There’s this video making the rounds in overlanding groups online that poses some great observations while mocking the extremes in overlanding.
It is produced by Idahoan “208Tyler” who is, of course, an overlanding influencer.
He basically says that overlanding isn’t a real hobby:
Kinda weird, right? I mean, why would an overlanding influencer diss overlanding?
His point, and he seems to push this idea on his channel a lot, is that you don’t have to spend a bazillion dollars to overland because overlanding is nothing more than exotic….um, camping.
Seriously. Watch his video. He not only makes a few good points he also generates a few good laughs.
But I get what he’s saying.
As a seller of premium offroad trailers we hear absurd comments all the time.
We too have to wonder at people selling “off grid” or “survival” trailers costing $80k pulled by trucks and SUVs on steroids when all they really do is head for hills where they roast weenies like everyone else.
There is a pride thing in overlanding that’s kind of funny. The testosterone is palpable. The push always seems to be getting the fluffiest tires, heading for the steepest rocks and making sure you post that video of your vertical scale of El Capitan in your Jeep with a latte in one hand and a selfie stick in the other.
Extremes like that exist in everything.
I was chatting with a guy the other day about our trailers and he said, “Man, your trailer is cheaper than my roof top tent”. (True) Then he chided us for selling a version of our trailers that is pulled by minivans. (Also true). He was saying we were “better” than that.
To that we humbly say…no, we’re not.
Overlanding, to Tyler’s point, is how we all define it. It’s not defined by marketers, publications, makers of monster trucks or influencers posting videos.
We believe that overlanding is for everyone and it should be reachable for everyone.
That’s why we make trailers for minivans. And that is also why we don’t sell an $80,000 trailer. I mean, c’mon.
Our view is that overlanding doesn’t get better just because you can throw more money at it. Overlanding gets better when you have what you need to do it. And everyone defines that differently, even so far as eating hot dogs versus wagyu.
In other words, whatever floats your boat.
We are firm believers that “overlanding” can just as easily be done out of the trunk of a car as it can be done in a Hummer.
It can be done on a Walmart budget. You don’t have to have a yacht to fish, ya know?
But we should be careful in mocking the extremes in overlanding. Overlanding can also be both a hobby and a lifestyle, after all. Who is to argue with those who want to do it “better”, whatever that means?
After all, pushing limits and preparing for tough conditions is not limited to just the hobby of overlanding. Those who skydive, rock climb, water ski, or even fish face similar and sometimes even greater dangers in their hobbies.
So, there’s no crime in getting good equipment. Learning skills to be safe, going further and doing more is going to cost money for those who want to it “better”. It’s okay, if that’s your thing. It’s just not required.
So, Tyler is right.
There are some who take the extremes of overlanding to extremes that are completely unnecessary.
And Tyler is also wrong.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with claiming passion in a hobby, and, if you have the means, spending on it. Or even bragging about it.
Maybe that’s why he’s called an influencer, I dunno. We think there can be happy compromises, when all is said and done.
Take, for example, another guy I talked to recently who called in to ask some questions about our trailers and was doing his best to get his trailer purchase approved by his wife.
We’ve all been there, right?
He wanted to know if his adventure trailer could double for yard duty in utility fashion.
After all, this guy had honey-do’s in his future. Such is life in the real world. Some weekends you’re in the brush, other weekends you’re clearing it.
YES! That’s why our trailers have the modular design. Modular trailers adapt to your overlanding style. They handle both hot dogs and wagyu.
Any decent trailer should be designed to do more than just one thing. Offroad can be defined just as much as a trip to the backyard. If it can carry a kayak, it can carry some weeds.
How do you offroad? Do you do it to camp, to rock climb or to do “yard duty?” Is your “overlanding” more of a trip across hundreds of miles of interstate before your rig ever sees dirt?
Who cares?
As long as it works for you nobody can call you an extremist or weak sauce.
