Overlanding is Dead! Is it? Finally!!

[zoober]

For me, wheeling and camping have always been separate events.
When I wanted to get away camping, I'm going somewhere even my4X4 can't get me. Think the high sierra's in the winter.
While I have had an RV, it was generally for weekend use at the MX track.
For camping, it was always backpacking. Cutting the ends off the toothbrush for weight type backpacking. Most food and water was foraged or trapped.
Now I'm old and don't camp much anymore. But still don't think I would overland. Too complicated.

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[HalfmuleFarmer]

Now I'm old and don't camp much anymore. But still don't think I would overland. Too complicated.

How old is “old” here?! Asking for a friend.

 

[zoober]

How old is “old” here?! Asking for a friend.

Why doesn't she ask me herself?

 

[SierraBronco]

For me, wheeling and camping have always been separate events.
When I wanted to get away camping, I'm going somewhere even my4X4 can't get me. Think the high sierra's in the winter.
While I have had an RV, it was generally for weekend use at the MX track.
For camping, it was always backpacking. Cutting the ends off the toothbrush for weight type backpacking. Most food and water was foraged or trapped.
Now I'm old and don't camp much anymore. But still don't think I would overland. Too complicated.

When it requires a lot of physical effort to get somewhere you typically weed out the kind of people that are littering and blasting their bluetooth speakers. Backpacking win for sure. That reminds me…still haven’t fulfilled the quest to find the bomber on bomber mountain. It’s been snowed over on every attempt. But I digress. Some could argue that if the wheeling is hard enough this might be the case with “overlanding” but…comeonmeow. We know most (emphasis on most) people with 400 pounds on their roof aren’t doing anything that’s requiring them to challenge their vehicles in anything besides the GVWR.

 

[SierraBronco]

The horse has officially taken additional beatings after passing on. I wanted to originally share this rig earlier but couldn’t remember the tag. It just randomly popped up again so here we go!

Those that refer to themselves as “a thing” EG bronco owning people or jeepers or sportsball team supporters or gun owners or overlanders, seem to have a need for attention to make certain everyone knows they find enjoyment with a specific hobby. So they buy their branded tshirts and hats and stickers with whatever logos or slogans to make sure you know. Bonus points for shirts with entire diatribes about how badass the wearer is and this person will definitely show you the hardcore badassery of their lineage to anyone that crosses them. If you doubt this, better read their shirt again. Maybe ask them to hold still as it will take 39 seconds to read the entire paragraph written in at least nine different fonts. I’m not immune and we have adorned Mrs. Sierra’s bronco with stickers of companies from Idiocracy. It’s just a really good movie and we want to spread the joy! People need to see it! Anyway, the overlanding movement gives people the opportunity to show to others their adventurous, rugged lifestyle and desire to just get away from it all and be with nature. Whereas the reality might be that they have no idea how to operate their winch and will likely have some teeth knocked out if they try to use the rusted out hilift jack. Assuming they have the tools to unbolt it from the permanent fixture they bolted it to. The untreated gasoline in their jerry cans has long since turned into a fuel system threat and the four hose airdown is still knotted and tangled from the first and only time it was used.

But again, this isn’t just something that’s specific to the overlanding crowd. The bronco in the picture has all the accessories that would fool you into thinking it’s a serious build, but when you dig in you’ll see that most of the carbon fiber is fixed with double sided tape and the suspension is not, in fact, capable of running through the desert at 100 mph. The faux rocks it is sitting on at the booth are the equivalent of what they encounter in the rare cases they do take it offroad. They built it for car shows, and nothing is wrong with that. They don’t try to act like they’re racing the Baja, onlookers just assume that’s the case.

Certainly there are people using their “overland” builds to truly go out for days on end and see how far they can go without needing assistance, but most are just overloading their vehicle and camping out for the night. And again, nothing wrong with that. Just recognize when you make it your whole personality and portray yourself as basically being the modern equivalent of the pioneers while just camping over night with starlink to upload to socials and driving into town for every meal, people might call you out just like some might call out those that say they’re “hardcore offroaders” with 40’s on an M190 and CV’s at 30 degrees at their normal ride height.

So do what makes you happy, rather than seeking validation from others to be part of a group. If that means bolting a tent to your roof and camping out for the night, then more power to ya. Nobody is telling you to change your pronouns, but maybe not all of us are going to go along with it by saying you’re that thing. And that’s okay too. We’re all gonna be okay

 

[zoober]

Been there, got the t-shirt.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

^^^^

’The Bronco in the picture …’ is

https://www.instagram.com/thebroncoadventures

which the insidious algorithm somehow immediately put in my feed! Get your discount codes!

I don’t begrudge anyone their hustle, but one needs to remember that the influencer life = being a human advertisement. Decent work in a tough economy I guess, and a good way to get free stuff. Maybe just me, but I tend to not believe ads.

 

[SierraBronco]

^^^^

’The Bronco in the picture …’ is

https://www.instagram.com/thebroncoadventures

which the insidious algorithm somehow immediately put in my feed! Get your discount codes!

