the beer cooler.

And if you’re really worried throw some dry ice on top of the ice ice and things will really hold up well.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Let me offer a counterpoint—on my last trip, I left work early on a Friday to head to Death Valley, knowing I could still stay on top of things with my Starlink. While navigating the trail, I got an email from a customer needing an order for Monday. I pulled over, called her through Starlink, put together a quick quote on my laptop, sent it over, got it approved and paid—all while soaking in the desert sun from my tailgate table.

My point? I totally get that part of the appeal of the outdoors is disconnecting, but in this case, being connected is what even made it possible for me to be out there in the first place.

Totally can appreciate. I’m retired so I don’t have that justification and/or excuse. And maybe just me, but I’m finding the need for a full digital detox more and more often. I think there are too many people out there (everywhere really) just living to post to social media, living some weird presented fake life. Just seems if there’s one place that shouldn’t happen is off the road, in nature. But I’m old/old-fashioned.

 

[BroncoJoerg]

So, back in the day, when I was a young buck and had one of those "other" offroad machines, we would get off work early, toss our camping gear (ice chest, couple of pot and pans, stove, tent, etc.) into the "other" offroad vehicle, and spend the weekend out on the trails camping at the end of the day. No one called it Overlanding, just offloading.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

I can't count how many times I have said that very thing. Someone posts on here "how do ya'll like my new "______". As soon as a few members come along and say "I don't like it". It won't be long before the "Ignore all the haters" posts start showing up. I'M NOT A HATER...I just don't like the Freewheeling Bronco!!!

lol! True.

Thing is, although most are afraid to admit it, men are very sensitIve and driven by emotions. Most guys like to project this onto their wives, but in reality and upon examination, guys want to be “liked” or “seen as something” often much more and different than what or who they are.

This is why ”The Gram” is so popular. Guys post pics at about the same rate and need that false validation to fuel the ego. Sure, everyone has an ego, but the constant need for validation from strangers is just, well….. strange.

Think the need to be viewed as an overlander or adventurer is more important than the actual act of doing it to most guys. When that validation meets up with reality of “no one cares”, or that the trendiness is over, what do they have? Nothing; so off to the next trend in hopes of some of that validation again.

Recognizing the state of things isn’t hating, it’s an observation just being said out loud.

Guys can’t handle truth or just offer an opposing opinion. Everything must be groupthink now.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

I was the hardest core, back country, tent camping freak there was. From hunting/camping with dad, motorcycling/camping and remote hiking/camping. I used to scoff at the RV crowd thinking they were posers and "soft". Then, I turned 60. One day I woke up with the tent covered in a surprising snow, cold with an aching back and knees from the hike the day before. Top that with a pesky black bear looking to get my last ramen boil - it took a blast from the 12 gauge a few feet over his head to get him to back-off. Got home and and started looking at truck campers. Settled on an Arctic Fox 1150 in the bed of a RAM 3500. I'll never tent camp again. After a long hike or hunt, a hot shower with a fridge full of treats and beer, a queen size bed, a propane fire pit, hard bear-proof fiberglass between my ass and the animals?? Call me "soft". As far as overlanding with that set-up, we've managed to wedge it into some pretty tight spots, even while flat towing the JK or Braptor. Retirement is coming and you'll be seeing me and my woman perusing the western US and Canada in search of good beer, good weather and good 'wheelin'. And yes, we've already seen way less people out and about so maybe the craze is dying - good for us older timers who've roughed it before "roughing it" was a thing. Happy Friday, all.

Like the point you’re making here, but not sure when overlanding became primitive camping focused. In fact, looks to be the exact opposite.

For me, I tent camp because I can’t yet afford a trailer to tow or a place to keep it since I live in the city. However, within the next decade, all of that will change and the trailer is pretty cool and takes some worry off of weather and the animals and bugs.

Think there are many ways to do any of this. Off-raoding doesn’t have to be rock crawling. I tell many of the Georgia club guys this all the time. The point is just to get out of the house and into nature and you go as far with it as you have interest to do so. A few creature comforts can go a long way on making the experience more fun and less like work or pure survival. Some are into that, of course, but you don’t have to take that approach.

 

[BattleBornBronco]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words. I'm out there a few times a month, get in touch with me so we can do a trip together. I'm solo 90% of the time and could use some company!

If you need company, lemme know. I'm game for a soda and an E. Oregon ride coming out of NORCAL.

 

[GoHawks63]

with respect to needing Starlink for emergency situations, for those who have an iPhone 14 or newer, they all have the capability to send an emergency message via satellite as long as you have a clear view to the sky.

 

[Snacktime]

Washing your hands with cooler water is a right of passage. Starlink is a sign that you are not camping.

 

[EasternSierra]

Washing your hands with cooler water is a right of passage. Starlink is a sign that you are not camping.

Bu...bu...bu...but my real-time stock market quotes!!! What will I do without them????



Just kidding!

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