Or is it? Outdoor recreation has experienced a huge renaissance within the last decade, several of which are motorsport related activities. Rock Crawling,Motorcross, desert racing, or the subaru that travels around camping in National Forest campgrounds. One of these activities is an activity which many have dubbed "overlanding." This moniker has been so integrated into the mainstream that I feel it has somewhat lost some of it's meaning, as well as gain a very disdainful and bitter following in the process. As with any new and popular activity, it will have some growing pains. Novice travelers being one of these. If you take people who have never put up a tent and send them into the wilderness with no training, no experience, and no knowledge of etiquette, how are we supposed to expect them to know to tread lightly?
When asked "What is overlanding" many fumble with the answer and some play it off with some self mockery, or try to make it seem much more than it really is. I feel that my answer is this: Overlanding is remote vehicle based travel, where self reliance brings simple joy to the traveler. It's got nothing to do with expensive equipment, social media following, huge meets, or pretty new vehicles. With that said, a big following does help, and the occasional splurge on a nice piece of equipment can make your trip much more enjoyable. My following has helped me gain several lifelong friends from all over the continent, many of which have helped us in our travels, or driven down the coast of California to bring us some much needed beers during our stayin Santa Cruz.
As someone who enjoys the ourdoors, we must share our beliefs, our commitment to preservation and conservation, and our never ending desire to explore. To answer the question, No, it's not all the same damn thing. We are different people with varying interests, and just because we enjoy one common hobby does NOT make all of us similar. Get out and do what you enjoy. Be safe, responsible, and have fun.
