The Status of Overlanding Today

[Niks]

I agree with you here. This is what I see going on all over here, Youtube and Instagram...

1) Hit the local trails - call it Overland.
2) Drive to beach for an overnight camp - call it Overland.
3) A weekend away at a campsite - call it Overland.
4) Drive to the local park to make a youtube video - call it Overland.
5) Do a day trip to a point of interest - call it Overland.
6) A weeks camping trip to Moab - Overland.
7) An attempt to do Black Bear Pass - Overland.
8) Finding a secluded camping spot to make a new camp cooking video - call it Overland.
9) Drive to a scenic point of interest to photograph the new vehicle build - call it Overland.
10) Heres a new one - Vanlife people swapping tires for BFGoodrich KO2's - then call it Overland.

Next thing you know it will be driving to work - call it Overland. It's now become ridiculous. 99% of these $100,000 build vehicles have probably never even left the continent, most probably let alone the state. I really think people should stop over using the term Overland for everything and anything.

There was a time when I used to read about amazing adventures and expeditions people did in their 4x4's; crossing entire continents, circumnavigating the globe, driving and exploring lands previously unexplored, driving in a convoy throughout the night with no lights on to avoid detection by bandits in corrupted countries, driving through the most craziest weather such as snowstorms, typhoons and all sorts, expeditions to the north or south pole in their vehicles, expeditions that went on for months to a year, organisation of huge multi convoy expeditions that talked about how to gear up for them such as food, clothing, fuel and so on. This was the real deal, the stuff that leaves you completely awe inspired and ready to make your own expedition. This is why the 70's, 80's and 90's were the real days because there were real explorers doing real stuff.

Now all we see is.. look at my new build, look at my new suspension lift, look at my new storage system and overland kitchen, tent, awning, sponsored by this company, in partnership with this and that company, etc...

It's just glorified camping.

 

[Todd780]

This is the truck that first got me interested in any kind of outdoor exploring. I still recall reading the magazine articles.

 

[vintageracer]

It just sounds so much more exciting when you have a Hoity Toity name to call it.

Camping is so what my parents did!

Nobody wants to be their parents!

 

[MiamiC70]

It’s all about the YouTube and Instagram. That’s all the little snowflake poseurs care about. If it’s not on social media int never actually happened and certainly doesn’t matter.

 

[calicamper]

It’s all about the YouTube and Instagram. That’s all the little snowflake poseurs care about. If it’s not on social media int never actually happened and certainly doesn’t matter.

In a former career pre YouTube. Content was king. That rule still applies Youtubers need content. Many of them stretch the content or fabricate content to keep the click bait meter moving when they run short. Others find new content and move on.

The overlander stuff is played out add fuel cost’s and yeah its a low yield deal now regarding YouTube content.

Many earlier “overlander” types moved on to building houses, referbing old boats etc which case lots of complexity and challenges to overcome making for good content once again.

At some point that dries up too. I predict lots of good adventure/ fiction writers surfacing in the next few years as many of these self motivated types discover that good fictional content knows no bounds?.

Lets be realistic dragging wheeled transportation through muddy tracks and over long established trails has been done for over a decade. Its not new.

 

[Anti-lander]

Yet here we all are complaining about something we're all doing. To be honest between here and ob seems that's all overlanders do is complain about others doing the exact same thing as them. Maybe a more expensive or less expensive rig it don't matter either way both complaining about each other.

The offroading community was already balkanized before overlanding became a trendy word. Jeep and truck people didn't get along so much before, now we do. There was a time when if you were caught on a trail in a crossover suv( rav 4 was pretty much it back then) you'd have risked getting assaulted and at very least insulted for bringing something like that on a trail. Now its encouraged to do so with the small family crossover suvs that barely even have 2wd much less 4x4.

If you've got a problem with it either quit and move on or get over it, it is not changing back.
Same thing with those who complain about new vehicles are unreliable, easy don't buy one and shut up about it.

