Article by Hibernia Overland
So you want to be an overlander but not sure how to get started? Before you grab your credit card or start heading down to the nearest car dealership, there are some decisions you will have to make first if you hope to be successful. Here are a few things to get you moving in the right direction.
What is Overlanding?
If you have heard the term “Overlanding” before you probably associate it with dirt trails and camping. That may be true, to a certain extent, but there is much, much more if you get into the spirit of the hobby. Overlanding is defined as “vehicle dependent travel to remote locations where the journey is the destination”. When trying to visualize the term think National Geographic magazines, and the explorers of the old days like Stanley and Livingston who followed the Nile or Congo River to find its source. These explorers didn’t go to Africa on a camping trip or to run some cool trails, instead they were there to explore. The difference between off-roading and overlanding is the roads you will encounter and where you sleep are not the focus of your trip but rather a result of where you explore. With this understanding of what the purpose of overlanding is, start to imagine where you would like to explore.
Where to go to Overland
Where you go is determined by what you are interested in exploring. Overlanding can be an overnight trip, a weeklong adventure, or a multi-month expedition. There are no set rules on what makes a trip an overlanding trip, it could be as little as 50 miles or as long as an around the world expedition. But where you plan to go will have a lot to do with the decisions you will need to make. The key to successful overlanding is having the right vehicle, the right amount of food and water, and shelter. If you know that you will only be exploring east of the Mississippi River where stores and gas stations are not more than ten miles away and you will be on mostly paved roads, your decisions will be much easier than heading to the American southwest where these may be a day away on rough trails. But don’t over estimate where you will go. Planning for a trip to South America, when you will likely never make that trip, will cause you to over spend, and get a vehicle that doesn’t suit your actual needs, which most likely will turn you off overlanding.
Select the right vehicle to Overland
Often times the best vehicle to use for overlanding is the one you already have. The more you get involved in overlanding the more you will notice the really respected overlanders are driving Land Rover Defenders, Jeep Wrangler JKU’s, Toyota 4Runners, or maybe some type of expedition vehicle like a Unimog. The majority of overlanders in North America don’t really need a vehicle as off-road capable as these. Where you want to explore has the most to do with what vehicle you need to select. An all-wheel-drive Subaru will work very well for most novice overlanders who will be mostly exploring National Parks. If exploring the southwest or maybe venturing down to South America is the interest, a four-wheel-drive like a Jeep Wrangler would work better. Off-road capability is only part of it though. How far between stores and gas, and how many days the trip will be, will determine how many supplies and how much gear will be needed. Also take into account how many people will be in the vehicle on the trip. This is not only how many seats are required but will also require carrying addition supplies and gear. This may get you to thinking that you will need a large vehicle in order to overland but the majority of overland vehicles are not. In fact, there are a large number of people doing multi-year global expeditions on motorcycles. One thing you will find when you get started is finding ways to fit ten pounds of stuff into the five pound bag is half the fun of overlanding.
The gear addiction
What gear do you need to overland? How much gear is too much? What the heck is gear? Easy, gear is the equipment you store in and on your vehicle that is needed at some point during your overland adventure. Gear is cooking stuff, sleeping stuff, recovery or repair stuff, or stuff that simply keeps your spouse and kids happy. What gear you will need will depend on where your trip will take you and for how long. Going on a weekend trip to the nearest National Park may only require a tent, chairs, sleeping bags, and maybe a cooler. Depending on where you get your food, as in restaurants, this could work for a multi-week 3,000 mile trip as well. Gear is an objective thing based mainly on your access to resupplies, how comfortable you wish to be, and the storage space in your vehicle. A well prepared overland vehicle may have a roof top tent, roof rack, refrigerator, kitchen, drawer system, dual battery system, inverter, and more. Buying gear can be very addicting so keep these few things in mind. Over-gearing can be very expensive. A roof top tent can run $2,000 or more while a refrigerator is $800 on average. Do you have space to store all the gear in your vehicle? Most important, more gear means more pounds. The most obvious issue is your vehicle’s cargo carrying capacity. An overloaded vehicle is not comfortable to drive and can be unsafe. Added weight also means reduced fuel economy which results in reduced driving range. This doesn’t sound like much of an issue but reducing your range from 300 to 250 miles can be an issue when the nearest gas station is 285 miles. Also, your interest in going on adventures is likely to drop off if every night you have to spend a half hour unloading your vehicle to get to your cooler because it’s under three feet of gear. Buying gear is addictive so start slow and learn what you need before you buy.
Gas, water, and Fig Newtons. What supplies you carry will depend on how long you go, how much storage space you have, and how available resupplies are. When it comes to fuel, know what your vehicle’s range is on the type of roads or trails you will be driving. Adding fuel cans (if you can find fuel can holders for your vehicle) is one way to extend your range if fuel stops on your route are few and far between. Water is very important, plan on one gallon of water per person per day minimum. If you plan on cooking or bathing you will need much more. Just remember water is eight pounds per gallon and the weight will add up quickly. Food can be the tricky one. Unless you are going with the freeze-dried route (more water required), you are going to need to keep the food cool. For a day or two trip this is easily handled with a cooler. If your plans call for a weeklong trip in the southwest a cooler is just not going to work unless you can restock your ice every day. This is when you will need to start looking at a refrigerator. But once again, the weight in your vehicle is going to increase and the weight of your wallet is going to decrease. It’s a balance you will need to figure out.
Learn from the experts
The key to overlanding is planning. Figuring out your vehicle, gear, and supplies so everything works well together is something that takes experience. Learning navigation skills, where camping is allowed on public lands, how to get yourself unstuck, and how to perform first aid are all things every overlander needs to do. Don’t jump into overlanding thinking you are going to do a three month expedition to South America, start out with day trips in the local area to learn what you like and dislike about your setup. Work your way up from there with overnight camping trips and then multiple night trips to find out what you need, what you forgot, and what you don’t need. There are lots of people out there who have gone through this same process in one version or another so don’t get impatient, even on a simple day trip you are still overlanding. Learn from the people who have already gone through this process, they are eager to share their knowledge to help others get started. The first place to start is with magazines such as overland Journal and OutdoorX4. There are also a number of forums available, topping the list is the Expedition Portal.
Overlanding can be very rewarding but it takes a fair amount of work on your part to do it right.
No comments:
Post a Comment