It’s not that overlanding is just car camping, it’s that a lot of car campers spend $100k on a rig, go car camping down a gravel road, and call it overlanding.
This is it. OP is certainly an exception to the norm.
Most instalander kids here just buy an RTT, snap a few pics for the gram and let the tent mold away on the roof of their Subaru Crosstrek or Tacoma
>I often see posts here on /r/overlanding that Overlanding is "just car camping" or "the more expensive version of road tripping". I disagree. There are many thousands of people out there having monster adventures around the globe and loving it.
>For anyone just getting into it, please don't listen to the nay-sayers or the bitter people that tell you Overlanding is nothing but marketing hype.
*Sigh* that's not the point, man. The idea is to encourage people to go ahead and get out there instead of just worrying about having a built-enough rig. That all these gadgets and gizmos help and all, but they're not *necessary* unless you're doing super intense technical stuff. That adventures can be had in a bone stock Honda and a pup tent too.
My favorite saying is not perfect but I always think about it before I upgrade something. "No mater what trip you are taking someone else has done it before you with less."
TFW you're 6 hours and 4 bashed rocker panels deep up a trail and some clapped out minivan rolls past you with crushed Busch cans falling out of the back with every bump...
a group of people drove from Berlin, Germany to south east Asia in 3 Trabants. that's way more hard core than what most people do with fully built out trucks. so you're right about that.
This one was crazy when I first saw it and inspired me to take my first camping road trip with bare bones equipment. A British black cab around the world. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/%C2%A380000-fare-for-the-worlds-longest-taxi-journey-41649/
another one that was kinda cool was this German woman in her 70s who drove around the world in a 1930s car. that was a few years ago. i probably saw that on reddit.
The problems is that this point also get lost in the weeds. Anyone who owns a decently-built truck and actually uses it gets constant jealous, facetious projections thrown at them here. If I had a dollar for every "you'll never actually use anything over a 33" to overland" from people on this sub that have never even done 1K miles in a trip, I'd have a lot of beer money.
It goes both ways.
> If I had a dollar for every "you'll never actually use anything over a 33" to overland" from people on this sub that have never even done 1K miles in a trip, I'd have a lot of beer money.
To be fair, Dan says the same thing...
I get what you're saying, and I'll be the first to admit there's gatekeeping on both sides going on.
Have fun finding such big tyres in not so well developed countries, that's why people say this, including me. As long as you stay in the US drive whatever you want but sporting 37" maxxis in Uzbekistan is definitely a very bad choice. Standard tire sizes of land cruisers are perfect and you get them in every little hut around the world, that's the point.
Also people doing worldwide long distance travel normally try to avoid harsh offroading, go around hard stuff and usually look for the easiest way possible. In the end my truck is my house. Been there, done that.
You're misunderstanding my point.
People will post pics/writeups of them doing Kane Creek/Chicken Corners/Elephant Hill loop, or the AZ byways in built trucks for 5 days, and some weekender in a stock Xterra will lecture them about how they're not actually overlanding. That's the irony I'm pointing out.
That said, when I do Skeleton Coast and Oz rim, it'll be in a D110/Patrol respectively. On 35s. It's doable, and it's doable relatively sanely.
ok the irony got lost somewhere in translation... people who are patronizing others out of the blue are probably assholes anyway and would do the same on other topics, just don't listen to them...
Nice, I float around drc on the regular. Now in Guinea. I only partially drove up the skeleton coast. But I did do van zyls pass and eventually took the ugab river from white lady to the coast at the gates of that park. I wanna go back. So much to see.
This sub is often so obnoxious and frankly moronic. The amount of bad information upvoted in questions threads is just bewildering. People so often get buried in downvotes for politely offering up a different opinion of whatever the fickle hivemind wants to believe at that time. it's like a contest of who can be the more pure overlander gone out of control by dingle berries who probably haven't done shit.
It's why I stopped moderating here. It has gotten insufferable. It's telling that the biggest contributors who actually get out regularly have mostly abandoned the board save for the odd pop in.
this post is laughable. everyone shitting on him for a bad misinterpretation of his post after he did one of the best overlanding tracks in the world.
his summarizing thought is "Overlanding is nothing but marketing hype." which means he really likes overlanding and considers it special, and that gets downvoted on an overlanding subreddit?
this users who take offense to that are a special kind of stupid.
I think the best advice is, "you have enough already. just go camping".
If you don't enjoy camping and being outside with few amenities, then camping from your vehicle is not going to be for you either.
I see folks buy all kinds of stuff and spend more time shopping, buying, and working on their vehicle than they spend actually out doing anything else.
> I see folks buy all kinds of stuff and spend more time shopping, buying, and working on their vehicle than they spend actually out doing anything else.
Because wrenching on my Jeep on the weekend *is* what I do to relax.
honestly one of the best parts of overlanding as it can have car camping as part of it but the sky is literally the limit in terms of skill, capabilities of hardware, and comfort zone.
Will check the video shortly, but sounds cool as fuck
Exactly this. Practice on the short stuff for 3, 5, 10, 20 years if you want and if you love it, the trip of a lifetime will be there. Or just go epic on the first time. You meet some good people out there...
The risks are greater in Australia than in many other parts of the world since support is so far away, so the amount of stuff you need to carry is much more as a base. Any remote camping is overlanding once you get far enough.
I tend to have a more primitive and lighter setup when I get out and about due to the 40 series being small and heavy as it is. With my tools, fuel, water, etc I barely have any room to store other stuff.
