STOP Wasting Money on Overlanding Gear You Don't Need!

People always make fun and say.. so you just drive around by yourself and then camp? No one in the car to talk to or hang out with?? I laugh and say we do have HT’s to talk and part of the fun is talking about and showing off new stuff on your rig that you’ve done and the new gizmos you made or bought for cooking or sleeping… in all honesty you guys are right… you could have the same time driving a mostly stock AWD or 4X with a cooler and a $20 big 5 ground tent.. I can only speak for dudes here but we like building and upgrading and gizmos and prepping so this hobby as ridiculous and unneeded as it can be gives us purpose and an escape.

Just like any other outdoor activity like backpacking, fishing, hunting, hiking, etc... Pack light and be smart about your trips. Your gear isn't going to help you if you don't know how to drive in the first place.

Hey! I live in Boulder Colorado and have a pretty well equip 5th gen 4Runner. None of my connections here have much experience “overlanding” and I was wondering how can I myself find trails or spots that I can go and camp?

...but it makes me look soooo cooool

There is a reason why the untied states has the most powerful economy. They're really good at making people buy things they don't need.

It's all about perspective as well! As an adventure motorcycle camper, "overlanding" on four wheels is pure luxury glamping to me! Something as simple as those oversized camping chairs you guys are using in this video is a huge luxury!

Would you recommend a lift kit or tires as a first purchase toward this hobby? Or is it more beneficial to do both at the same time? (I just got a 2025 Rav4)

Haven't had my Ironman Foam Cell Pros out on the trail yet. Got a day trip planned tomorrow to try them out. Also got the Ironman skids.

Great video! I am definitely in agreement with everything you have mentioned. My 2024 two door Rubicon is completely stock. I don't need lifts, big tires, light bar, or a rooftop tent, solar panels, refrigerator, extra gas, etc. Everywhere they have gas, they have ice. I have recovery gear, tools, and just basic food. 85 percent is non perishable. I am a solo overlander and live out of my Jeep and currently into Ride BDR. Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. I did order my my Jeep with the winch package because I wanted steel bumpers because we have a bazillion deer where I live. I want everything stock and a warranty.

One thing I have never understood is WHY does every overlander or stealth camper INSIST on cooking a 3 course meal with the strongest smelling ingredients every video? Drives me mad… just get easy to store and eat food

ha ha ha you guys are fun. Way too many gadgets and awesome looking SUV's and tents and all that goes with it and it's comfort ...

It is similar to guys who r use to having a gun , to leave the gun makes them feel vulnerable ..

Thank you much for the opinions you put into this.❤

Car camping. No different.

My completely stock jeep liberty can go 95% of the places these "overlanders" go

This is actually NEEDED for People who live in arizona, and traveling to california, you can calculate how much gas you need, too off your tanks, and never spend a dollar at gas stations in california (6 dollars a gallon)

Have you guys commented on lights, both front and rear?

Overloanding is camping. It’s just gimmick. Tires. Dirt bike gas can if you go far anyway, patch kit and full size spare. Spend your money on decent tent, cooler and sleeping bag

I’ve taken my rock 2000tundra to places overlanders wouldn’t dare lol. You should but top notch stuff if you are alone, way out past hiking distance, no garmin and no survival skills. Just practice. Go out and have fun. Don’t over do it. This is a problem in motorcycle and gun community too. Good video.

Every single hobby community eventually comes to a stage where they have to admit they don’t really need all the expensive shit but like to buy it anyways. We’re all just adults LARPing the ways we wish we could have as a kid.

I bought a geo tracker from an over lander and I have been removing weight for a while now. I like trackers and this one was 2500 bucks. The swampers came off first because they suck on the road. The rock sliders weigh more than the geo and they came off so I could do some rocker panel work and they will stay off. It has heavy duty bumpers with a nine thousand pound winch that I will never use. i need a new rear diff because the locker they put in this one drags the rear tires around every corner. A stock geo tracker will do so much off road you don't need all this crap. The snorkle kit looks stupid but the original air box is gone so I have no choice but to keep this stupid looking thing. I am way too poor to be able to go off road.

huge thanks for this video, we are currently changing to a 4WD setup having been overlanding for a while.. great insights on what is really important!

I wouldn’t call it a scam…….Its more of a character flaw. Chasing status………or an unhealthy obsession with being recognized as an “outdoorsman”.

As you get older, you'll find you do need a lot of that gear. Or at least the convenience factor is worth every penny. When you're young, working at camp is all part of the experience. When you're older, you're just done working & want to get to the relax part asap.

The 3 R's = Rubber, Recovery, Ride height. Everything else is unnecessary weight, space and money.

I like what this talks about because in my case, I definitely need a new vehicle before off-roading in order to go to some great places for fly fishing that are hard to get to. But in most cases, not only will the vehicle I have be enough to do it, most areas I have in mind, can’t be accessed by vehicles at all and mostly require walking and hikes to access. So in my mind, if I desperately need an off-road rig, I need something that won’t get stuck in the common landscapes I wish to visit, and will have space for all the essentials and gear I need that doesn’t make my vehicle look like I’m living inside it. All in all, this video helps follow through that mindset of essentials and working with what you have and getting only what is absolutely necessary.

