Overlanding Require you to get Off Pavement?
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Overlanding Require you to get Off Pavement?

Preston Graham

Preston Graham

Well-known member
How do you feel about this topic? It's one that I just had yesterday with a self proclaimed "overlander". Now they drive a station wagon with maybe 5" of clearance. But was nicely decked out, which is what lead to us talking. But he's a full time overlander who has never been off pavement. Now I thought overlanding was exploring the more remote locations of this earth where you can't find pavement.

So let me get some opinions here. Can someone overland and not leave payment?
 
Before it became a fad and the term "Overlander" came out, it got its roots from Africa and Australia. When I was younger, my friend and I would spend the weekends exploring the Mojave and the Sierra. What we did was called "Off Roading" and then we would camp remotely. The four wheel drive magazines would have articles about people driving "Overland across Africa. They still didn't refer to themselves as Overlanders. They just drove overland.

With the fad going full swing now all you need is a bit of camping gear, a fridge and a shovel mounted to the side. POOF...now your an overlander.

Oh...we called car camping, "car camping". I have "car camped" in a civic and i have pavement camped in my "off roader".
If the guy says he's an overlander then he's just part of the fad. Let him have his fun.
 
That's actually a very good point. Whats funny is I thought overlanding referred to the offroad wilderness style of camping as well. Had no idea it was a fad.
 
I'll take a crack at this. First as 'smritte' pointed out, overlanding is just a popular term these days.

Back onto your question...

The short answer: Not necessarily! While overlanding often involves traversing rugged terrain and venturing off the beaten path (quite literally), it doesn't always require you to ditch the smooth comfort of pavement completely. Overlanding is more about the journey and exploring remote destinations, so it's really up to you and your sense of adventure to decide how far off the pavement you want to roam.

Think of overlanding as a choose-your-own-adventure book, where you can mix and match your preferred level of gnarly off-roading with some more chill, paved exploration. After all, variety is the spice of life, right? 📚

Some overlanders might crave the adrenaline rush of conquering steep, rocky inclines, while others might prefer the leisurely pace of cruising down a scenic highway. And that's totally cool! It's your adventure, so you get to choose how much pavement you want to leave behind.

But remember, overlanding is all about self-reliance and enjoying the great outdoors, so whether you're cruising on pavement or forging your own path through the wilderness, be prepared to face the unexpected and embrace the journey.

Happy overlanding! 🏞️🚙
 
Yeah, my thoughts as well. Call it what you want. If you want to call it overlanding, knock yourself out. Want to call it camping sure.
 
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