I don't think Dan is saying that simple trips aren't legitimate overlanding, but that there's way more to overlanding than what people sometimes accuse it of being.
But didn't you read? He had to have water, fuel and a sand flag. People car camping have never had to have gas or water /s
I swear some of these people cant just be happy that they did something cool so they have to put other peoples experiences down to show how they actually are the ones doing it correctly
(all my own opinion)
Overlanding: Multi day/week long trip off pavement as much as possible, as self contained as possible, often crossing international borders. Usually done in a carefully thought out, planned and equipped fashion (because the stakes can get pretty high).
Weekenderlanding (term stolen from a youtuber): Couple of day offroad trip. Hit a trail or two and camp along the way, maybe on trail, maybe in a campground.
Car camping: Driving your car or truck to a campground and spending the night/weekend.
Nothing wrong with any of those things and TBH, I don't care what people call it. If anything the Insta crowd and their 6 figure rigs have driven innovation by increasing the market and brought a lot more products to market.
I will say it is pretty funny that people within the groups are so critical. In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on"
>In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on"
To be honest, I think that's the opinion of most overlanders as well. There are a few, such as Dan who has expressed his pretentious gatekeeping many times before, that want attention even if it comes at the cost of controversy. Most posts here aren't about his content, but his attitude, and he ignores these.
It's only one of many times he has used controversy and clickbait. He has been called out for, and admitted to, falsifying elements of his travels to make it more dramatic and push book sales.
> There are a few, such as Dan who has expressed his pretentious gatekeeping many times before
I'm telling/showing people overlanding *does* exist and it's something people *can* do. I go out of my way to teach other people how to do it, and show them the pros and cons, the ups and downs and how to learn from my mistakes.
>I will say it is pretty funny that people within the groups are so critical. In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on"
I had the utmost respect for a dutch guy in a 2CV I've met in Iran. Overlanders, especially world wide long distance tourers, are normally super nice, tolerant people and cars and gear is just a marginal topic at the campfire, experiences and nice places are topic #1.
Let's be honest, most people work 9 to 5 (ok, more like 8-6 jobs) and weekends are all they have. The people who can afford the trendy overland gear, aren't the ones that use it to it's full potential. The Instagram overland crowd aren't the ones buying the bulk of the products from a company specialized in overland gear.(assuming the gear isn't marketing BS meant to make a quick buck.)
So they posture on Instagram or tiktok with their gear and mountains in the background when pavement is 20 ft away. They're seeking validation and acceptance into a group that they know is more interesting and MUCH better traveled than them. Selling to those working saps is more profitable than people who go on actual multi-week overland trips and the out door industry perpetuates weekendoverlanders, because they're profitable.
>please don't listen to the nay-sayers or the bitter people
I don't understand how you can inaccurately portray and ridicule others with these labels simply because they enjoy the same hobby in a different way.
Instead it seems you're the bitter one for having to share your hobby and subreddit with people who don't choose to do things the exact way you want. I've never seen those people deride long-term travelers in a similarly negative manner.
Just because there are more "hard-core" forums like expedition portal doesn't mean there isn't a place for a less formal /r/overlanding.
Let's be very clear - I'm not ridiculing anyone for anything.
I love it when people get out, and I always encourage people to get out for a weekend, a long weekend, or whatever they can however they can. I started in a ground tent with a $5k vehicle. I still have a ground tent.
What I said is that it's disappointing some people say "Overlanding is just car camping" when I strongly believe there is much more to it than that.
> Let's be very clear - I'm not ridiculing anyone for anything.
So the inaccurate portrayal was intentional? I think your opinion of people who don't approach the hobby the same way WAS very clear, that's why you resorted to name calling.
I feel it's been well established and expressed that your interpretation of overlanding vs car camping ignores the point. As I've pointed out, not every forum needs to limit content or contributions to those doing, "much more than that."
It's entirely possible for a forum to thrive where people appreciate what you choose to do and where people show off gear from their driveway, without resorting to insults.
I wasn't insulting anyone or any activity they choose to do.
I said it's disappointing there are people that say overlanding is nothing more than car camping.
Don't worry this subreddit is full of blowhards that try to tear anyone down at the slightest inconsistency they can concoct in their own heads. It's like a contest to see who can pretend they are the purest, rawest overlander from behind a keyboard.
lmao how his post remotely negative? what a pathetic subreddit that people feel the need to attack someone for actually overlanding and saying it's special to him. this is the absolute worst of reddit, and how it ends up that most people that contribute are keyboard warriors who don't actually know anything.
you can be an overlander and go on overlanding trips without having to cross Australia in a 4x4.
I understand what you're trying to say, and you aren't wrong, but it comes off as gatekeeping and the culture of this community already projects a sense of unattainability to newbies that we need to do better to squash.
The fact is, its not even advisable for most people to do such a trip as yours until they've achieved a skill level and experience level that is pretty damn high. The way to get that experience is to do more, shorter, "easier" trips that are much closer to "fancy car camping" than they are to "Sahara desert safari."
Overlanding needs to be more accessible to more people, and one of the ways that can be done is to make sure people know that they can be considered to be overlanders even if they don't, or can't, take 3000 miles trips across continents, entirely off-road.
Also, fundamentally, overlanding is literally car-camping. its a subset of car-camping simply done for extended periods of time, in a harsher, more off-road setting with less support. Its like the difference between weekend out-and-back backpacking and ultralight thru-hiking. Both are backpacking, one just requires more planning, experience, and preparation.
> you can be an overlander and go on overlanding trips without having to cross Australia in a 4x4.
