Everything went quiet, and time stopped for a moment. Then suddenly, loud rumbles and howling wind filled my ears. I ran back inside, yelling for my family to get down to the small laundry room. But it was already too late. Tornado!

The unfortunate truth is that overlanding in its truest form—the kind that demanded skill, grit, and a profound respect for the wild—has been suffocated by its own popularity. What we’re left with is a new definition: "car camping" with a hefty price tag.