Is Overlanding Dead?

highboy4x4 said:
A recent MIT Media Lab study reported that “excessive reliance on AI-driven solutions” may contribute” to “cognitive atrophy” and shrinking of critical thinking abilities.

But I hold out the hope that my generation will be part of the resistance.
Click to expand...

the internet and "AI" is just like everything else...take the news for example: if I want info on how bad republicans are, I go to CNN...if I want to hear democrats are bad, I go to Fox news. if im feeling spiritual, there are countless religions that will tell me what I want to hear. just like AI...I specifically worded my question a certain way to get an answer that aligns with what I'm wanting to hear. AI uses algorithms, (just like Google, amazon, etc...) its merely pattern recognition. amazon has been doing it since the beginning where your searches are stored and analyzed and the pages of items are geared toward that info. I search Youtube for videos on camping and now every time I sign in, I get a home page of all outdoor related stuff followed by a stream of Amazon ads for tents. AI is pretty much like talking to a sociopath where they tell you what you want to hear based on their keen ability to cold read people and quickly see patterns that they can use to manipulate and exploit you. "AI" is still in its infancy as being a social norm, but that is how it works. resistance is good, but people need to understand how it works and why it works in order to better resist it. AI is promoted as being this neutral fact based super intelligence that has the right answer for everything. AI is being controlled and for me, anything that can be controlled cant be trusted...
I used Google AI on another thread on here about the Battle Born lithium batteries causing a fire. The AI answer was that it is perfectly safe to store said battery next to a propane tank in an enclosed space. Really?
as my earlier Google search, it went along with my premise that "overlanding" is a marketing ploy. now I ask Google AI if "overlanding" is misunderstood and it gives answers geared toward that and immediately has a search link about 'In defense of Overlanding'. is it a ploy or does it need to be defended? OR is it telling me what it thinks I want to hear so that I will rely on it more and more?

1766432578440.png

like I said, I'm a Gen X that has been self reliant all my life and is now cynical and sarcastic. I've been to the puppet show and I've seen the strings. Now I pretty much resist everything...if I do delve into social media, AI, or anything of that nature, its usually just for my amusement :grinning:

but yeah, a lot of folk rely solely on it and have definitely developed cognitive atrophy. hopefully most will see it as the BS it actually is and will start reading books or simply go outside and develop some skills other than fast thumbs clicking a phone screen...

concerning overlanding...I'm expecting to see it rise again when people get fed up with all the politics and AI and just overall overloaded with everything. the solace of nature is healing and redeeming and that will never die
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CR-Venturer and Kent R
highboy4x4 said:
A recent MIT Media Lab study reported that “excessive reliance on AI-driven solutions” may contribute” to “cognitive atrophy” and shrinking of critical thinking abilities.

But I hold out the hope that my generation will be part of the resistance.
Click to expand...

Can confirm AI is making people dumber, or at least much lazier, as so many people post up AI summaries as factual answers to technical questions/specs when in reality the info is quite often very incorrect but they couldn't be bothered to confirm the info before sharing it.

I've used AI to help design some PowerPoint slides, but beyond that I've mainly used it for entertainment. It's fun to get it to do things that it says it cannot do, most recently I've had it create 2 images depicting exactly what I asked it to create when initially it refused due to being unable to create images that contain "dangerous situations" or "public figures." Can't wait for the AI bubble to burst.

As for overlanding being dead, I would say it definitely isn't dead yet as I live in one of the most popular overlanding areas in the country and it's still full of vans, trucks and SUVs with RTTs, etc. The forums are definitely dying, I was surprised when I came back here recently and there were like 4 members online and hardly any activity in threads daily. I admin a couple of forums (one that's a little larger than OB) and have noticed a decline in activity there as well, it's a vehicle-specific forum not related to overlanding. Not sure if it's a change in medium with people starting to use Reddit and such more than traditional forums or what. But, based on what I see out on the road and on the forums, I feel like the overlanding bubble has burst and it's shrinking back to its normal niche activity rather than being an activity the pandemic pushed a lot of people into.