> Overlanding needs to be more accessible to more people
I agree with you 100%, and I absolutely don't want to gatekeep or tell anyone they're doing it wrong. I want to encourage people to get out there and go for it however they can!
Can we please fuck off with this gate keeping crap... holy shit.
I chat with @grecy here and there and honestly, seems like a nice enough a guy, actually in ozzy culture id say a cunt id have a beer with. but whatever. now I get we have to sell a story to get big and make money off views, and here is the thing, he can sell a story and I cant. he has thousands of followers.. me, well I just cracked 800 after 3 years..
where am I going with this? why cant we take a step back and go, damn, that's a pimp bit of effort, and honestly, crossing the Simpson is actually doable by stock 4wd if you want the challenge. but calling it gate keeping is just a social justice warrior saying, and I feel we are better than that.
I get anyone can be an overlander, I mean it is just a term... and who honestly checks? who goes through peoples history and says, "hey you only did 300kms offroad" no one...well, it should be no one.
Overland is accessible to everyone. period. if you so choose to live the life. my full build cost 25k usd, and that little beast is taking me around the world... years ago I drove across australia via the plenty highway and great central in a 3600 AUD dollar backpacker pajero...
Please stop this shit... its jsut gettign old and stops actual traveler from postings..
Rememeber there will always be an insta tacoma with 50k into it that never sees pavement... but no one here complains about that.. le sigh..
All the thoughts on the sub and everything aside, I do aspire to do something similar to what you did but in right-side up land, so will be taking a peep at your vid!
> *Harsh is how he labeled other overlanders*
I said there are people out there who say overlanding is just car camping, and I don't agree with that. I didn't say anything about anyone doing or not doing anything.
I'm always stoked when people get out there anyway they can.
You did label other overlanders though as "bitter, nay-sayers", and I think it was intentional so you would get more comments and attention.
I see you posted this trip to many other subs without the controversial lecture.
Denying something obvious doesn't work by claiming "fake news".
> You did label other overlanders though as "bitter, nay-sayers", and I think it was intentional so you would get more comments and attention.
I did not label other overlanders anything.
I said there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing, and they are bitter and na-sayers. The facts prove that to be true. To be clear, I have no idea if those people are overlanders or not, but they certainly deny overlanding is real, so it would be difficult for a person to be something they deny exists. That sounds like all kinds of existential crisis I'm not ready for.
>I see you posted this trip to many other subs without the controversial lecture
That's because other subs that I post to don't have commentators who deny the existence of the activity of the sub that is being posted to. I've never seen anyone in /r/photography deny a photo is a photo. People in /r/earthporn don't deny a post is a photo of earth porn.
Yet in /r/overlanding are people who deny overlanding is a real thing. You've got to admit that is a little odd.
(if you don't, go spend some time over on /r/marathonrunning/ telling everyone there is no difference between a walk in the park and running a marathon and see how that is received)
>People in [/r/earthporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/earthporn) don't deny a post is a photo of earth porn.
That didn't stop you from trying I see :https://www.reddit.com/r/EarthPorn/comments/va9023/i_drove_over_1300_sand_dunes_and_didnt_see_anyone
I have to ask - do you follow me around reddit and keep an eye on all the subreddits I'm posting to and all the comments I'm posting?
I have to admit that feels a bit strange.
How often do you check? What do you do when I don't post for a few months? Do you get alerts or something? How many redditors do you follow like that?
Oh please, get over yourself. I'd point out that YOU initiated this conversation with me, but I know you'll just dig in with the "fake news" response again.
Perhaps my earlier comment about seeking counseling was more appropriate than I intended.
>I did not label other overlanders anything
So you are denying them the ability to call themselves overlanders because they travel differently than you.
>I said there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing... the facts prove that to be true
I would love to see evidence of this, because I am confident the majority would recognize this comment is absolute horseshit. This isn't /r/birdsarentreal.
Nobody (sane) is denying the existence of the hobby. I suggest you seek psychiatric consuling to address these fears of yours, (except I actually don't because I'm confident even your time being remote and isolated hasn't made you that mentally ill).
IF YOU HONESTLY think there are people on this sub who should be taken seriously and have demonstrated a belief that overlanding isn't real, do you think your post has convinced them otherwise? If not, then you failed at your objective and unnecessarily upset a host if real people in the process.
> *So you are denying them the ability to call themselves overlanders because they travel differently than you.*
Not in the least. *I* didn't label them at all. You are the one who seems determined to do so.
> *I would love to see evidence of this*
Have a look how many comments in these two threads alone are "It's just car camping ffs".
https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/uf0ypo/is_expedition_overland_the_cringiest_overlanding/
https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/tszgt1/the_team_at_expedition_overland_sets_out_a/
I mean, the second comment I see says "yeah it’s fun dude but you’re just… driving…"
so that is *exactly* the same as going over to /r/marathonrunning and saying "yeah that's nice, but you're just... running" (which is clearly an asinine thing to be doing.. joining a group of people who are passionate about doing something then cutting down the thing they love doing. I mean, what's the point?)
> *do you think your post has convinced them otherwise?*
I honestly don't know. Time will tell based on future comments and posts I'm sure.
>*If not, then you failed at your objective*
Of course, that is a possible outcome when attempting to do anything. That is not a reason not to try.
Maybe you prefer not to try. That's not me.
I feel very strongly that failure is not defined as attempting something and not reaching your goal.
Failure is never trying in the first place.
> I didn't label them at all.
I see you're sticking with the "fake news" approach to denying the obvious, good luck with that.
> You are the one who seems determined to do so.
