What We Have Learned From European Overlanders

We had the best seat in the house to witness the sunset and for the following day’s hot air balloon show, which was scheduled to arrive as the sun rose, a hundred multicolored balloons competing in an endless Turkish sky. Parked on the rim of a canyon overlooking Cappadocia in central Turkey, we watched bemused as a relatively large white overland truck searched a track-riddled hill for a level area to camp. I sipped a cold beer and watched the truck attempt what we had so many times before and since.

The following day after a spectacular spectacle, a cup of coffee, and a fried egg sandwich, we packed the Defender and drove back towards the main road to find that the white truck had eventually found a place to camp and was accompanied by a 4×4 van which also bore Swiss license plates. We introduced ourselves and soon learned that the white camper truck was called a T-Rex (made by Gremel), which though large, was light enough to be driven on a standard European license, that the couple in the truck had been overlanding since the ’70s and that the 4×4 van belonged to their son who had been out of the Swiss military long enough to grow a man bun. They had recently crossed into Turkey from Iran, where they lamented the country’s modernization. The T-Rex was perhaps their tenth overland vehicle – they had owned and traveled in everything from small French sedans to Defenders, Land Cruisers, Pinzgauers, Unimogs, MAN trucks, and motorbikes. They declared the T-Rex to be the best of them all. But this article is not about the truck; it is about the people (the photos are more about the trucks because we know you all love some good old-fashioned truck porn).

Europeans are by far the most prolific international overland travelers. Germans and Swiss scour the planet seeking adventure and sunshine. Polish, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, British, Scandinavians, and the occasional Belgian or Italian can be found at the furthest reaches of the globe, enjoying a glass of wine and a salad. High salaries, protective labor laws, and social systems allow the good people of Europe to fulfill their dreams without compromising their future. And there would be many more families overlanding the globe if not for the restrictive European homeschooling laws – many young couples are choosing not to have children; they have dogs instead.

I remember camping near Cape Town back home in South Africa; many of the vehicles in the camp were European vehicles that housed German or Swiss couples. After seven years of extensive travel over four continents, we often shared a campfire with our European brethren and learned a few things from and about them.

1. Travel when you can

Over centuries, the long, cold European winters have molded Europeans into the culture they enjoy today. We have cheese, sausage, jam, and marmalade because the Europeans learned that they had to work hard in the summer months and preserve food for the winter; a strong work ethic and community bonds ensured survival. Modern Europeans do not need to survive the winters; instead, they follow the sun south from youth to old age, enjoying glorious summers at home before returning to their overland rigs as autumn approaches. Students, as do bankers, engineers, and the white-collared masses, take advantage of the long summer holidays to travel.

2. Multi linguisity is an asset

It is rare to meet a European who does not speak at least two languages, and they almost all seem to speak English. The Swiss speak Swiss German, French, English, and Italian, the Germans speak French and English, and the Scandinavians need more languages to learn. Not only does this allow them to immerse into foreign cultures, but it also allows them to communicate in other languages as they have an excellent base for understanding new dialects and nuance.

3. Do not fear the planet or her people

Europe suffered enough war and bloodshed to learn unity and compromise. Yes, there is a rivalry between the nationalities (and the French can be maddeningly, stubbornly French), but the subcontinent is small – modern vehicles and unfenced borders allow the flow of people and ideas. It is only natural that people who do not exist in a monoculture become great travelers as they explore the planet overland respectfully.

4. Don’t fear the cold

European campers are almost always equipped with a Planar or Webasto heater; the younger dreadlocked overlanders may even install a wood-burning stove. And though they do not particularly enjoy colder climes, they will drive across Russia in winter if necessary. Some even do it for fun. We camped with a British couple in Bulgaria (they call themselves Trucked Off). While we headed south to escape the winter, they drove their self-built Defender into Siberia in December, and Dutch LandCruising Adventures beat a similar path through ice and snow. Where there are people, you will survive, and the more hostile the environment, the more hospitable the locals are.

5. Eat your veggies and drink water

While South Africans grill meat, potatoes, and corn on a large campfire, our European camp neighbors enjoy a balanced meal of grains, pasta, vegetables, and fruit. And while it may seem like we have a more enjoyable meal, they are eating the healthier, cheaper meal. Ten Euros will buy roughly two pounds of meat in Morocco, while the same amount of cash will buy twenty pounds of vegetables! While we are swigging smuggled beer and burning through coal and wood, they are sipping on water and wine. Yes, we are far more interesting (and significantly larger), but they are much brighter (must have something to do with all those nutrients). What we spend in four months on food and refreshments, they spend in a year, and they can enjoy restaurant food occasionally while we simply cannot.

6. Everything in moderation

And I am not just talking about food and drink. Our northern cousins tend to walk the middle ground and have balanced, educated, and sensible opinions just left or right from a broad political canter. Of course, we are generalizing, but it is scarce to meet an extremist; they indeed do exist, but they are not travelers; they are staring at a screen somewhere in a dank room, screaming. A good night of drinking with friends ends with hugs and laughs, and everyone contributes equally to the festivities.

7. Modesty is admired

But man, the Swiss do not hold back when building an overland truck! And some Germans have vehicles that would make a Texan whistle. While their rigs may be OTT, the inhabitants are friendly, curious, hospitable, and usually charming. If anything, they are slightly embarrassed that they need so much muchness while treasuring ground clearance and indoor plumbing. And though the big riggers are undoubtedly well-heeled, they do not imagine themselves to be better than anyone else on an existential level – the population of Europe is majority middle class and therefore well equipped to relate to each other.

8. Never miss a chance to sit in the sunshine

In Africa, we have a saying – “Only mad dogs and Englishman go out in the midday sun.” While us pale Africans are sweating in the shade, the English, French, Swiss, Germans, Belgians, Dutch, and Italians are eating lunch and drinking aperitifs under a glaring sun. They seem to have the ability to absorb radiation and store it deep down inside, to be released as the mercury drops.

Europeans like to laugh, eat, drink, be merry, live well, and travel well.