 

[vintageracer]

In a former career pre YouTube. Content was king. That rule still applies Youtubers need content. Many of them stretch the content or fabricate content to keep the click bait meter moving when they run short. Others find new content and move on.

The overlander stuff is played out add fuel cost’s and yeah its a low yield deal now regarding YouTube content.

This is exactly why I do not watch Youtube video's at all anymore.

So little content and so much filler.

You can only take so much of a windshield video going down a trail or a group of trucks trying to crawl over the same rock in Overlander/off-road video's. About all Youtube has become for me is a learning center for "How To" video's about how to do things WRONG!

Now pictures are a whole different story.

If the pics interest me I can spend as much or as little time looking at the content of the pic. A little description about the pic goes a long way to understand the setting for the pic.

Think of "Yukonmontanatannertrapper" (My Journey) and his thread here on the Portal. Always interesting and NOT a time waster like so many video's. I can quickly scroll through the thread/pics OR look in detail at the pics and his description of the pic that interest's me.

Simple, Easy, PRICELESS!

 

[eyemgh]

I agree with you here. This is what I see going on all over here, Youtube and Instagram...

1) Hit the local trails - call it Overland.
2) Drive to beach for an overnight camp - call it Overland.
3) A weekend away at a campsite - call it Overland.
4) Drive to the local park to make a youtube video - call it Overland.
5) Do a day trip to a point of interest - call it Overland.
6) A weeks camping trip to Moab - Overland.
7) An attempt to do Black Bear Pass - Overland.
8) Finding a secluded camping spot to make a new camp cooking video - call it Overland.
9) Drive to a scenic point of interest to photograph the new vehicle build - call it Overland.
10) Heres a new one - Vanlife people swapping tires for BFGoodrich KO2's - then call it Overland.

Next thing you know it will be driving to work - call it Overland. It's now become ridiculous. 99% of these $100,000 build vehicles have probably never even left the continent, most probably let alone the state. I really think people should stop over using the term Overland for everything and anything.

There was a time when I used to read about amazing adventures and expeditions people did in their 4x4's; crossing entire continents, circumnavigating the globe, driving and exploring lands previously unexplored, driving in a convoy throughout the night with no lights on to avoid detection by bandits in corrupted countries, driving through the most craziest weather such as snowstorms, typhoons and all sorts, expeditions to the north or south pole in their vehicles, expeditions that went on for months to a year, organisation of huge multi convoy expeditions that talked about how to gear up for them such as food, clothing, fuel and so on. This was the real deal, the stuff that leaves you completely awe inspired and ready to make your own expedition. This is why the 70's, 80's and 90's were the real days because there were real explorers doing real stuff.

Now all we see is.. look at my new build, look at my new suspension lift, look at my new storage system and overland kitchen, tent, awning, sponsored by this company, in partnership with this and that company, etc...

It's just glorified camping.

I proudly call what I do camping. I don't video or post anything that I do though. I just like being off the beaten path, and occasionally at a coastal campground.

 

[MiamiC70]

YouTubers are paid shills. Paid directly by YouTube via ad revenue and indirectly by manufacturers who use them as a part of their marketing departments to shill products they get for free. I pray YouTube cuts ad revenue payments again so these parasites “I mean influencer” have to go get real jobs.

 

[eyemgh]

YouTubers are paid shills. Paid directly by YouTube via ad revenue and indirectly by manufacturers who use them as a part of their marketing departments to shill products they get for free. I pray YouTube cuts ad revenue payments again so these parasites “I mean influencer” have to go get real jobs.

This is where I’ll disagree. Why is that not a “real” job any more than collecting rent form an investment property, acting, consulting, etc. They may not be punching the clock, but what the good ones do requires LOTS of work. It’s advertising. If you don’t like it, don’t buy what they’re selling or don’t click on YouTube. It generates a ton of revenue because people like us watch.

 

[calicamper]

YouTubers are paid shills. Paid directly by YouTube via ad revenue and indirectly by manufacturers who use them as a part of their marketing departments to shill products they get for free. I pray YouTube cuts ad revenue payments again so these parasites “I mean influencer” have to go get real jobs.

