Alaska Overland Show

[Dalko43]

Has anyone seen this History Channel show about a group of overlanders traveling through Alaska (Alaska Offroad Warriors)?

I've only watched one episode. The content was very much a generic History Channel reality TV format....throw a bunch of eccentric characters together and cut to a commercial every time something "dramatic" happens to leave the audience in suspense.

So nothing cutting edge or really engaging IMO.

But my real question is, does anyone know what roads/trails they were using? According to the show's introduction, these guys were taking a route that went all the way from the southern end of Alaska to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay).

I haven't seen the last few episodes, but I'm assuming they used the famous Rte 11 (Prudhoe Bay Rd.) to make the final stretch...in the earlier episodes, the map and the footage shows them to be off the beaten path. Anyone know what trails/roads they were using? I was led to believe that there wasn't much in the way of offroading in Alaska, but the episode below shows some pretty technical driving:

 

[Dalko43]

Mods, I realize I posted this in the wrong section. I meant to put this in the 'Expedition and Overland Adventure Planning.'

 

[LocoCoyote]

I remember this show......came out it 2014 I think.

I found it to be an abomination....a good primer on how not to act off-road. It's guys like these that make overlanding hard on the rest of us.

 

[zelatore]

Do some searching and you'll find a long discussion on this show when it was airing live.

The basic opinion was that they were not actually following a route as described but were doing a series of short day trips with pavement sections linking them. For example in the show you'd think they never stepped foot in a town for the entire run, yet none of these vehicles has that sort of fuel range so how did they manage? In general, it falls into the same category as most 'reality' shows and is anything but real, but at least this one was mildly entertaining.

Over on Pirate some of the show participants were part of the discussion so you got a bit more insight into how it was done. However like most topics on Pirate it takes a lot of willpower to actually read anything there if you're looking for actual information and not lots of BSing.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

AORW does not equal Overlanding

 

[deadly99]

AORW does not equal Overlanding

Sure it does. Perhaps not yours or others perspective...offroading, travelling, sleeping in tents, seeing new places....sounds like overlanding to me.

I quite enjoyed the show. Obviously made for tv and the drama was created or exaggerated but I found it entertaining.

Just because everyone wasnt wearing khaki outfits doesnt mean it wasnt overlanding

 

[Brian McVickers]

I've explored AK a little bit myself and talked with a lot of people who live there.
The trail system is largely made up of out and back dead end trials that go to mines and logging areas.
Complete through trails that allow you to traverse large sections and keep going are less common.
There are several though, and with some effort I bet a lot of the shorter out and back routes can be linked together somehow.
One issue is the lack of use, so remote or unused tracks are often overgrown quickly.

 

[20DYNAMITE07]

I remember this show......came out it 2014 I think.

I found it to be an abomination....a good primer on how not to act off-road. It's guys like these that make overlanding hard on the rest of us.

Yep... it's pretty awful. I'd love to drive there, but watching them take random lines and tearing everything up gives off roading a bad name. As someone that lives in the mid-atlantic region of the US, where finding public land you're allowed to drive on gets restricted furhter every year, this just makes me cringe.

Also, it didn't help that these folks personalities came across on TV like school in the summer time. (No class) They're probably nice people, but the false drama and obnoxious overacting on everything really wears thin and makes them hard to like.

 

[LocoCoyote]

AORW does not equal Overlanding

I agree.... They were racing each other without regard for their vehicles, the environment, or each other. Their behavior was not the behavior of overlanders.




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[deadly99]

"Overlanders"

Now exactly what is that? Some elite club where only people who act, dress, drive certain vehicles, etc get invited? I was under the impression that overlanding was traveling "over" land on a bike, car, minivan, truck, quad, etc, etc.

Indeed these folks were overlanding. Being responsible to the environment? Irrelevant to wether or not they were overlanding or were "overlanders".

I think in some parts of the world, land access isnt as big of an issue as in the lower 49. Doesnt mean folks shouldnt follow good trail etiquette, but it doesnt mean folks arent enjoying traveling or offroading and as a result arent overlanding.

One guy drives a minivan across the country or continent. Is he not overlanding? Another person drives a bro truck jacked up on the same route? Not an overlander? And yet a third guy drives a Toyota 60 series with fancy gear and khaki clothing...overlander?

To me, this "overlander" image has gone a bit far. Its become a big business and folks are buying into the marketing a bit too much. Sort of like what is a beautiful women? The skinny, tall models that marketing tells us is beautiful? Is an overlander only what we see in advertisments, tv series, magazines, forums?

Camel Trophy, Dakar Rally...overlanders?

Does being in a competition while crossing borders and cool terrain not quantify as overlanding?

Its all becoming a bit much, seriously. Do i need orange maxtraxx on display? Auxillary fuel cans on display? Do I need to wear specific clothes?

Get out and explore, to me thats what overlanding is about. Whether that be on a bike, in a truck, wearing leather or fur coats, camping or staying at fancy resorts...who cares? Still overlanders

 

[LocoCoyote]

Well, what makes an overlander is a favorite topic for discussion and I don't think there is a one size fits all definition. Fact is what these clowns did was act like jerks, destroy their vehicles, and trash the areas they were barreling through. They left each other in bad situations so that they could win the race. That is just wrong.

That is not overlanding in my book.

Do you have to have certain vehicles or equipment? Naw...whatever works for you is fine. Need special clothing or a specific look....again, no.

Dakar or Camel Trophy overlanding? Well, not in my book, but one heck of an adventure. Minivan across the country on paved roads the entire way....maybe, but probably not. And my favorite....overbuilt 4x4 s that are barely road worthy and crawling all over every obstacle they can find....again maybe, but probably not.

Call it whatever floats your boat....those guys were jerks.


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[stingray1300]

AORW does not equal Overlanding

Thank you...

 

[enzo]

Thank you...

X2

 

[AutoXSS]

I see the show as purely entertainment. It is only reality tv, whatever that means now.

If it gets a 2nd season ill watch it

 

[concretejungle]

I agree that show was pure entertainment... but here is where it backfires... all the folks who sit there and watch TV (arm chair quarterbacks) and have no real clue about our passion to explore and overland in remote areas and over difficult terrain, now view this show as just that. A bunch of guys with big trucks, big tires, ripping through the wilderness. Kind of like the old adage we use to always joke about "here, hold my beer and watch this" type of thing.

So, in my mind that show was stupid and set a bad example for the rest of us to try to clean up.