I have no plans to stop overlanding, though this past year I haven't done any due to moving and getting settled in.
 
grubworm said:
the internet and "AI" is just like everything else...take the news for example: if I want info on how bad republicans are, I go to CNN...if I want to hear democrats are bad, I go to Fox news. if im feeling spiritual, there are countless religions that will tell me what I want to hear. just like AI...I specifically worded my question a certain way to get an answer that aligns with what I'm wanting to hear. AI uses algorithms, (just like Google, amazon, etc...) its merely pattern recognition. amazon has been doing it since the beginning where your searches are stored and analyzed and the pages of items are geared toward that info. I search Youtube for videos on camping and now every time I sign in, I get a home page of all outdoor related stuff followed by a stream of Amazon ads for tents. AI is pretty much like talking to a sociopath where they tell you what you want to hear based on their keen ability to cold read people and quickly see patterns that they can use to manipulate and exploit you. "AI" is still in its infancy as being a social norm, but that is how it works. resistance is good, but people need to understand how it works and why it works in order to better resist it. AI is promoted as being this neutral fact based super intelligence that has the right answer for everything. AI is being controlled and for me, anything that can be controlled cant be trusted...
I used Google AI on another thread on here about the Battle Born lithium batteries causing a fire. The AI answer was that it is perfectly safe to store said battery next to a propane tank in an enclosed space. Really?
as my earlier Google search, it went along with my premise that "overlanding" is a marketing ploy. now I ask Google AI if "overlanding" is misunderstood and it gives answers geared toward that and immediately has a search link about 'In defense of Overlanding'. is it a ploy or does it need to be defended? OR is it telling me what it thinks I want to hear so that I will rely on it more and more?

View attachment 296900

like I said, I'm a Gen X that has been self reliant all my life and is now cynical and sarcastic. I've been to the puppet show and I've seen the strings. Now I pretty much resist everything...if I do delve into social media, AI, or anything of that nature, its usually just for my amusement :grinning:

but yeah, a lot of folk rely solely on it and have definitely developed cognitive atrophy. hopefully most will see it as the BS it actually is and will start reading books or simply go outside and develop some skills other than fast thumbs clicking a phone screen...

concerning overlanding...I'm expecting to see it rise again when people get fed up with all the politics and AI and just overall overloaded with everything. the solace of nature is healing and redeeming and that will never die
Click to expand...
An interesting couple of things, as I have been played with AI to write a story with limited information. Yuck- it was so thick with saccharine I barfed, then laughed because it sounded so stupid and melodramatic. I’ll never use AI for story telling, and now it’s easy to spot content creators that do. Really? How is it possible that each and every place you visit is “life changingly beautiful” ? In real life? A handful of places in North America are life changing. I’ve actually been to two of them. But life changing, is in the eye of the beholder. The other? As an experiment I wrote a very short story and I asked AI to make it better. AI changed one adjective, which was, once again, saccharin sweetness, yuk. Here is what I got when I asked AI for a cartoon of a pop up camper, but thats it. Finally, I fed information about our travel plans for 2026, overlanding, wild camping, with the occasional state or national parks, staying away from cities, interstates and major highways, primarily using dirt, gravel & country roads. All while avoiding cold weather, chasing temps between 45 & 80 & ending at the Arctic Ocean in the NWT around mid August and departing mid September, dropping south and being back in Rhode Island by mid December. AI completely omitted Texas. Completely omitted the Four Corners region, the AZ strip, Death Valley, lake Sinclair, the UP etc. What’s nice is, there are many that will use AI for traveling and they will be on major roadways, major destinations and tourist traps!! Merry Christmas Everybody 1766442919077.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: grubworm, Kent R and Sparksalot
MiamiC70 said:
Click to expand...
yeah, lots of truth in that video. it also goes for everything else in our lives....I've wood worked most of my life and there are millions of woodworking gadgets that sell like crazy but are really not necessary and many are bought, but then never used. I have some. same as cooking. how many expensive cooking tools and gadgets do people buy that they don't need.
I'm telling you, advertising companies are geniuses when it comes to hacking our emotions in order to get us to buy products. just look at how crazy weddings are now...$30,000 for a venue that lasts one night for a marriage that doesn't last as long as a set of KO3s.

this video should make us think about everything else in our lives that we buy but don't really need
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparksalot and MiamiC70
Is Overlanding Dead?

overlanding isn't dead...but a little part of me dies every time I see stuff like this...:neutral:

1766692344545.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: rgallant
MOAK said:
Saw this vid awhile ago- the dude is hilariously spot on.
Click to expand...