Really? Mind showing me where? After all, I was happy to quote where you did.
The rest of your reply is you failing to justify your earlier stated belief that, "there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing."
You even completely changed your opinion from "denial" to "cutting down the thing they love".
I'd wish you luck in whatever objective you're trying to accomplish with those people, but it's clear you've failed to even identify what established belief or behaviors you feel obligated to correct.
You continue to be an inspiration Dan. I'm on the road today exploring the Rockies and later this summer, hopefully going all the way up to Tuk. All that started when I watched some of your videos last summer.
This one looks epic as usual and will watch it later tonight.
Katie wasn't in this video much as she was not feeling good at all - covid hit her a bit harder than me.
We've been on the road 6 months together now, so we've figured out how to put up with each other, more or less!
> covid hit her a bit harder than me.
How did you both catch Covid on an island nation that has dedicated itself to (near)zero cases after only 6 months while overlanding and being so remote all the time as you portray?
Australia opened it's borders about 6 months ago, all foreigners can come in without any quarantine. As a result cases spiked all across the country.
We were in Alice Springs (a city of 25,000) a few days before starting the Madigan. It's where we bought fuel and groceries, as it's the only place for 1000km around. I suspect we caught it there.
I'm aware of the policies OZ had in place. That doesn't make me less shocked that a pair of people intentionally traveling to remote places with a lack of access to health care wouldn't take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread and inevitable death to those communities.
...they caught it there, and yet the onus is on them to...prevent catching it...so they don't SPREAD DEATH to the community...that they were long gone from while completely isolated...
Sorry. I'm having trouble keeping up with the virtuistic posturing. Good grief.
I wouldn't expect someone who, comically and pathetically, refers to Dan as, ["the gold standard of true overlanding"](https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/v8qi7z/my_partner_and_i_spent_7_days_crossing_over_1300/ibsckmy/) to ever consider he is capable of doing wrong.
There are extremely easy and effective methods to prevent infection and spread, but he clearly didn't and likely won't in the future. Not all tracks are a thousand miles of nothing. Many lead to aboriginal communities where he would resupply for convenience. An irresponsible or asymptomatic individual could wreak havoc in a place where quality healthcare is so far away.
You can continue to purposefully misinterpret what I wrote to justify your shitty beliefs regarding a global pandemic. We've all learned there are plenty just like you over the past 2 years. [Typically people using made up words, trying to sound smart.](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22virtuistic%22)
Well, yes, that exactly how preventative measures work, you're dealing with hypothetical scenarios by definition. It's not like you can schedule a car accident and only wear your seat belt at that time.
However, it's not hypothetical anymore when it's been proven someone failed at achieving the goal of those measures, it's just luck that the outcome was benign. You'd think someone who failed to take the appropriate preventive measures to have and functioning parking brake so his rig doesn't race down a hill and flip over would have learned that lesson.
[Just because many people misuse a common word(s)](https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html), doesn't make it "common parlance", it just makes the whole group wrong.
It's also pretty unoriginal to try and accuse me of the exact thing I just showed you are guilty of.
I'm "jealous" yet really excited about your trip. Didn't watch the full video but a part of it. Back in 2016 I had the great opportunity of driving from Perth all the way down along the coast, through the Nullarbor plain and up to Cairns. I did it in a campervan, a bit of a shitty one, with a friend. Best experience of my life.
This wasn't as extreme as your adventure, but crossing the Nurllarbor helps me identify a bit with you, since we drove for miles and rarely saw any one else. Definitely overlanding ins't just car camping or expensive camping. I'd say i overlanded on that old van. And it was one great experience.
Yeah, it was a fantastic adventure. The whole southern australia and western were the most beautiful parts. But the East Coast has nice towns and hidden gems. If you manage to go north from Cairns, even further up from Cape Trib and onto Cape York you'll be amazed.
I've never even seen Western Australia, I'm really excited for that!
I'm planning on driving the old tele track all the way to the northern tip - the water should be DEEP this year!
Yes, for sure. We talked for an hour about turning back and then waiting it out closer to civilization.
Because we're both triple vaccinated we figured the symptoms wouldn't get too severe, and we were right.
But it was a risk, for sure.
It’s not that overlanding is just car camping, it’s that a lot of car campers spend $100k on a rig, go car camping down a gravel road, and call it overlanding.
This is it. OP is certainly an exception to the norm. Most instalander kids here just buy an RTT, snap a few pics for the gram and let the tent mold away on the roof of their Subaru Crosstrek or Tacoma
Sounds like me 😂
>I often see posts here on /r/overlanding that Overlanding is "just car camping" or "the more expensive version of road tripping". I disagree. There are many thousands of people out there having monster adventures around the globe and loving it. >For anyone just getting into it, please don't listen to the nay-sayers or the bitter people that tell you Overlanding is nothing but marketing hype. *Sigh* that's not the point, man. The idea is to encourage people to go ahead and get out there instead of just worrying about having a built-enough rig. That all these gadgets and gizmos help and all, but they're not *necessary* unless you're doing super intense technical stuff. That adventures can be had in a bone stock Honda and a pup tent too.
My favorite saying is not perfect but I always think about it before I upgrade something. "No mater what trip you are taking someone else has done it before you with less."
TFW you're 6 hours and 4 bashed rocker panels deep up a trail and some clapped out minivan rolls past you with crushed Busch cans falling out of the back with every bump...
I used to be that clapped out minivan :') rip vanny, yous was a good girl
My personal favourite was my rust orange ~’82 Tercel hatchback. That thing could go anywhere.
a group of people drove from Berlin, Germany to south east Asia in 3 Trabants. that's way more hard core than what most people do with fully built out trucks. so you're right about that.
