Platforms in Use by Overlanders

VikingVince

Explorer
Doug,

The pics of the rigs and the people are really interesting...thanks

It's also rather striking that there are NO Americans (in 3 years of pics)...mainly Europeans and some Canadians...hmmmmm, what does that say? Food for thought...Americans are afraid to travel that way (media conditioned fear consciousness)...or we have less of an orientation to overlanding than Europeans?
 
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kcowyo

ExPo Original
Great link Doug.

A super collection of overlanding eye-candy. RV's, custom campers, bikers, etc. And not a sad face in the bunch.

Man, the world is a big place....:rolleyes:
 

offroadchef

Adventurer
VikingVince said:
Doug,

The pics of the rigs and the people are really interesting...thanks

It's also rather striking that there are NO Americans (in 3 years of pics)...mainly Europeans and some Canadians...hmmmmm, what does that say? Food for thought...Americans are afraid to travel that way (media conditioned fear consciousness)...or we have less of an orientation to overlanding than Europeans?

may it be that some of them just say " let's sell everything and go" or that they get more vacation time then we do.
 

dhackney

Expedition Leader
VikingVince said:
...Americans are afraid to travel that way (media conditioned fear consciousness)...or we have less of an orientation to overlanding than Europeans?

That would be a hard pick for me, the former or latter.

IMO Americans are fed a constant diet of skewed and filtered information about the outside world that holds very little resemblance to what is actually happening out here. The first reaction/question out of most Americans about our travels relates to fear. I grew up being curious about the world but today, it's hard to find an American who hasn't been taught, and isn't reminded on the news every day, to fear the world.

Europeans have a long cultural history of exploring, discovering and subsequently raping and pillaging, the known (and unknown) world. Consequently, many of their educational themes, literature, heroes and traditions include global aspects. While America's adventures were in the wild west, Europe's were in Africa, India, Asia and everywhere in between. When Americans think of adventure, they think of Moab or some other domestic destination. For Europeans, entry level adventure is Africa.

So, take the two factors together and you've got 300 million Americans afraid to go outside their homes, much less across the border, while you've got 490 million Europeans all aspiring to drive overland to the Cape of Good Hope or Beijing.
 

60seriesguy

Adventurer
Land Cruiser city! Actually, a good mix of solid overland platforms. I am so jealous, I wish I had the time to do a trip like that....someday!
 

ShearPin

Adventurer
Hey - great link. The section on traveling with kids is an interesting idea - looks as though they act as a mailing list for families on the road to meet other families. For kids to have kid time.

Thanks for the link. Our daughters asleep and I've been visiting some of the websites of families on the road with my wife. Forget the link, one couple traveling with 3 boys gave birth to another in Brazil and were back on the road a few weeks later. Brave...


Henry
www.4x4freedom.com
 

VikingVince

Explorer
dhackney said:
That would be a hard pick for me, the former or latter.

IMO Americans are fed a constant diet of skewed and filtered information about the outside world that holds very little resemblance to what is actually happening out here. The first reaction/question out of most Americans about our travels relates to fear. I grew up being curious about the world but today, it's hard to find an American who hasn't been taught, and isn't reminded on the news every day, to fear the world.

Europeans have a long cultural history of exploring, discovering and subsequently raping and pillaging, the known (and unknown) world. Consequently, many of their educational themes, literature, heroes and traditions include global aspects. While America's adventures were in the wild west, Europe's were in Africa, India, Asia and everywhere in between. When Americans think of adventure, they think of Moab or some other domestic destination. For Europeans, entry level adventure is Africa.

So, take the two factors together and you've got 300 million Americans afraid to go outside their homes, much less across the border, while you've got 490 million Europeans all aspiring to drive overland to the Cape of Good Hope or Beijing.

I would say that's an excellent summary of the two scenarios. All of your travels combined with your penchant for in-depth research/study has made you one insightful man. The reflections and research in your blog post re obesity was amazing as well as informative...and I thought you'd just be posting about your travels, more or less...I can see we're in for alot more rather than less (unless you get weary)...in the meantime, lucky us!!:wings:
 

asteele

Observer
Anytime you see a foreign expedition camper in the US you can usually go back to this site and find them there at some point. I saw a German Landcruiser rig this past weekend in Waynesville, NC and sure enough, they had been through Quinta Lala earlier this year.
 

maximumrob

Adventurer
VikingVince said:
Doug,

The pics of the rigs and the people are really interesting...thanks

It's also rather striking that there are NO Americans (in 3 years of pics)...mainly Europeans and some Canadians...hmmmmm, what does that say? Food for thought...Americans are afraid to travel that way (media conditioned fear consciousness)...or we have less of an orientation to overlanding than Europeans?


Did you notice that, far and away, the majority of the people pictured were near the end of their professional careers or retirement age? It takes resources to travel across the pond with one's vehicle and equipment. It also takes MUCH more vacation time than the average white collar worker in the U.S. is permitted to go on those kinds of trips.

I'll bet that there are more Americans driving to and from Mexico and Canada than you think. That's a good thing!

I did see some younger, hippy-looking folk there, but all of us have that "hippy look" when away from showers so it's hard to tell if time and money aren't resources of concern for them. ;)

God bless those that have opportunities for world travel, but generalizing Americans as "fearful" would be inaccurate at the very best.
 

Ron B

Explorer
dhackney said:
That would be a hard pick for me, the former or latter.

IMO Americans are fed a constant diet of skewed and filtered information about the outside world that holds very little resemblance to what is actually happening out here. The first reaction/question out of most Americans about our travels relates to fear. I grew up being curious about the world but today, it's hard to find an American who hasn't been taught, and isn't reminded on the news every day, to fear the world.

Europeans have a long cultural history of exploring, discovering and subsequently raping and pillaging, the known (and unknown) world. Consequently, many of their educational themes, literature, heroes and traditions include global aspects. While America's adventures were in the wild west, Europe's were in Africa, India, Asia and everywhere in between. When Americans think of adventure, they think of Moab or some other domestic destination. For Europeans, entry level adventure is Africa.

So, take the two factors together and you've got 300 million Americans afraid to go outside their homes, much less across the border, while you've got 490 million Europeans all aspiring to drive overland to the Cape of Good Hope or Beijing.

Well said. Sad, but true.
 

Scott Brady

Founder
This family stayed with us in Prescott. Great to see they have made it so far.

070420_FVFV_kl.jpg
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
"This family stayed with us in Prescot.....'

This family also ran Moab with us at the landrover rally, a nice couple,
the kids just seemed a bit travel weary....

small world.......for us travellers..

Mines the red disco 2 two down...and yes that's Mr Burk running tail pilot
MoabLandrover187.jpg
 

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