Except for the lockers part.


And he beats that car. There's no way I'm putting my family in that thing for a cross country drive without a ton of time on a garages lift.
 
MidOH said:
Except for the lockers part.


And he beats that car. There's no way I'm putting my family in that thing for a cross country drive without a ton of time on a garages lift.
Click to expand...
Ya, when we had the LC, never beat on it. I’d rather break out the winch to use as a helper than depend on momentum. Beating that LX? He has more money than brains. But he is funny as shit!
 
True dat.

Momentum is only or tool on flat ice or snow, never rocks and bumps. It's 1000miles home. Price that AAA tow bill.

But he's dead on about most other things.
 
really love this thread and I've posted on it numerous times because I find it very interesting how this one question can reflect so much on everyday people and society as a whole...

"overlanding" is just like everything else. I just saw how it compares to sourdough bread...

people have been making and eating sour dough bread for thousands of years. its not as common as other breads because it takes a lot more time, effort and expertise to make and do right. it also requires specific tools and ingredients outside of the norm. (that omits a lot of people right there from being involved with it)
traveling is also time consuming and requires specific tools and equipment and additional knowledge outside of the normal daily routine we have. at some point, traveling and sour dough bread get a resurgence of attention and everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. my wife is one of those...sourdough bread making is now a thing again and many people are doing it for fun, for health reasons, etc.
she is extremely talented and a remarkable cook along with being an artist and very good at making things from scratch. just like I did with "overlanding", she did the same with sour dough bread making. we were familiar with them both and once our interest was peaked enough, we both bought the necessary equipment and started pouring over any and all information concerning the new endeavor and eventually joined a social group to better learn and share our new found passion...

I found with overlanding, an initial interest newly shared by many by evidence of new social media devoted to the hobby along with a huge shift in marketing and development with an entire industry jumping on the bandwagon. initially, people are excited and thirsty for information and wanting to consume all they can on it. people are now engaging each other and are excited and happy to find others with the same interest. once people got really invested in it, they started changing their behavior. after a while, some people became "gatekeepers" where they had special knowledge on the subject and were offended when "new" people showed up with any information or ideas different from theirs. arguments soon emerged and people passionate about the topic would bash others for having different experiences or views. soon after that, liberals appeared on the scene and immediately started virtue signaling by pointing out how bad people are, how irresponsible they are for engaging in the hobby the way they have and they try their best to shame and ridicule those involved. quite a few of the new hobbyists drop off quickly due to short attention span, general lack of interest after the initial hype and a myriad of other reasons just as fickle as their reasons for getting involved in the first place. general interest waxes and wanes as many enthusiasts have dropped off or gone silent. some are still interested, but have retreated from the social media side of it due to people being so divided and less enjoyable to be around.

my wife has experienced the same with sour dough bread making, as well as many other things involving people. she has curly hair and was looking online for information on products that are best for curly hair. there are of course, many social media groups dedicated to curly hair and she joined one in order to learn and share experiences with different products, etc. even that succumbed to people "gatekeeping" and arguing and causing problems. even had the liberal element get involved telling everyone how horrible and irresponsible they are for using products for curly hair that are destroying the planet, etc. eventually that site died off and those members just slowly disappeared.

so I don't think that anything "dies"...BUT, once people get involved, it will turn into something that is no longer enjoyable...at least from the social aspect of it. no matter what...traveling, baking sour dough bread, having curly hair...whatever the case may be, it will be fun and enjoyable until enough people get involved and then it will go back to being a non-social thing that will still be enjoyed, but only on an individual or very small select group basis...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tommys and MiamiC70
Very well put.
The group with more time/experience becoming angry and lashing out at new people is spot on. No matter what is is, people tend to develop an ownership and become "protective" with what they think is theirs. They refuse to share. I believe part of this is new people not doing things "correctly" out of ignorance or lack of caring. Now we have the mindset of "their ruining the sport!" Over my lifetime I have way too many examples of this.
Next add in social media. People with barely a clue advising new people then bashing people who either have the knowledge or just a diffrent opinion. Then there's the U-Tube crowd. Help videos based on sponsorship not actual experience. I got to the point of not being able to watch some of them, including ones that had huge followings.