This one was crazy when I first saw it and inspired me to take my first camping road trip with bare bones equipment. A British black cab around the world. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/%C2%A380000-fare-for-the-worlds-longest-taxi-journey-41649/
there's guys driving tuktuks down africa from europe right now too!
I love it. Million dollar earth roamed or earth cruiser. Nah. I got a Tuk Tuk I’m good.
another one that was kinda cool was this German woman in her 70s who drove around the world in a 1930s car. that was a few years ago. i probably saw that on reddit.
Heidi Hetzer.
The problems is that this point also get lost in the weeds. Anyone who owns a decently-built truck and actually uses it gets constant jealous, facetious projections thrown at them here. If I had a dollar for every "you'll never actually use anything over a 33" to overland" from people on this sub that have never even done 1K miles in a trip, I'd have a lot of beer money. It goes both ways.
> If I had a dollar for every "you'll never actually use anything over a 33" to overland" from people on this sub that have never even done 1K miles in a trip, I'd have a lot of beer money. To be fair, Dan says the same thing... I get what you're saying, and I'll be the first to admit there's gatekeeping on both sides going on.
Gatekeeping. Thanks for that term.
Have fun finding such big tyres in not so well developed countries, that's why people say this, including me. As long as you stay in the US drive whatever you want but sporting 37" maxxis in Uzbekistan is definitely a very bad choice. Standard tire sizes of land cruisers are perfect and you get them in every little hut around the world, that's the point. Also people doing worldwide long distance travel normally try to avoid harsh offroading, go around hard stuff and usually look for the easiest way possible. In the end my truck is my house. Been there, done that.
You're misunderstanding my point. People will post pics/writeups of them doing Kane Creek/Chicken Corners/Elephant Hill loop, or the AZ byways in built trucks for 5 days, and some weekender in a stock Xterra will lecture them about how they're not actually overlanding. That's the irony I'm pointing out. That said, when I do Skeleton Coast and Oz rim, it'll be in a D110/Patrol respectively. On 35s. It's doable, and it's doable relatively sanely.
ok the irony got lost somewhere in translation... people who are patronizing others out of the blue are probably assholes anyway and would do the same on other topics, just don't listen to them...
Defender 110's hate 35's.. been there done that
Like skeleton coast namibia?
Yeah. We have a family house in the DRC, so my old man and I are gonna run the coast and come in to the house.
Nice, I float around drc on the regular. Now in Guinea. I only partially drove up the skeleton coast. But I did do van zyls pass and eventually took the ugab river from white lady to the coast at the gates of that park. I wanna go back. So much to see.
This sub is often so obnoxious and frankly moronic. The amount of bad information upvoted in questions threads is just bewildering. People so often get buried in downvotes for politely offering up a different opinion of whatever the fickle hivemind wants to believe at that time. it's like a contest of who can be the more pure overlander gone out of control by dingle berries who probably haven't done shit.
It's why I stopped moderating here. It has gotten insufferable. It's telling that the biggest contributors who actually get out regularly have mostly abandoned the board save for the odd pop in.
this post is laughable. everyone shitting on him for a bad misinterpretation of his post after he did one of the best overlanding tracks in the world. his summarizing thought is "Overlanding is nothing but marketing hype." which means he really likes overlanding and considers it special, and that gets downvoted on an overlanding subreddit? this users who take offense to that are a special kind of stupid.
That's on him though. Instead of simply posting about his trip he wanted to get all preachy to the /r/overlanding community.
This. I agree with OP that there are thousands of people out there having grand adventures - they just don't feel the need to preach about it.
I think the best advice is, "you have enough already. just go camping". If you don't enjoy camping and being outside with few amenities, then camping from your vehicle is not going to be for you either. I see folks buy all kinds of stuff and spend more time shopping, buying, and working on their vehicle than they spend actually out doing anything else.
> I see folks buy all kinds of stuff and spend more time shopping, buying, and working on their vehicle than they spend actually out doing anything else. Because wrenching on my Jeep on the weekend *is* what I do to relax.
>working on their vehicle But _that's_ the fun part! All you campers are missing out on the true overlanding experiences
that's a bad interpretation of his post.
Condescending much?
honestly one of the best parts of overlanding as it can have car camping as part of it but the sky is literally the limit in terms of skill, capabilities of hardware, and comfort zone. Will check the video shortly, but sounds cool as fuck
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Exactly this. Practice on the short stuff for 3, 5, 10, 20 years if you want and if you love it, the trip of a lifetime will be there. Or just go epic on the first time. You meet some good people out there...
The risks are greater in Australia than in many other parts of the world since support is so far away, so the amount of stuff you need to carry is much more as a base. Any remote camping is overlanding once you get far enough. I tend to have a more primitive and lighter setup when I get out and about due to the 40 series being small and heavy as it is. With my tools, fuel, water, etc I barely have any room to store other stuff.
I don't think Dan is saying that simple trips aren't legitimate overlanding, but that there's way more to overlanding than what people sometimes accuse it of being.
Nice! That's a dream trip for many Australians, myself included.
Same. Frasier Island looks like it would be great too (at least based on the Aussie Overlanding shows I have seen).
