WeLikeCamping
Explorer
Isn't the name tm'd by now? Another one is that stupid canvas trashbag some attach. Construction grade trash bag works for me, even though it doesn't have woven ostrich-skin handles.
The Status of Overlanding Today
- Thread starter JCliftonB
- Start date
This is a STERN language warning. I'm not warning folks anymore. The amount of reported posts is ridiculous. When you signed up to participate here, you agreed to a terms of use that states you'll only use family friendly language both literally or implied. If you cannot participate by the rules and use a gentleman's decorum, I'll simply be handing out 2 week vacations from expedition portal. Sorry if that comes across as hard, but we're adults folks.
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
SFP
Member
I am appreciating what everyone has to say on this thread. Just putting that out there for starters.
I don't claim to be an overlander, I'm an outdoor explorer. I grew up like many watching real overlanding documentaries and reading books and the bug has been with me my entire life.
Will I ever own one of these modern $100,000.xx rigs - doubt it. Will I ever head out on a three to six to twelve month journey - I sincerely hope so. I'd love to drive down to Chile one day. I'd love to drive across Russia. I'd love to explore Australia and New Zealand one day.
A long time ago I started a project I call Pacific Northwest Traveller - the idea was simply to share my experiences and photos with others. Yes it has a YouTube channel (no content), yes it has an IG profile (not much content), heck I even own a domain for it. The biggest part of the project would be the Facebook page for it, and that is mostly me sharing gear reviews, locations write ups, and as a means for my friends and myself to share knowledge.
The amount of work to do what I would consider a real YouTube channel is just something I don't have the time or desire to focus on at this point in my life. I'd rather document my trips be them short camping trips or a day exploring the back country. Do I recommend products, from time to time yes - I research and read reviews an first hand experience on 99% of the gear I buy and I appreciate those who take the time to do so. Do I want sponsorship - no. Would it help, yes and no as I have a business to run so I steal time to get out there when I can. I look at a lot of these channels and the first question is, How do they Fund it? Trustfund babies? Maybe? Sold a tech company and checked out to explore the world? Maybe. Took the leap and just went for it (I tend to like those ones - real people in real rigs making the best of it).
I do work as a journalist in the music industry as well as a project that focuses on poverty, food security, youth at risk, etc. It takes a lot of work. From interviews, to travel to get to gigs, etc. It also costs money to do my job - computers, hard drives, camera bodies, lenses, lighting equipment, etc. Those costs are factored into my business. Would sponsorship from Nikon be nice? Oh yeah. But if Canon or Sony offered it to me I would honestly turn them down. Why, because I am a Nikon person. I do however shoot and work with gear from Canon, Sony, Leica, etc. But I have always been a person who backs the product I love over the deal or giveaway.
So I can appreciate that amount of work that goes into some of these channels. Do I watch them? From time to time when I am board, or looking for inspiration. Most of my YouTube viewing is music or like many here, How To videos.
My goal with PNWT was to showcase the beauty of where I live and the areas I like to travel to. It's not about my rig(s), not about my gear, it's about the journey, the vibe and hopefully some stunning photos to showcase the natural wonder and beauty of the places I visit. But that is not Overlanding and I know it.
I am also not an "influancer" and I know that as well. I am too old, not sexy enough, not driving fancy enough rigs, not hitting exotic enough locals. Again that is totally fine by me.
I love this site and the forum not for the million dollar builds (although I do enjoy a good build thread), but because I enjoy reading about other people do things I'd like to do, or one day plan to do. I do enjoy the formal gear reviews. I also enjoy watching the DIY builds people do from everything from home-made campers to DIY solutions for those of us who can't afford a $1000.00 roll up table. I appreciate the real world feedback from users of the site.
Has Overlanding changed? For sure. It's now a buzzword corporations use to advertise. Its become a fad - just like Burning Man and free-ride mountain biking. Do I care if people mis-use the word, honestly not really. Will I correct them? From time to time yeah. As with Burning Man things have evolved. These days you can order a plug-n-play camp, fly into Nevada, book a ride, and stay in a fully furnished camp in a modern RV - is that the real burning man experience? To the people who started it twenty years ago, no, but it is what Burning Man is to a bunch of "new people" who now go. (FYI have never been to BM and don't plan on it - its not my scene)
I love to camp.
I love to explore the back country.
I love adventure.
I love to get away from it all and ideally away from other people (minus those I invite along).
I love to spend time in 4 low on mountain trails.
I love to see places few people will ever experience first hand.
And one day I hope to what I would call, a real overland trip.