One thing that OB did was the meetups. Fantastic idea. It got people together. This is how I found the group I run with now. The down side was, some of the people only became in charge of the groups for the notoriety. I went to several meetups where there were fifty to a hundred people. Almost the entire crowd being new and excited to go out and try their new found hobby.
One meetup, I asked the guy in charge what he had planned for trips, his response was "I don't plan trips, you have to do that your selves". The group fell apart with no leadership. Another similar one, I offered to set up some runs, only to have the guy in charge become angry because he felt I was taking away his group.
It only took me three years and five groups to find the one I run with now.

Again, very well put. This hobby has been my passion for my entire life. I've watched become a fad every now and then. In the past, communication was monthly meetings and newsletters. Then came forums and now social media. I think social media made this last fad explode then implode.
Now it seems to be back to where it was before the fad started and we got new evolved gear out of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tommys
grubworm said:
really love this thread and I've posted on it numerous times because I find it very interesting how this one question can reflect so much on everyday people and society as a whole...

"overlanding" is just like everything else. I just saw how it compares to sourdough bread...

people have been making and eating sour dough bread for thousands of years. its not as common as other breads because it takes a lot more time, effort and expertise to make and do right. it also requires specific tools and ingredients outside of the norm. (that omits a lot of people right there from being involved with it)
traveling is also time consuming and requires specific tools and equipment and additional knowledge outside of the normal daily routine we have. at some point, traveling and sour dough bread get a resurgence of attention and everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. my wife is one of those...sourdough bread making is now a thing again and many people are doing it for fun, for health reasons, etc.
she is extremely talented and a remarkable cook along with being an artist and very good at making things from scratch. just like I did with "overlanding", she did the same with sour dough bread making. we were familiar with them both and once our interest was peaked enough, we both bought the necessary equipment and started pouring over any and all information concerning the new endeavor and eventually joined a social group to better learn and share our new found passion...

I found with overlanding, an initial interest newly shared by many by evidence of new social media devoted to the hobby along with a huge shift in marketing and development with an entire industry jumping on the bandwagon. initially, people are excited and thirsty for information and wanting to consume all they can on it. people are now engaging each other and are excited and happy to find others with the same interest. once people got really invested in it, they started changing their behavior. after a while, some people became "gatekeepers" where they had special knowledge on the subject and were offended when "new" people showed up with any information or ideas different from theirs. arguments soon emerged and people passionate about the topic would bash others for having different experiences or views. soon after that, liberals appeared on the scene and immediately started virtue signaling by pointing out how bad people are, how irresponsible they are for engaging in the hobby the way they have and they try their best to shame and ridicule those involved. quite a few of the new hobbyists drop off quickly due to short attention span, general lack of interest after the initial hype and a myriad of other reasons just as fickle as their reasons for getting involved in the first place. general interest waxes and wanes as many enthusiasts have dropped off or gone silent. some are still interested, but have retreated from the social media side of it due to people being so divided and less enjoyable to be around.

my wife has experienced the same with sour dough bread making, as well as many other things involving people. she has curly hair and was looking online for information on products that are best for curly hair. there are of course, many social media groups dedicated to curly hair and she joined one in order to learn and share experiences with different products, etc. even that succumbed to people "gatekeeping" and arguing and causing problems. even had the liberal element get involved telling everyone how horrible and irresponsible they are for using products for curly hair that are destroying the planet, etc. eventually that site died off and those members just slowly disappeared.

so I don't think that anything "dies"...BUT, once people get involved, it will turn into something that is no longer enjoyable...at least from the social aspect of it. no matter what...traveling, baking sour dough bread, having curly hair...whatever the case may be, it will be fun and enjoyable until enough people get involved and then it will go back to being a non-social thing that will still be enjoyed, but only on an individual or very small select group basis...
Click to expand...

