So You Wanna Be an Overlander

[Veggie Man]

So, you want to be an overlander? You’ve been watching some awesome YouTube videos ::cough:: Michael and are excited. The possibility of getting off the couch, away from the house, and going overlanding entices you. But, where do you start? Nature calls and you want to answer! Right about now is when reality kicks in. You don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a fully outfitted rig. Not to worry. One key thing we all have in common is that we will drive as far as our rig will take us before we are:

a) satisfied with our journey
b) upgrade our rig
c) buy a bigger rig
or
d) discover that no matter what rig we have that lake or mountain is too much to overcome.

With that said, it does not matter what you load up and take off in or on be it a unicycle, motorcycle, car, van, or well outfitted 4X4. (much respect if you’re on the unicycle. Just sayin’…) Load up and go. Grab some food, some clothes, and a few safety items and take off! Drive a back road until you come to a place that you cannot overcome in your Honda Civic and set up camp. Build a fire and be one with nature. Enjoy that starry night and crackling fire. Crack open that beer (or sparkling Chilean spring water) and relax. Maybe get to know your neighbors.

Some of the basics are simple. All you need is transportation, weather appropriate clothing, food and a way to prepare it, water, and basic safety gear. If this means a Honda with a cooler, change of clothes, some matches to start a fire, and a first aid kit you have at least enough to get started.

 

[Polaris Overland]

So, you want to be an overlander? You’ve been watching some awesome YouTube videos ::cough:: Michael and are excited. The possibility of getting off the couch, away from the house, and going overlanding entices you. But, where do you start? Nature calls and you want to answer! Right about now is when reality kicks in. You don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a fully outfitted rig. Not to worry. One key thing we all have in common is that we will drive as far as our rig will take us before we are:

a) satisfied with our journey
b) upgrade our rig
c) buy a bigger rig
or
d) discover that no matter what rig we have that lake or mountain is too much to overcome.

With that said, it does not matter what you load up and take off in or on be it a unicycle, motorcycle, car, van, or well outfitted 4X4. (much respect if you’re on the unicycle. Just sayin’…) Load up and go. Grab some food, some clothes, and a few safety items and take off! Drive a back road until you come to a place that you cannot overcome in your Honda Civic and set up camp. Build a fire and be one with nature. Enjoy that starry night and crackling fire. Crack open that beer (or sparkling Chilean spring water) and relax. Maybe get to know your neighbors.

Some of the basics are simple. All you need is transportation, weather appropriate clothing, food and a way to prepare it, water, and basic safety gear. If this means a Honda with a cooler, change of clothes, some matches to start a fire, and a first aid kit you have at least enough to get started.

As the saying goes there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.
That said equipping yourself for the conditions you expect and then a little more just in case is the best solution.
Also tell someone you trust where you are headed. It's not just in the middle of no where your mobile phone won't work, it can happen close to civilization too so be prepared in case of a breakdown etc.
As you say you can Øverland in anything pretty much the most important requirement is the need to go and the balls to try.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[Veggie Man]

... the most important requirement is the need to go and the balls to try.

This is the bottom line. Lack of knowledge leads to fear. The funny thing is that you don't get the knowledge without the attempt.

 

[HeliSniper]

"Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions." Unknown

 

[LostInSocal]

Start close to home with an over-nighter at a location you're comfortable with. From there, venture out further and, as many have said, refine your setup while you gain experience. You may very well discover this is NOT for you; hopefully realizing that before dropping hundreds, if not thousands, into gear.

I'm still a pup in the overland scene but I enjoy the thought process and preparation it takes to be self-sufficient, which then opens up a whole new world of options aside from organized campgrounds and [gasp] hotels. All the upfront preparations to be self-reliant actually allows you much more flexibility in that you don't need to have campsite reservations, check-in / check-out timelines to meet, be confined to a geographic area because you're tied to a specific place to stay overnight, etc. You can go at your pace, stop / go as you please.....explore as much or as little as you want.

Lastly, don't hesitate to ask questions of this community. I've personally learned a lot since joining, and it's not necessarily all new information. Much of what I've gained is using the community as a sounding board to (might be the wrong choice of word) validate what I may already be doing, refine what I'm already doing, and of course getting new ideas for setup and gear. A community like OB will offer a world of perspectives.