I don't claim to be an overlander, I'm an outdoor explorer. I grew up like many watching real overlanding documentaries and reading books and the bug has been with me my entire life.
Will I ever own one of these modern $100,000.xx rigs - doubt it. Will I ever head out on a three to six to twelve month journey - I sincerely hope so. I'd love to drive down to Chile one day. I'd love to drive across Russia. I'd love to explore Australia and New Zealand one day.
A long time ago I started a project I call Pacific Northwest Traveller - the idea was simply to share my experiences and photos with others. Yes it has a YouTube channel (no content), yes it has an IG profile (not much content), heck I even own a domain for it. The biggest part of the project would be the Facebook page for it, and that is mostly me sharing gear reviews, locations write ups, and as a means for my friends and myself to share knowledge.
The amount of work to do what I would consider a real YouTube channel is just something I don't have the time or desire to focus on at this point in my life. I'd rather document my trips be them short camping trips or a day exploring the back country. Do I recommend products, from time to time yes - I research and read reviews an first hand experience on 99% of the gear I buy and I appreciate those who take the time to do so. Do I want sponsorship - no. Would it help, yes and no as I have a business to run so I steal time to get out there when I can. I look at a lot of these channels and the first question is, How do they Fund it? Trustfund babies? Maybe? Sold a tech company and checked out to explore the world? Maybe. Took the leap and just went for it (I tend to like those ones - real people in real rigs making the best of it).
I do work as a journalist in the music industry as well as a project that focuses on poverty, food security, youth at risk, etc. It takes a lot of work. From interviews, to travel to get to gigs, etc. It also costs money to do my job - computers, hard drives, camera bodies, lenses, lighting equipment, etc. Those costs are factored into my business. Would sponsorship from Nikon be nice? Oh yeah. But if Canon or Sony offered it to me I would honestly turn them down. Why, because I am a Nikon person. I do however shoot and work with gear from Canon, Sony, Leica, etc. But I have always been a person who backs the product I love over the deal or giveaway.
So I can appreciate that amount of work that goes into some of these channels. Do I watch them? From time to time when I am board, or looking for inspiration. Most of my YouTube viewing is music or like many here, How To videos.
My goal with PNWT was to showcase the beauty of where I live and the areas I like to travel to. It's not about my rig(s), not about my gear, it's about the journey, the vibe and hopefully some stunning photos to showcase the natural wonder and beauty of the places I visit. But that is not Overlanding and I know it.
I am also not an "influancer" and I know that as well. I am too old, not sexy enough, not driving fancy enough rigs, not hitting exotic enough locals. Again that is totally fine by me.
I love this site and the forum not for the million dollar builds (although I do enjoy a good build thread), but because I enjoy reading about other people do things I'd like to do, or one day plan to do. I do enjoy the formal gear reviews. I also enjoy watching the DIY builds people do from everything from home-made campers to DIY solutions for those of us who can't afford a $1000.00 roll up table. I appreciate the real world feedback from users of the site.
Has Overlanding changed? For sure. It's now a buzzword corporations use to advertise. Its become a fad - just like Burning Man and free-ride mountain biking. Do I care if people mis-use the word, honestly not really. Will I correct them? From time to time yeah. As with Burning Man things have evolved. These days you can order a plug-n-play camp, fly into Nevada, book a ride, and stay in a fully furnished camp in a modern RV - is that the real burning man experience? To the people who started it twenty years ago, no, but it is what Burning Man is to a bunch of "new people" who now go. (FYI have never been to BM and don't plan on it - its not my scene)
I love to camp.
I love to explore the back country.
I love adventure.
I love to get away from it all and ideally away from other people (minus those I invite along).
I love to spend time in 4 low on mountain trails.
I love to see places few people will ever experience first hand.
And one day I hope to what I would call, a real overland trip.
Anti-lander
Member
Where is the cursing you keep saying is happening? Maybe pm that person. Or actually call em out for it rather than try punishing everyone with the nanny state language. By the theme of the thread I think you may need to worry more about people leaving on their own accord.
Don't be a Jim sog from overland bound
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Anti-lander
Member
You mean you don't want to spend thousands of dollars just to eat a sandwich on a dirt rd? It's everyone that associates with overlanding on YouTube that does that, at the half way point you can bet they will be cooking some hot trash on an old tractor disc blade then show their camp setup like that matters too, just to go back to driving on some flat ground and call it a trail even though it is a national park forrest acces rd. Not exciting nor interesting!
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Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
With skottles?
AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
I sincerely appreciate the tireless efforts made by the mods to keep this forum running smoothly, and agree we should keep our eyes on using family appropriate language … but this warning truly confuses me. Did it perhaps get mis-posted here and was actually targeting a different thread?
