Alaska Overland Show

I watched quite a few episodes, but didn't like it very much. It came across as pretty trashy and I got the impression that 2 or 3 of the people were on drugs or were ex-junkies. A bit annoying to watch someone fidgeting, shaking, and chain smoking, trying to maneuver a truck through axle deep mud.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
So the general consensus:

- These guys (and gals, as there was at least 1 woman I think) were not following one continuous route from southern Alaska to the northern part; rather they were driving a bunch of sidetrails off of main routes probably?

- These people were not very good representatives of the overlanding/offroading community...on this I partly agree; they could have shown a little more respect for the land and it would have been nice to seem them take their time and focus on the technical aspects of driving over rough terrain. Though I only saw 1 episode, and to some degree trail "damage" will happen when you're driving down a tract that sees very little traffic.

- Overlanding is a broadly defined activity, and people shouldn't worry too much about what is and what is not considered 'overlanding.'
 

mtbxj87

Adventurer
Wow, I had no idea.. I couldn't watch more than the intro of that video. I do not miss having television! Again, the media making stupid people famous
 

laufer

New member
I had some downtime yesterday and watched the first three episodes. I also found some of the characters and their behaviors hard to relate to, and I share the concerns that this show is giving offroading and overlanding a bad name. I explained to my wife that it represents largely the opposite of what I like to do and what, say, Andrew St. Pierre White from 4XOverland represents.

On the plus side, I liked
  • the scenery and terrain
  • the occasional explanations of the technology
  • the all-vintage lineup of vehicles, especially the overrepresentation of Toyotas from three decades :D
  • the woman driver and her copilot's laid-back attitude
  • how the guy in the Land Rover spoke up against damaging the environment and other irresponsible behaviors
On the minus side, I would have preferred more transparency about refueling, cooking, and other supports provided to the teams.

IMO here is a great example of an offroad show done right. Its subject is the SuperKarpata, an annual competition through very challenging terrain in the Carpathian Mountains in western Romania. At each stage, the competing teams have to find their own route through a relatively large corridor; there are time penalties for leaving the corridor. The show is a genuine documentary where TV crews report on the progress and challenges of some of the teams. (Proficiency in Alemannic German helpful.)

Some vehicles from past SuperKarpata events have been mentioned in other subforums.
 

Salue

Adventurer
It's disappointing to think that a majority of the viewers will assume that's what typical behavior is for overlanders/offroaders. That show didn't put the hobby in any good light no matter how you look at it.
 

CurtStyler

Observer
I tried watching the show but it just hurt. I live down in Florida and this style of off-roading is most of what happens around here. I see jacked up trucks, covered in mud, no exhaust ripping up trails and rolling over bushes or trees. It's the same story in most of the 4x4 magazines out there. Mainstream off-roading seems to be more about who can get the most dirt on their rig the fastest, environment be damned.

It's why I love Overland Journal so much. It's great to see others promoting responsible travel, where meeting people along the way and pushing yourself is more important than the size of your boggers.
 

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