I don’t begrudge anyone their hustle, but one needs to remember that the influencer life = being a human advertisement. Decent work in a tough economy I guess, and a good way to get free stuff. Maybe just me, but I tend to not believe ads.

I always get a kick out of the SEMA build videos. There was one that was focused on the Bronco, so gave it a click. When the guy came up on this one and started talking about the carbon fiber wings and baja suspension where it could blast through the desert at triple digits, it was clear he had no clue what he was talking about.

That said I have watched a video from these guys when they took it wheeling. It was actually pretty enjoyable. Not for the actual wheeling but just how him and his wife interacted and how excited they got going over curb sized rocks. If that’s how they are in real life I think they’d be a hoot to take wheeling. But I’m certainly not taking their suggestions on what accessories I should put on our car.

 

[gbub]

The horse has officially taken additional beatings after passing on. I wanted to originally share this rig earlier but couldn’t remember the tag. It just randomly popped up again so here we go!

Those that refer to themselves as “a thing” EG bronco owning people or jeepers or sportsball team supporters or gun owners or overlanders, seem to have a need for attention to make certain everyone knows they find enjoyment with a specific hobby. So they buy their branded tshirts and hats and stickers with whatever logos or slogans to make sure you know. Bonus points for shirts with entire diatribes about how badass the wearer is and this person will definitely show you the hardcore badassery of their lineage to anyone that crosses them. If you doubt this, better read their shirt again. Maybe ask them to hold still as it will take 39 seconds to read the entire paragraph written in at least nine different fonts. I’m not immune and we have adorned Mrs. Sierra’s bronco with stickers of companies from Idiocracy. It’s just a really good movie and we want to spread the joy! People need to see it! Anyway, the overlanding movement gives people the opportunity to show to others their adventurous, rugged lifestyle and desire to just get away from it all and be with nature. Whereas the reality might be that they have no idea how to operate their winch and will likely have some teeth knocked out if they try to use the rusted out hilift jack. Assuming they have the tools to unbolt it from the permanent fixture they bolted it to. The untreated gasoline in their jerry cans has long since turned into a fuel system threat and the four hose airdown is still knotted and tangled from the first and only time it was used.

But again, this isn’t just something that’s specific to the overlanding crowd. The bronco in the picture has all the accessories that would fool you into thinking it’s a serious build, but when you dig in you’ll see that most of the carbon fiber is fixed with double sided tape and the suspension is not, in fact, capable of running through the desert at 100 mph. The faux rocks it is sitting on at the booth are the equivalent of what they encounter in the rare cases they do take it offroad. They built it for car shows, and nothing is wrong with that. They don’t try to act like they’re racing the Baja, onlookers just assume that’s the case.

Certainly there are people using their “overland” builds to truly go out for days on end and see how far they can go without needing assistance, but most are just overloading their vehicle and camping out for the night. And again, nothing wrong with that. Just recognize when you make it your whole personality and portray yourself as basically being the modern equivalent of the pioneers while just camping over night with starlink to upload to socials and driving into town for every meal, people might call you out just like some might call out those that say they’re “hardcore offroaders” with 40’s on an M190 and CV’s at 30 degrees at their normal ride height.

So do what makes you happy, rather than seeking validation from others to be part of a group. If that means bolting a tent to your roof and camping out for the night, then more power to ya. Nobody is telling you to change your pronouns, but maybe not all of us are going to go along with it by saying you’re that thing. And that’s okay too. We’re all gonna be okay

A freind came with me to the SoCal Expo last weekend. It was the first one I have attended. We saw this vehicle or one just like it there. My friend is not into this kind of thing at all but was curious to learn more about it. When he saw it, not understand why any one would do that, he asked what it was all about. So I gave him the typical explanation of articulation and how it works. He got it but I don't expect him to go out an buy a bunch of gear to get into the sport. He did learn a lot though while we walked through the Expo.

 

[SierraBronco]

A freind came with me to the SoCal Expo last weekend. It was the first one I have attended. We saw this vehicle or one just like it there. My friend is not into this kind of thing at all but was curious to learn more about it. When he saw it, not understand why any one would do that, he asked what it was all about. So I gave him the typical explanation of articulation and how it works. He got it but I don't expect him to go out an buy a bunch of gear to get into the sport. He did learn a lot though while we walked through the Expo.

No doubt it looks unique!

 

[Mdozier]

ok, all this overlanding talk is interesting but seriously,​

where can i get some of this stuff?​

​

 

[Dusty]

The horse has officially taken additional beatings after passing on. I wanted to originally share this rig earlier but couldn’t remember the tag. It just randomly popped up again so here we go!

Joey you obviously missed the red R. That means Race, in case you've been living under a rock. That thing has to be fast! Stop being jealous

 

[SierraBronco]

Joey you obviously missed the red R. That means Race, in case you've been living under a rock. That thing has to be fast! Stop being jealous

This whole time I thought it meant “rad.”

 

[userdude]

All this talk of carrying gas makes me think of that old commercial where the guy with the Lambo is getting gas, looking cool and flirting with the girls, only to scream outta the parking lot and immediately into a gas station nearby for more gas.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

This whole time I thought it meant “rad.”

I though it meant “Republican”

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