I ask because I just reviewed the last 4 pages of this discussion (7 pages to whine about the use of one term? Really?), and found only one word in those thousands used that was asterisked!
I did see one use (un-asterisked) of a word that sounds very similar to the word one commonly uses to describe that huge cement structure designed to impound free flowing water (so I guess it is ok to still use that). But you see, that’s why this stuff can be confusing.
So, in an attempt to assist the mods, and more importantly also help members not get their accounts frozen, here is a partial list of the words thou shall not use:
******,
***********,
****,
*** ******,
*******,
** ****** ****
and especially
*****!!!
I’ll try to add more as I discover them in threads here. Please feel free to add suspicious words whose use you’re concerned about.
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NOPEC
Well-known member
It may not be dripping in irony but,
I do find it fun that this discussion about using bad language includes the word STERN .........
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Niks
Member
I remember the days when my family and I travelled all around pre EU Europe when I was young. Car headlights painted yellow (it was a requirement in France), roofrack loaded and boot packed, food, maps and cassette tapes organised, it was the ultimate sign of going on an adventure or roadtrip. The biggest thrill was when we arrived in Dover to catch the Ferry to Calais in France. The moment you arrived in Dover, you saw all those P&O ferries lined up on the docks, all the cars and lorries parked up in organised rows waiting for the announcement over the Tannoy to say it was time to board, now you knew the aventure had begun! The moment we drove off the ferry, the excitement of being in France was immense!
Those days hold a very special memory because every European country had a border with real border passport check crossing. It gave an immense buzz because it was the whole experience of entering another country. Then my parents would rummage through the glovebox getting out the carefully organised currencies to which ever country we drove into: French Francs, Deutch Marks, Swiss Francs, Italian Lira, Spanish Peseto, Portuguese Escudo, etc! My mother would be navigating by reading a huge map and highlighting the roads or motorways we just drove on with a pink highlighter. My father would put on his sunglasses, recline the seat back a little, take route instructions from my mother, we would just cruise those motorways, playing those cassette tapes and wave to any other British car we came across! The police in some countries however, they liked to pull over British tourists to do a full vehicle and document check, then make up some random excuse to fine you - corruption and bribery at its best! It was surreal when we drove into different towns and cities because of the looks we would get, for the locals it was surprising to see a UK number plate car! You knew you were in France because everybody drove either a Renault or a Citroen. In Germany it was Mercedes and VW's, Italy was Fiats and Alfa Romeo's and so on. The nationals had a lot of pride for cars from their own country.
The best part was learning the different languages and engaging with the locals as many spoke very little English. The real fun was when we somehow got lost in Bulgaria and trying to converse directions with a local who spoke a complete random language, not knowing if we were making sense or not, resoring to playing pictogram by drawing a motorway, food on a plate (restaurant) or a bed (hotel) ended up being a reoccuring theme! Italy was the best as all I ever saw was locals giving full time hand gestures at everyone or anyone, very passionate people!
Mobile phones were non existent, people taking selfies were non existent, youtube vloggers were non existent...those were the days! It was all about that Pentax SLR camera my father had and a box full of Kodak camera roll's. Everything just felt so authentic back then compared to now.
Those days hold a very special memory because every European country had a border with real border passport check crossing. It gave an immense buzz because it was the whole experience of entering another country. Then my parents would rummage through the glovebox getting out the carefully organised currencies to which ever country we drove into: French Francs, Deutch Marks, Swiss Francs, Italian Lira, Spanish Peseto, Portuguese Escudo, etc! My mother would be navigating by reading a huge map and highlighting the roads or motorways we just drove on with a pink highlighter. My father would put on his sunglasses, recline the seat back a little, take route instructions from my mother, we would just cruise those motorways, playing those cassette tapes and wave to any other British car we came across! The police in some countries however, they liked to pull over British tourists to do a full vehicle and document check, then make up some random excuse to fine you - corruption and bribery at its best! It was surreal when we drove into different towns and cities because of the looks we would get, for the locals it was surprising to see a UK number plate car! You knew you were in France because everybody drove either a Renault or a Citroen. In Germany it was Mercedes and VW's, Italy was Fiats and Alfa Romeo's and so on. The nationals had a lot of pride for cars from their own country.
The best part was learning the different languages and engaging with the locals as many spoke very little English. The real fun was when we somehow got lost in Bulgaria and trying to converse directions with a local who spoke a complete random language, not knowing if we were making sense or not, resoring to playing pictogram by drawing a motorway, food on a plate (restaurant) or a bed (hotel) ended up being a reoccuring theme! Italy was the best as all I ever saw was locals giving full time hand gestures at everyone or anyone, very passionate people!
Mobile phones were non existent, people taking selfies were non existent, youtube vloggers were non existent...those were the days! It was all about that Pentax SLR camera my father had and a box full of Kodak camera roll's. Everything just felt so authentic back then compared to now.
The language was removed and there were individual messages sent. But to be clear. I'm the admin here and am charged to keep the decorum and hold all members (including you) to the Terms of Use you agreed to when you signed up to participate. To be further clear, this isn't a Nanny state. If everyone holds to their end of the agreement, I wouldn't have to say anything. Please remember this is a privately owned public forum. Just like if you had a party at your house and we had a posted list of rules, you're bound to them. Thanks -
rydz
Member
Hey Niks,
I remember these sorts of trip as well, but we were over here already in Canada, and my Dad would load up the 66 Galaxie or the 71 Impala with mom,dad, 2 kids and all the remaining Grandparents (always with a 2 door hardtop) jam the massive trunks with everything we would need,coolers,pots and pans ect and off we would go to New Jersey or the East coast of Canada for a couple of weeks camping. The car would always have a major fit in some sort of way on the way,and Dad would figure out how to get the old beasts moving again.
It was always magic, and it was always fun!
When I was a newborn in Portugal, my Mom would head to the campround in the Algarve for the entire summer and my dad would take the train down from lisbon for the weekend,then head back on Monday morning. I am told I took my first steps in that Campground.
I did the same with my Kids, we "overlanded" with an Econoline and a Bonair pop up to the east coast every year,beach time was important !!! We later bought a 25ft Tag along, the 6 cyl Econoline struggled with that, but it just took a little longer to get there.
Now the kids are basically all grown up,married,moved away ect. So I get to try to plan our new lives.
Next week I am shipping a 1992 4 Runner to the UK, and taking 4 weeks to drive it down to Portugal, when time and the borders permit, the next step is into Morocco and Mauretania ,see the desert and experience the Sahara for real (something I have wanted to do since I can remember)
My little truck has no lift, no fancy remote reservoir shocks,just good new tires and an Amazon fold up mattress to sleep in the back,No fridge,nothing fancy at all. The only "modification" I did was putting Lok rites, both front and back, main reason is, I once wrecked a 4 runner due to do leaking vacuum hose in the front diff actuator,so I know first hand that a 1 wheel drive 4 Runner is pointless and scary .
I will be taking the road less travelled, no autoroutes or Highways and hope to explore a good chunk of the interesting dirt roads all through the Pyrenees in Spain and then the tracks in Portugal.
Ill report back if that was "overlanding" or not .
Paulo
I remember these sorts of trip as well, but we were over here already in Canada, and my Dad would load up the 66 Galaxie or the 71 Impala with mom,dad, 2 kids and all the remaining Grandparents (always with a 2 door hardtop) jam the massive trunks with everything we would need,coolers,pots and pans ect and off we would go to New Jersey or the East coast of Canada for a couple of weeks camping. The car would always have a major fit in some sort of way on the way,and Dad would figure out how to get the old beasts moving again.
It was always magic, and it was always fun!
When I was a newborn in Portugal, my Mom would head to the campround in the Algarve for the entire summer and my dad would take the train down from lisbon for the weekend,then head back on Monday morning. I am told I took my first steps in that Campground.
I did the same with my Kids, we "overlanded" with an Econoline and a Bonair pop up to the east coast every year,beach time was important !!! We later bought a 25ft Tag along, the 6 cyl Econoline struggled with that, but it just took a little longer to get there.
Now the kids are basically all grown up,married,moved away ect. So I get to try to plan our new lives.
Next week I am shipping a 1992 4 Runner to the UK, and taking 4 weeks to drive it down to Portugal, when time and the borders permit, the next step is into Morocco and Mauretania ,see the desert and experience the Sahara for real (something I have wanted to do since I can remember)
My little truck has no lift, no fancy remote reservoir shocks,just good new tires and an Amazon fold up mattress to sleep in the back,No fridge,nothing fancy at all. The only "modification" I did was putting Lok rites, both front and back, main reason is, I once wrecked a 4 runner due to do leaking vacuum hose in the front diff actuator,so I know first hand that a 1 wheel drive 4 Runner is pointless and scary .
I will be taking the road less travelled, no autoroutes or Highways and hope to explore a good chunk of the interesting dirt roads all through the Pyrenees in Spain and then the tracks in Portugal.
Ill report back if that was "overlanding" or not .
Paulo