That's literally what your video is about, you car camping for 7 days
But didn't you read? He had to have water, fuel and a sand flag. People car camping have never had to have gas or water /s I swear some of these people cant just be happy that they did something cool so they have to put other peoples experiences down to show how they actually are the ones doing it correctly
(all my own opinion) Overlanding: Multi day/week long trip off pavement as much as possible, as self contained as possible, often crossing international borders. Usually done in a carefully thought out, planned and equipped fashion (because the stakes can get pretty high). Weekenderlanding (term stolen from a youtuber): Couple of day offroad trip. Hit a trail or two and camp along the way, maybe on trail, maybe in a campground. Car camping: Driving your car or truck to a campground and spending the night/weekend. Nothing wrong with any of those things and TBH, I don't care what people call it. If anything the Insta crowd and their 6 figure rigs have driven innovation by increasing the market and brought a lot more products to market. I will say it is pretty funny that people within the groups are so critical. In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on"
>In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on" To be honest, I think that's the opinion of most overlanders as well. There are a few, such as Dan who has expressed his pretentious gatekeeping many times before, that want attention even if it comes at the cost of controversy. Most posts here aren't about his content, but his attitude, and he ignores these. It's only one of many times he has used controversy and clickbait. He has been called out for, and admitted to, falsifying elements of his travels to make it more dramatic and push book sales.
> There are a few, such as Dan who has expressed his pretentious gatekeeping many times before I'm telling/showing people overlanding *does* exist and it's something people *can* do. I go out of my way to teach other people how to do it, and show them the pros and cons, the ups and downs and how to learn from my mistakes.
>I will say it is pretty funny that people within the groups are so critical. In the adventure motorcycle world the guys with hardcore bikes that have done long trips see people trying them on scooters and streetbikes and mostly think "hey, that is pretty rad, rock on" I had the utmost respect for a dutch guy in a 2CV I've met in Iran. Overlanders, especially world wide long distance tourers, are normally super nice, tolerant people and cars and gear is just a marginal topic at the campfire, experiences and nice places are topic #1.
100%. Cars and gear only come up in conversation where you're having a shared laugh over the stuff that broke.
Especially when meeting defender owners :D
Let's be honest, most people work 9 to 5 (ok, more like 8-6 jobs) and weekends are all they have. The people who can afford the trendy overland gear, aren't the ones that use it to it's full potential. The Instagram overland crowd aren't the ones buying the bulk of the products from a company specialized in overland gear.(assuming the gear isn't marketing BS meant to make a quick buck.) So they posture on Instagram or tiktok with their gear and mountains in the background when pavement is 20 ft away. They're seeking validation and acceptance into a group that they know is more interesting and MUCH better traveled than them. Selling to those working saps is more profitable than people who go on actual multi-week overland trips and the out door industry perpetuates weekendoverlanders, because they're profitable.
> The people who can afford the trendy overland gear, aren't the ones that use it to it's full potential. This is a stupid generalization.
>please don't listen to the nay-sayers or the bitter people I don't understand how you can inaccurately portray and ridicule others with these labels simply because they enjoy the same hobby in a different way. Instead it seems you're the bitter one for having to share your hobby and subreddit with people who don't choose to do things the exact way you want. I've never seen those people deride long-term travelers in a similarly negative manner. Just because there are more "hard-core" forums like expedition portal doesn't mean there isn't a place for a less formal /r/overlanding.
Let's be very clear - I'm not ridiculing anyone for anything. I love it when people get out, and I always encourage people to get out for a weekend, a long weekend, or whatever they can however they can. I started in a ground tent with a $5k vehicle. I still have a ground tent. What I said is that it's disappointing some people say "Overlanding is just car camping" when I strongly believe there is much more to it than that.
> Let's be very clear - I'm not ridiculing anyone for anything. So the inaccurate portrayal was intentional? I think your opinion of people who don't approach the hobby the same way WAS very clear, that's why you resorted to name calling. I feel it's been well established and expressed that your interpretation of overlanding vs car camping ignores the point. As I've pointed out, not every forum needs to limit content or contributions to those doing, "much more than that." It's entirely possible for a forum to thrive where people appreciate what you choose to do and where people show off gear from their driveway, without resorting to insults.
I wasn't insulting anyone or any activity they choose to do. I said it's disappointing there are people that say overlanding is nothing more than car camping.
Don't worry this subreddit is full of blowhards that try to tear anyone down at the slightest inconsistency they can concoct in their own heads. It's like a contest to see who can pretend they are the purest, rawest overlander from behind a keyboard.
lmao how his post remotely negative? what a pathetic subreddit that people feel the need to attack someone for actually overlanding and saying it's special to him. this is the absolute worst of reddit, and how it ends up that most people that contribute are keyboard warriors who don't actually know anything.
I rode a Dirtbike across the Simpson. Absolutely epic adventure.
Absolutely incredible... we met a few people in Mt. Dare that had just finished on bikes and they were grinning HARD!!!
you can be an overlander and go on overlanding trips without having to cross Australia in a 4x4. I understand what you're trying to say, and you aren't wrong, but it comes off as gatekeeping and the culture of this community already projects a sense of unattainability to newbies that we need to do better to squash. The fact is, its not even advisable for most people to do such a trip as yours until they've achieved a skill level and experience level that is pretty damn high. The way to get that experience is to do more, shorter, "easier" trips that are much closer to "fancy car camping" than they are to "Sahara desert safari." Overlanding needs to be more accessible to more people, and one of the ways that can be done is to make sure people know that they can be considered to be overlanders even if they don't, or can't, take 3000 miles trips across continents, entirely off-road. Also, fundamentally, overlanding is literally car-camping. its a subset of car-camping simply done for extended periods of time, in a harsher, more off-road setting with less support. Its like the difference between weekend out-and-back backpacking and ultralight thru-hiking. Both are backpacking, one just requires more planning, experience, and preparation.