The gatekeeping and elitism you mentioned is one of the reasons why I was drawn to OB in the first place, namely that it is almost non-existent here. When your motto is explicitly "it doesn't matter what you drive" and "adventure is necessary," it leaves little room for such silliness.

I'm in the "ghettoverlanding" crowd of people with ultra cheap setups (mostly) and I don't see the hostility going the other way either - I love the guys showing off their 150k rigs on here because it gives me great ideas I can try to replicate on a shoestring budget. Basically I get to benefit from big gear companies R&D budgets for free.

Maybe someday I'll have more money to put toward the pursuit of overlanding, but with 7 kids and me being the sole breadwinner in a country that's being deliberately sabotaged economically by its own government (Canada; not starting a political discussion, but it's just an objective fact at this point) it won't be anytime soon.

But that's okay, because the memories I've made doing trips solo or with my various kids are priceless. A friend of mine once remarked about an amazing trip I did with my eldest daughter that it would be a core memory for her, and it's true. She'll never forget that adventure, and neither will I.

That's why overlanding will never die, despite the vagaries of social media and pop culture.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rgallant
grubworm said:
really love this thread and I've posted on it numerous times because I find it very interesting how this one question can reflect so much on everyday people and society as a whole...

"overlanding" is just like everything else. I just saw how it compares to sourdough bread...

people have been making and eating sour dough bread for thousands of years. its not as common as other breads because it takes a lot more time, effort and expertise to make and do right. it also requires specific tools and ingredients outside of the norm. (that omits a lot of people right there from being involved with it)
traveling is also time consuming and requires specific tools and equipment and additional knowledge outside of the normal daily routine we have. at some point, traveling and sour dough bread get a resurgence of attention and everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. my wife is one of those...sourdough bread making is now a thing again and many people are doing it for fun, for health reasons, etc.
she is extremely talented and a remarkable cook along with being an artist and very good at making things from scratch. just like I did with "overlanding", she did the same with sour dough bread making. we were familiar with them both and once our interest was peaked enough, we both bought the necessary equipment and started pouring over any and all information concerning the new endeavor and eventually joined a social group to better learn and share our new found passion...

I found with overlanding, an initial interest newly shared by many by evidence of new social media devoted to the hobby along with a huge shift in marketing and development with an entire industry jumping on the bandwagon. initially, people are excited and thirsty for information and wanting to consume all they can on it. people are now engaging each other and are excited and happy to find others with the same interest. once people got really invested in it, they started changing their behavior. after a while, some people became "gatekeepers" where they had special knowledge on the subject and were offended when "new" people showed up with any information or ideas different from theirs. arguments soon emerged and people passionate about the topic would bash others for having different experiences or views. soon after that, liberals appeared on the scene and immediately started virtue signaling by pointing out how bad people are, how irresponsible they are for engaging in the hobby the way they have and they try their best to shame and ridicule those involved. quite a few of the new hobbyists drop off quickly due to short attention span, general lack of interest after the initial hype and a myriad of other reasons just as fickle as their reasons for getting involved in the first place. general interest waxes and wanes as many enthusiasts have dropped off or gone silent. some are still interested, but have retreated from the social media side of it due to people being so divided and less enjoyable to be around.

my wife has experienced the same with sour dough bread making, as well as many other things involving people. she has curly hair and was looking online for information on products that are best for curly hair. there are of course, many social media groups dedicated to curly hair and she joined one in order to learn and share experiences with different products, etc. even that succumbed to people "gatekeeping" and arguing and causing problems. even had the liberal element get involved telling everyone how horrible and irresponsible they are for using products for curly hair that are destroying the planet, etc. eventually that site died off and those members just slowly disappeared.

so I don't think that anything "dies"...BUT, once people get involved, it will turn into something that is no longer enjoyable...at least from the social aspect of it. no matter what...traveling, baking sour dough bread, having curly hair...whatever the case may be, it will be fun and enjoyable until enough people get involved and then it will go back to being a non-social thing that will still be enjoyed, but only on an individual or very small select group basis...
Click to expand...

Mmmm. Sourdough...
And REAL Pumpernickel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom