Adventure

You Might be an Overlander…

/ April 1st, 2015

If you’ve perused the Fireside Chat section of our forum recently, you may have noticed a thread titled, You might be an overlander. This little gem is filled with all the great stereotypes and funny realities of what many of us do as “overlanders”. If nothing else it gave everyone here at the office a good laugh and allowed us to sit back and just make fun of each other for a while. Sometimes a few chuckles in the midst of a stressful day can be just what the doctor ordered, which is why we decided to share it with you. Take a look at a few of our favorites and then submit your own here.

 

You might be an overlander….

  • If you have Titanium silverware but use a cast iron Dutch oven for cooking, you might be an overlander
  • If your camp kitchen is better equipped than your home kitchen, you might be an overlander
  • If your truck has a more expensive fridge than your house, you most certainly are an overlander.
  • If you have more titanium in and around your vehicle than a nasa project, you might be an overlander.
  • If you take more pictures of your vehicle than people or places while on vacation, you might be an overlander.
  • If your tent costs more than your monthly mortgage payment, you might be an overlander…or potentially homeless in the near future.
  • If you take camp pictures that feature an overland journal carefully placed on a camp table, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have ever called one of your trips an expedition, you might be an overlander.
  • If you spend more time geting your vehicle ready for your next “expedition” then actually on said expedition, you might be an overlander.
  • If you get in passionate discussions about the importance of quality camping chairs, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have a collection of slightly to never used, other than for testing, gear for self recovery that could extract you from any potential situation, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have dual spares and debate whether your snorkel should face forward or backward you might be an overlander
  • If you check ExpeditionPortal multiple times everyday… you are an overlander.
  • If your camp dinner involves a wine flight, you might be an overlander
  • If 5 or more of your Facebook friend’s profile pics show them wearing an exofficio shirt and tilly hat, you might be an overlander.
  • If your DD has an ax, a machete, an E-tool a bow-saw and they never leave the vehicle.
  • If you’ve read multiple army field manuals (FM-xx) and never served in the military.
  • If you’ve added sophisticated electronics to an “antique” off-road vehicle
  • If your camp chairs are nicer than your patio furniture, you might be an overlander.
  • If your vehicle does not fit in your garage, you might be an overlander.
  • If you added a sticker on your vehicle that specifies the fuel type in Farsi, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have put your ham handle on your windshield, roof, and/or rear of your vehicle, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have perfected the art of buying new gear on the Internet and telling you Wife ( We had this On our last trip ).
  • If you travel with both a spirit and a mixer in a pelican case, you might be an overlander.
  • If you see another rig with a snorkel and automatically feel like you’re friends with it’s driver, you might be an overlander.
  • If you feel sorry for people who sleep in ground tents, you might be an overlander.
  • If you have served a cheese plate during a trail break, you might be an overlander.
  • If you carry 15 extra gallons of gas but fail to bring sufficient water, you might be an overlander
  • If you only travel with craft beer in your fridge, you might be an overlander
  • If you carry a trash can with you on your spare tire, you might be an overlander
  • If your gear storage is more expensive than the gear it contains, you might be an overlander
  • If you deploy a solar array for a weekend camping trip just to power a fridge and mood lighting, you might be an overlander
  • If you require HAM for communicating on the trail between three vehicles 200ft apart, you might be an overlander
  • If your camping gear has more wood and leather than Ron Burgundys home, you might be an overlander
  • If the majority of your time in camp is spent setting up and breaking down equipment, you might be an overlander
  • If youve ever woken up in the middle of the night before a trip to check your gear, you might be an overlander
  • When you leave the paved road and stop to lock in hubs, air down your tires, shift into 4 Low range, and engage your ARB locker, just to traverse the gravel driveway to your campsite at the KOA…
  • If you curate stuff, not just organize it, you might be an overlander

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Chris didn’t receive a real taste of the outdoors until moving to Prescott, Arizona, in 2009. While working on his business degree, he learned to fly and spent his weekends exploring the Arizona desert and high country. It was there that he fell in love with backcountry travel and four-wheel drive vehicles, eventually leading him to Overland Journal and Expedition Portal. After several years of honing his skills in writing, photography, and off-road driving, Chris now works for the company full time as Expedition Portal's Senior Editor while living full-time on the road.