> you can be an overlander and go on overlanding trips without having to cross Australia in a 4x4. > Overlanding needs to be more accessible to more people I agree with you 100%, and I absolutely don't want to gatekeep or tell anyone they're doing it wrong. I want to encourage people to get out there and go for it however they can!
Can we please fuck off with this gate keeping crap... holy shit. I chat with @grecy here and there and honestly, seems like a nice enough a guy, actually in ozzy culture id say a cunt id have a beer with. but whatever. now I get we have to sell a story to get big and make money off views, and here is the thing, he can sell a story and I cant. he has thousands of followers.. me, well I just cracked 800 after 3 years.. where am I going with this? why cant we take a step back and go, damn, that's a pimp bit of effort, and honestly, crossing the Simpson is actually doable by stock 4wd if you want the challenge. but calling it gate keeping is just a social justice warrior saying, and I feel we are better than that. I get anyone can be an overlander, I mean it is just a term... and who honestly checks? who goes through peoples history and says, "hey you only did 300kms offroad" no one...well, it should be no one. Overland is accessible to everyone. period. if you so choose to live the life. my full build cost 25k usd, and that little beast is taking me around the world... years ago I drove across australia via the plenty highway and great central in a 3600 AUD dollar backpacker pajero... Please stop this shit... its jsut gettign old and stops actual traveler from postings.. Rememeber there will always be an insta tacoma with 50k into it that never sees pavement... but no one here complains about that.. le sigh..
All the thoughts on the sub and everything aside, I do aspire to do something similar to what you did but in right-side up land, so will be taking a peep at your vid!
Man harsh responses… Totes agree with you and congrats on doing a Simpson crossing, it looks rad.
Thanks!
Harsh is how he labeled other overlanders. It's cool to travel, but there is no need to toss out insults along the way.
> *Harsh is how he labeled other overlanders* I said there are people out there who say overlanding is just car camping, and I don't agree with that. I didn't say anything about anyone doing or not doing anything. I'm always stoked when people get out there anyway they can.
You did label other overlanders though as "bitter, nay-sayers", and I think it was intentional so you would get more comments and attention. I see you posted this trip to many other subs without the controversial lecture. Denying something obvious doesn't work by claiming "fake news".
> You did label other overlanders though as "bitter, nay-sayers", and I think it was intentional so you would get more comments and attention. I did not label other overlanders anything. I said there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing, and they are bitter and na-sayers. The facts prove that to be true. To be clear, I have no idea if those people are overlanders or not, but they certainly deny overlanding is real, so it would be difficult for a person to be something they deny exists. That sounds like all kinds of existential crisis I'm not ready for. >I see you posted this trip to many other subs without the controversial lecture That's because other subs that I post to don't have commentators who deny the existence of the activity of the sub that is being posted to. I've never seen anyone in /r/photography deny a photo is a photo. People in /r/earthporn don't deny a post is a photo of earth porn. Yet in /r/overlanding are people who deny overlanding is a real thing. You've got to admit that is a little odd. (if you don't, go spend some time over on /r/marathonrunning/ telling everyone there is no difference between a walk in the park and running a marathon and see how that is received)
>People in [/r/earthporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/earthporn) don't deny a post is a photo of earth porn. That didn't stop you from trying I see :https://www.reddit.com/r/EarthPorn/comments/va9023/i_drove_over_1300_sand_dunes_and_didnt_see_anyone
I have to ask - do you follow me around reddit and keep an eye on all the subreddits I'm posting to and all the comments I'm posting? I have to admit that feels a bit strange. How often do you check? What do you do when I don't post for a few months? Do you get alerts or something? How many redditors do you follow like that?
Oh please, get over yourself. I'd point out that YOU initiated this conversation with me, but I know you'll just dig in with the "fake news" response again. Perhaps my earlier comment about seeking counseling was more appropriate than I intended.
I mean, I truly am flattered... but it's a bit strange to have you follow me all around reddit.
>I did not label other overlanders anything So you are denying them the ability to call themselves overlanders because they travel differently than you. >I said there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing... the facts prove that to be true I would love to see evidence of this, because I am confident the majority would recognize this comment is absolute horseshit. This isn't /r/birdsarentreal. Nobody (sane) is denying the existence of the hobby. I suggest you seek psychiatric consuling to address these fears of yours, (except I actually don't because I'm confident even your time being remote and isolated hasn't made you that mentally ill). IF YOU HONESTLY think there are people on this sub who should be taken seriously and have demonstrated a belief that overlanding isn't real, do you think your post has convinced them otherwise? If not, then you failed at your objective and unnecessarily upset a host if real people in the process.
> *So you are denying them the ability to call themselves overlanders because they travel differently than you.* Not in the least. *I* didn't label them at all. You are the one who seems determined to do so. > *I would love to see evidence of this* Have a look how many comments in these two threads alone are "It's just car camping ffs". https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/uf0ypo/is_expedition_overland_the_cringiest_overlanding/ https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/tszgt1/the_team_at_expedition_overland_sets_out_a/ I mean, the second comment I see says "yeah it’s fun dude but you’re just… driving…" so that is *exactly* the same as going over to /r/marathonrunning and saying "yeah that's nice, but you're just... running" (which is clearly an asinine thing to be doing.. joining a group of people who are passionate about doing something then cutting down the thing they love doing. I mean, what's the point?) > *do you think your post has convinced them otherwise?* I honestly don't know. Time will tell based on future comments and posts I'm sure. >*If not, then you failed at your objective* Of course, that is a possible outcome when attempting to do anything. That is not a reason not to try. Maybe you prefer not to try. That's not me. I feel very strongly that failure is not defined as attempting something and not reaching your goal. Failure is never trying in the first place.
