Why Overlanding?
Many people have written about WHAT Overlanding is. It’s vehicle dependent travel. It’s about relying on what you’ve packed in your vehicle to explore and to persevere through all obstacles mother nature can throw at you. However, what Overlanding is, is too easy of a question. The real question we should be asking ourselves is, why Overlanding?
There isn’t really one correct answer. We all like to explore for our own reasons. We like testing our vehicles. We like seeing what's out in nature. We want to see what we’re made of when tested to our limits. However, there are some common denominators that bring us all together.
The desire to overcome
Many people my age (mid 30’s), grew up in a time when you were told to “suck it up” or “tough it out.” I still love going up against tough challenges in order to prove that I can prevail. Whether overcoming difficult obstacles in our rigs or traversing adverse weather, we all enjoy the feeling we get when we've completed a challenge.
The love of exploring
Do you find yourself thinking about what’s around the next corner in the road? Do you love the feeling of finding something that few other people have every seen or experienced? Then you might be an Overlander.
There's something that only a select few people understand, and that’s that there is more to life than just playing on Facebook and working a 9-5. If you get out there and see what the world has to offer, there is a lot of really cool, life changing stuff to find. This stuff is often tough to find, and that’s part of the fun.
Testing the limits of your vehicle
Your rig says a lot about who you are. People pick different makes based on their preferences and history with vehicles. One of the most interesting things about Overlanding is that it doesn’t matter what you drive.
People will go on trips with Jeeps, Land Rovers, Nissans, and Toyotas and still help each other out without a second thought. Unlike a lot of car hobbies that encourage people to split up into groups based on make, there aren’t as many of us Overlanders around, so we stick together.
Most people barely understand the limits of their bone stock Honda CR-V, but we learn the limits of our rigs and take what most would consider “crazy” steps to improve their capability. Once you've climbed onto your roof to drill a hole so you can run wires to mount a light bar, only to look up and see your neighbors staring at you in disbelief, you’ll know what I mean.
If you’ve read this whole thing, thinking “Yep, that’s me,” then congratulations, you’re an Overlander. If you have been thinking, “Man, that sounds pretty awesome and I’d like to check it out,” then you might be a budding Overlander. If you thought this all sounded terrible, then I feel sorry for you and you can continue playing on your phone, :D.
The whole reason for writing this blog was to show some of the passion that comes from people who believe in the ideals of Overlanding. Testing your vehicle, overcoming obstacles, and exploring are some of the most interesting and fulfilling things you can do in your life. Not to mention the friends you make and the way you get to see people at their best. I’ve never seen a more friendly, caring, helpful group of people than when I’m taking a trip.
I wanted to say that I really appreciate you taking the time to read this blog. The goal is to make All Things Overlanding a place to post some of the most interesting Overlanding articles from real Overlanders like you! Please feel free to reach out with any feedback about this article or to chat about submitting your content to be shared on this site and our Facebook page. Live, learn, discover!