Many actually are producing pretty good quality content which isn’t easy or fast to do. So I wouldn’t be saying they are lazy or a parasite.

The parasites are kids who have a channel which parents are paying monthly fees for Google to list at the top of searches and the content ie I got a Raptor BS which daddy bought not the kid.

Probably the best example of the fake important kid created by parents funding a fake facade is Lori Loughlin’s kids.

 

[Jupiter58]

I always thought Overlanding was just that. Remote adventures to exotic locations. I did some car camping in the past but my passion was always motorcycles and I did a lot of motorcycle camping. Then I found out about adventure riding and that became my new passion for the last dozen years. Off road adventure riding specifically.
As I got older I decided the prospect of riding across and up and down the country again on a dirt bike became less appealing!
I have fallen in love with the west and living in SFL makes it a long journey. I decided I could do most of the same routes I did on a motorcycle in a wrangler and see more and be more comfortable.
So I bought a jku and joined a jeep forum. Then I heard about people ‘overlanding’ in wranglers and thought that was in line with my adventure riding so I joined here.
All I wanted to do was go from 2 to 4 wheels, sleep in the vehicle in bear country for a change and carry a few more pots and pans and better food and coffee! This was a little overwhelming reading about all the rigs and money spent here. There are some great folks on here for sure but as has been stated in This thread there are very few stories and people who really overland get very little notice from most of the people here. I think it says something when Dan Grec??? Gets less views and likes on his build and the cool stuff he does in Oz and Taz then some dude glamping out of his Camry or whatever it is.

 

[eyemgh]

This is the truck that first got me interested in any kind of outdoor exploring. I still recall reading the magazine articles.



View attachment 712010

I think that's what I'm going to call what I do now...outdoor exploring. I like it! Our new rig is going to be very similar to the one above, just way more modernized.

 

[WeLikeCamping]

I'm not so much attached to the labels as I agree with the above. I've always been camping/exploring/"overlanding"/adventuring/off-roading/4-wheeling or just wheeling. I like this site because of the few that do post pictures of their adventures whether it's overlanding by description, activity or whatever. If you post an adventure with a link to your youtube site/video, I ignore it. Not interested. As with others, I only look at YouTube for educational stuff, like how to mix epoxy properly, or how to build/repair something that comes with confusing instructions.

Just my observations, but it seems like some people are totally into the expensive product side, all about being seen and not so much the action side. In the southwest, I see "bro-dozers" all the time and silently congratulate myself for being able to do pretty much anything they can do while driving a stock vehicle that I spend a fraction to maintain. If I cannot get there in my RAM, I've got a capable SxS that can. Oh, it's not blinged out either. I sleep comfortably in a tent or trailer, eat normal foods that can be cooked/served/consumed without titanium, disk griddles or a fancy kit. I laugh at RTT's. Conceptually a good idea, but not at all practical, especially for an old guy that has to pee several times a night

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I'm not so much attached to the labels as I agree with the above. I've always been camping/exploring/"overlanding"/adventuring/off-roading/4-wheeling or just wheeling. I like this site because of the few that do post pictures of their adventures whether it's overlanding by description, activity or whatever. If you post an adventure with a link to your youtube site/video, I ignore it. Not interested. As with others, I only look at YouTube for educational stuff, like how to mix epoxy properly, or how to build/repair something that comes with confusing instructions.

Just my observations, but it seems like some people are totally into the expensive product side, all about being seen and not so much the action side. In the southwest, I see "bro-dozers" all the time and silently congratulate myself for being able to do pretty much anything they can do while driving a stock vehicle that I spend a fraction to maintain. If I cannot get there in my RAM, I've got a capable SxS that can. Oh, it's not blinged out either. I sleep comfortably in a tent or trailer, eat normal foods that can be cooked/served/consumed without titanium, disk griddles or a fancy kit. I laugh at RTT's. Conceptually a good idea, but not at all practical, especially for an old guy that has to pee several times a night

Disk griddles…?