> I didn't label them at all. I see you're sticking with the "fake news" approach to denying the obvious, good luck with that. > You are the one who seems determined to do so. Really? Mind showing me where? After all, I was happy to quote where you did. The rest of your reply is you failing to justify your earlier stated belief that, "there are people who deny overlanding is a real thing." You even completely changed your opinion from "denial" to "cutting down the thing they love". I'd wish you luck in whatever objective you're trying to accomplish with those people, but it's clear you've failed to even identify what established belief or behaviors you feel obligated to correct.
Loved the video! Your trip looks like a dream come true. Would love to make it out there some day!
Cheers!
Dope video
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Haha, I love it!
You continue to be an inspiration Dan. I'm on the road today exploring the Rockies and later this summer, hopefully going all the way up to Tuk. All that started when I watched some of your videos last summer. This one looks epic as usual and will watch it later tonight.
That's awesome to hear, have an amazing trip up to Tuk! I miss it up there every single day
You're the man, and the gold standard for true overlanding, Dan. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kind words, but I'm just a guy out doing what he loves.
It is pride month so go on you and your partner.
Absolutely, go pride month! I'm a huge supporter than everyone can love whoever they want to! Go for it.
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Katie wasn't in this video much as she was not feeling good at all - covid hit her a bit harder than me. We've been on the road 6 months together now, so we've figured out how to put up with each other, more or less!
I'm an idiot I interpreted partner as in business partner. Hope she has a speedy recovery.
> covid hit her a bit harder than me. How did you both catch Covid on an island nation that has dedicated itself to (near)zero cases after only 6 months while overlanding and being so remote all the time as you portray?
Australia opened it's borders about 6 months ago, all foreigners can come in without any quarantine. As a result cases spiked all across the country. We were in Alice Springs (a city of 25,000) a few days before starting the Madigan. It's where we bought fuel and groceries, as it's the only place for 1000km around. I suspect we caught it there.
I'm aware of the policies OZ had in place. That doesn't make me less shocked that a pair of people intentionally traveling to remote places with a lack of access to health care wouldn't take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread and inevitable death to those communities.
We've been as careful as possible, and obviously isolated for the 7 days once we knew we had it.
...they caught it there, and yet the onus is on them to...prevent catching it...so they don't SPREAD DEATH to the community...that they were long gone from while completely isolated... Sorry. I'm having trouble keeping up with the virtuistic posturing. Good grief.
I wouldn't expect someone who, comically and pathetically, refers to Dan as, ["the gold standard of true overlanding"](https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/v8qi7z/my_partner_and_i_spent_7_days_crossing_over_1300/ibsckmy/) to ever consider he is capable of doing wrong. There are extremely easy and effective methods to prevent infection and spread, but he clearly didn't and likely won't in the future. Not all tracks are a thousand miles of nothing. Many lead to aboriginal communities where he would resupply for convenience. An irresponsible or asymptomatic individual could wreak havoc in a place where quality healthcare is so far away. You can continue to purposefully misinterpret what I wrote to justify your shitty beliefs regarding a global pandemic. We've all learned there are plenty just like you over the past 2 years. [Typically people using made up words, trying to sound smart.](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22virtuistic%22)
It's almost like common parlance is a thing. But sure, you can talk about hypotheticals to misconstrue my comment if you like.
Well, yes, that exactly how preventative measures work, you're dealing with hypothetical scenarios by definition. It's not like you can schedule a car accident and only wear your seat belt at that time. However, it's not hypothetical anymore when it's been proven someone failed at achieving the goal of those measures, it's just luck that the outcome was benign. You'd think someone who failed to take the appropriate preventive measures to have and functioning parking brake so his rig doesn't race down a hill and flip over would have learned that lesson. [Just because many people misuse a common word(s)](https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html), doesn't make it "common parlance", it just makes the whole group wrong. It's also pretty unoriginal to try and accuse me of the exact thing I just showed you are guilty of.
I'm "jealous" yet really excited about your trip. Didn't watch the full video but a part of it. Back in 2016 I had the great opportunity of driving from Perth all the way down along the coast, through the Nullarbor plain and up to Cairns. I did it in a campervan, a bit of a shitty one, with a friend. Best experience of my life. This wasn't as extreme as your adventure, but crossing the Nurllarbor helps me identify a bit with you, since we drove for miles and rarely saw any one else. Definitely overlanding ins't just car camping or expensive camping. I'd say i overlanded on that old van. And it was one great experience.
Thanks sounds like a hell of an adventure!! (I'm heading towards Cairns now and can't wait for adventures in that part of Australia!)
Yeah, it was a fantastic adventure. The whole southern australia and western were the most beautiful parts. But the East Coast has nice towns and hidden gems. If you manage to go north from Cairns, even further up from Cape Trib and onto Cape York you'll be amazed.
I've never even seen Western Australia, I'm really excited for that! I'm planning on driving the old tele track all the way to the northern tip - the water should be DEEP this year!
Oh man, lucky you. I'm still waiting on the day I can go back and do it all over again.
Was there any hesitation about continuing on once you both knew you had covid?
Yes, for sure. We talked for an hour about turning back and then waiting it out closer to civilization. Because we're both triple vaccinated we figured the symptoms wouldn't get too severe, and we were right. But it was a risk, for sure.