I tried overlanding and at night a bear came and peed all over some gear I had left outside. That was it for me. Sold my rig and prefer staying on commercial campsites now that are surrounded by fences.

here's the thing, 99% of the time you are never going to be somewhere you can't hike out for help. Backpackers hike hundreds sometime thousands of miles. So being 50 miles out on a trial is a 2 day hike. All you need is food, water and shelter.

Practical advise 👍🏼. Subscribed and then saw you already are way ahead of 1k subs 🤓. ♥️

E load is better for airing down safely. And side wall strength

I car camped in dispersed areas in CO, NV, OR, WA, MT, and CA from 6-2002 to 10-2004 in a 1981 BMW 320is. First few weeks I was shipping stuff back that I didn't need.

Built a full-on over lander during the couf. Water filtration, solar, galley, and RTT. It's collecting dust while the stock Ranger Raptor goes "over landing". 😅

Growing up in Colorado I’ve seen kids bring 20 year old Subaru station wagons up jeep trails to get to our parties.

It’s the driver more than the car.

I agree with some of what you said but ->
1. Rock Sliders not being needed is wrong. Just the protection from rock and mud showering your side is already enough to make them usefull.
2. Winch - Life saver. If you get stuck alone the winch only will save you.
3. Tires are 70% of your vehicles performance. Large tires are not required for overlanding. Especially if you are a good offroad driver.
4. Suspension is a must but, depends on where you plan to go, how rough it is.
5. Wheel spacers, usless.
6. Racks, cannot overland without them.
7. Extra fuel - Life saver, however having fuel tanks on the side of the vehicle will just get stuck against a tree in dense tree areas.

Tards , it looks like you are driving around in a manicured park . Recovery gear is essential in real off road conditions especially if you are alone , getting bogged and unable to get out in the Aussie out back can cost you your life .

You guys hit the nail on the head. great video I remember having fun with my dad in a 84 Chevy slip posi no winch just driving off road. seeing some cool sights, people used to do this on horses why do we need all that gear. Again great video enjoy your adventures have a blast!!

RTT are the best examples of marketing success to sell items that are truly overpriced and over engineered to make people think they need them. A standard tent can provide more sq ft of space at half the cost, half the maintenance, and half the weight.

The only statement ive heard i could not argue in defense of RTT use is “I am afraid of bears”.

Where do u guys sleep in these cars ?

A couple of things. First off instead of Winches what’s the best thing to have? A friend with a winch.

Also cooking Carne Asada in a wok is borderline sacrilegious! Appreciate the video.✌🏽🤭🙏

Im not even using “overlanding” as a word.
I always say “camping”.
Being able to bring your 4wheels in site is a luxury to have because you can bring a lot of stuff with it. But if i’m going to bring a full kitchen, might as well stay at home.
What i cannot understand is people being noisy and loud and becoming disturbance in site. If they want to party, might as well stay in the city.

It kills me when I see videos of guys sleeping in their $5000 rooftop tent when they have enough room in the back of their truck to sleep. Saw a video recently where a whole group got stormed on and everyone was soaked and freaking out in their rooftop tents while the one guy sleeping in his truck bed kept on snoozing happily.

Mates,i go mud ,trails ,forests,fields on my 1gen nissan leaf and i have fun of it😂
I even sleep in it sometimes and having s*x with da girls.
I mean the main idea is going somewhere closer to nature and be happy of it.I just take my tent,some gear for making fire,and some food to coock.The only basic thing u should have is clearence and some skills of driving,i mean u don't even need 4×4 to have good time of your life😂
Cheers

We used to call this camping. Not sure wtf all this "overlanding" crap is about.

Light bars and camping are not overlanding. International travel (crossing boarders) with your own vehicle (feet, bicycle, moto, van, or truck) is overlanding. If you are traveling with a buddy and not rock crawling a tow strap (maybe synthetic line and a block) is probably all you need. If you are stuck in a place where no one will come by for a week or 2, then a winch might be needed depending on where you are going. My truck carries 140 gallons of diesel/gasoline and have used it up to 110 - not because there was no diesel just that I didn't want the diesel that was available. My wife and I lived in our vehicle for 2.5 years, visited 57 countries, and traveled 90,000 miles when Covid stopped us - we are heading out internationally again next year.
Your recommendations are great for USA forest service road and good trails, and camping is the way to go.

Are most overland males Gay …?!? Or just Bi

I can relate to the winch. Only 2 times I’ve ever used it was go get a broken down truck up the hill into the gas station parking lot and the 2nd time i saw someone get stuck in the mud on the freeway and winched them out. Got a thank you from them and the chp officer on the scene.

Overlanding is putting as much off road accessories on as possible, then go down a fire road while being filmed with a drone, with dramatic music playing in the background. Stop for one night, cook a steak with veggies, then on the way home, ask people to like & subscribe.

Hey everyone!!! We just wanted to thank you guys for the INCREDIBLE discussion we've been having down here in the comment section! There are so many great perspectives and thoughtful inputs. It blew up down here so we're still trying to read everything and respond where we can!

We also wanted to reiterate that people interact with this hobby in a lot of different ways. We're not trying to pass judgement on anyone's purchases, or tell people how they should spend their money. You know better than we do if the trails you are running might require use of a winch. We just want to try to lower the perceived barrier to entry to getting out in the woods and having fun. Marketing is a hell of a drug!