I have been overlanding for years and have experienced the ups and the downs of this type of traveling. Let me share my views on the question of worth.
Is overlanding worth it? Yes it is. The amount of money it costs to get your vehicle ready, the potential loss of income, the extra risks you take being away from home, in the end is all worth it. Because nobody ever said on their deathbed, I wish I would have worked more.
You might be contemplating, planning or going on your first test trip overlanding and you are wondering if all this hard work is going to pay off. Let’s discuss some ideas that might change the way you think about overlanding or even life.
What experienced overlanders say when you ask them if it is worth it
I asked this question on my instagram, Is overlanding worth it? and got so many replies. The quick and easy answer was yes. Others mentioned it is way they live for. Someone said “it is a way to see what is really out there. It builds respect and breaks down prejudice”. The experience of overlanding is second to none someone else mentioned. It makes you feel alive, one commenter said.
Now that might all sound very nice, you say. But from my point of view there are a lot of things I’m not sure about. Is it really a good idea? What will my family think? Do I really want to spend that much money on traveling? What if my vehicle breaks down? What if…
The list might go on for many more miles, staying right where you are, that list will not get any shorter. The only way to find out if overlanding is worth it to you, is by doing it.
Start small and take a test trip before investing it all
The best tip I can give you is to start small. Plan a trip that is slightly further, longer, more remote than any of your previous journeys. Buy one or two pieces of equipment you think you would need on your dream adventure. Get it second hand if money is an issue.
Then take that trip and check at the end if it was as good as you would have expected. Be honest with yourself, can you see a future where you will go on these trips more often? Or even plan a trip around the world? Take as many test trips as you want. Most of us take years to prepare for a round the world trip. Incrementally improving our vehicle, our equipment, our skills and our confidence.
Don’t believe the dream pictures of instagram
There are always part of a trip that aren’t so glamorous. Those are the things you don’t see on instagram. Cleaning the dishes in freezing weather, going for a pee in the middle of the night, changing money in a shady corner of the local market, bribing the border agent so that he will finally allow you to cross. Those moments are also part of the journey. The highs make up for the lows. And without the lows, you would not even recognise the highs.
So if at one point in one of your test trips, you are doubting it this lifestyle is for you. Check in with yourself if this feeling is just temporary or a growing sense that overlanding might not be your thing.
You don’t have to buy the biggest and best to get started with overlanding
Let me say that again, you don’t have to buy the biggest and best of the best to get started with overlanding. Browsing through magazines, blogs and instagram posts it might seem that you can only go overlanding with a shiny new 4x4, but that is what consumerism has taught us over the years. You cannot enjoy without spending a big buck. Total nonsense of course but it has been so engrained into our habits that it is a hard one to unlearn.
Getting started with the things you have and slowly upgrading your kit over time will make sure you avoid making costly mistakes. Because the reality is that everyone has a different traveling style. Just because Jim has been overlanding for 20 years and he has car brand A doesn’t mean that this will be the brand that suits your style. Find out your jam, before pulling out your wallet.
What will my family think?
Are you planning on leaving solo and afraid what your partner might say? Or are you taking your family out for a trip and are worried about the grandparents disagreeing with your style of travel. It is a perfectly normal to be worried about your families reaction. There are plenty of ways to tell them what you are planning of doing or maybe just dreaming of. Share your thoughts early on and take them on the journey of preparation to create buy in from them over time.
The selling everything fallacy for a trip around the world
This is how basically every overlanding story begins: I had a dream, sold everything I owned and started traveling the world. Sound familiar? I also fell into the trap of starting of my story like this to reporters or backpackers I met on the road. Hardly realising that what I was saying was a lie.
I didn’t sell everything. There were still a dozen of boxes stored on the attic of a friend. I never owned a house, so there was nothing to sell and besides a few second hand pieces of furniture, there was nothing of real value that could be sold to go into funding of my dream adventure.
What I did do, was sell as many items that had some value that I didn’t want to keep. Old electronics or clothes. But most of the things managed to find their way into those boxes. It was more than I expected it to be.
Coming home after 14 months and brining those boxes into my new home I realised that I didn’t remember what was in most of those cardboard containers. Upon opening I was sometimes happy to see some of the things I kept, like childhood memories or keepsakes. Other times I immediately threw something on the donation pile because the trip had changed my mindset and I realised I would’t need this anymore.
Spent money at home vs spent money on the road
Most of us spend far more money at home than strictly necessary. A cup of coffee here, a Netflix account there. All these little things add up to a significant amount at the end of the month. It is also called lifestyle inflation. Think back at when you were in college and survived on ramen noodles and eggs. The difference in your spending pattern is huge.
Life on the road, the style of the longterm overlander, usually turns out to be cheaper for most. There is no need for mindless entertainment because every day in an adventure. No more theatre tickets or Super Bowl matches to go to. Now your life is so full of events that you don’t need to spend such big amounts on things that only last a few hours.
So even though overlanding might seem like a big spend, in the end it might turn out to be cheaper in the day to day expenses.
Why is Overlanding so popular?
It is a form of travel where you can experience a level of freedom that is hard to find in any other way. It is the fact that the journey becomes the goal rather than the destination. And with the rise of the internet, sharing your adventures and learning from each other has never been easier.
So getting inspired to travel in your own vehicle is easier than ever. The #vanlife movement on instagram has been a huge boost for the overlanding in the European sense of the word. In the American sense of the word, overlanding and offroading has always been popular on that side of the planet, since all Americans are descendants of some type of immigrant.
Another reason is the level of peace the world is experiencing right now, this time in the history of mankind, is the most peaceful ever. It makes traveling around the world without flying obtainable and safe. I guess those pageant queens were right! World peace is a dream come true.
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