Is Overlanding Dead?

Overlanding Rigs are all over the place —a shiny purpose-built vehicle with all the extreme self-reliant gear bolted onto a zombie apocalypse-prepped vehicle parked right next to a minivan at Walmart. 

I have always believed that a well-equipped vehicle is the means to an adventure. But the term "Overlanding" was a popular word around the Pandemic. Still, after I understood what overlanding meant, it was no different than what I knew growing up: self-sufficiency and the humility of being a small human in a vast wilderness God created. Where the destination was less important than the complex, demanding journey of vehicle-dependent exploration.

Recently, a fellow advocate for Overlanding and a frequent watch for me, Varsity Overland, did a piece on the fact that Overlanding might be dead. Well, it prompted me to summarize the history of this exploratory culture and determine if that was true. For the last 10 years, I have paid close attention to this overlanding culture and watched how it has boomed into a marketing opportunity for everyone, yes, everyone who has an eye for the outdoors. 

I have researched this phenomenon and summarized how a rugged pursuit of adventure became a mainstream trend.

To view the video fieldwork, use this link: Overlanding Dead?

Read the full study report: Document 1