Overlanding

[Mikeallison]

This has been my latest Google research obsession

From Wikipedia

"Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal."

I like to hike alot, to me it is one of the best parts of living in the western United States. This is kind of the same concept, but in an outfitted expedition style vehicle. As I'm getting closer to FI, I'm really thinking about giving this a go for a few months. Except for the car part it fits with the ERE thing pretty well. You have to reduce your possessions to the bare minimum (no RV). You have to be self reliant (cooking, vehicle maintenance/repair, setting up camp, hygiene, navigation, planning out resupply). Also having a passive income means some long trips! I live close to BC and I think a route through Canada to prudhoe bay may be my first attempt.

When my kids are a bit older I can finally tackle the PCT, but until then this seems like a fun way to explore and take the family along.

Anybody done this kind of thing? Anybody thinking about it?

[C40]

I've been basically overlanding with my self-converted campervan over the last couple years. I also stay in cities a lot (still living in the van there, no hotels or anything).

I don't really do it for the desire to cross remote places like a lot of overlanders do. I like to go camp out in cool remote places and hike/bike/photograph/etc. I've shared a bunch of my travels on my journal here, and a blog at mywilddreams.net/blog

[Mikeallison]

C40,

That is awesome! I'll check it out.

[bryan]

I haven't really looked into overlanding much other than knowing that the rigs are more expensive, rugged (4wd), cool-looking and tend to be more "off road" more (e.g. Russia, Africa, etc) than vandwellers (with vans that stick close to roads, whether in cities or public lands). Many vandwellers have 4wd, though, to access basic off-roads.

I also did vandwelling (see /r/vandwellers) for a couple years. Mostly stuck to cities. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, even if part time (i.e. never pay for road trip accommodations ever again).

I think overlanding or vandwelling is less self-reliant than, say, living in various semi-remote areas. In some ways it's extremely un-self-reliant (e.g. you don't have as much storage space as almost any other living mode). Overlanding leans towards "bad-ass glamping" (and #vanlife leans toward "minimalist glamping").

[C40]

Yes, something like 80% of the "overlanding community" are primarily gear nerds. They obsess over their rigs and how they outfit them, ending up with hundreds of pounds of extra equipment and bolted all over the place. Many of them spend less than 10 days per year actually out overlanding/camping. For many of them, the hobby is more about outfitting their rig and daydreaming while at work. Most folks who are willing/able to spend as much as they do on rigs are tied to full time jobs.

But... there are thousands of guys out meandering around the world quietly doing their own thing, camping, hiking, enjoying nature, and living their own ways.

[Mikeallison]

Yes, something like 80% of the "overlanding community" are primarily gear nerds.

This is exactly what I'm working on now. My landcruiser already gets terrible mileage, not sure I want to make it worse by over doing it. Right now I'm thinking I'll stick with the stock tire size with more aggressive tread, roof rack, air compressor, maybe a rooftop tent. That's about it as far as vehicle mods.

I'm open to suggestions on cheap ways to do the day to day necessities(water, food, hygiene). Im sure there have been lessons learned in van life?

@bryan

Ya I don't plan on growing my own food in the truck or anything, so I guess self reliant isn't quite right. But you do need to depend on alot of different skill sets, manage resources well, etc. In that way I think it would be good practice and alot of fun.

[bryan]

Well put @C40. I was trying to word it myself (was going to reference the dirtbags, retirees, or just regular folk vandwellers) but couldn't.

@Mikeallison, for water (or fuel) you can custom form, build tanks basically anywhere (under, inside, front, rear). No need for cuboid, cylinder shapes, just be sure the liquid can drain and the structure won't deform (especially in a crash) in a bad way. Some folks use large pipes on the roof to store water (possible benefit of gravity plumbing or solar heating), but that comes at the cost of becoming top heavy. But yeah, vandwelling and live-aboard sailboat community (either is bigger than overlanding, I think) means lots of resources out there. Specific searches on Youtube is a pretty reasonable way to start discovering good resources.

[Mikeallison]

@Bryan

The pipes on the roof for water storage is a new one, I'll have to look into that. I also saw something kinda cool where a guy used a metal cylinder with an air valve on it for his shower set up. He would pressurize the tank using a bike pump, seemed to work well.

[C40]

Storing water up high is a way to heat the water, but it is a bad idea for the vehicle's weight distribution. Water is really heavy. Heavy things should be stored as low as possible.

If you're thinking about showers (if you've thought, I need to be clean, so I need a way to take showers), I'd suggest that you are not analyzing needs clearly. We just need to clean ourselves. That doesn't require a shower and in fact can use very little water (like 1 cup of water per cleaning) if done more efficiently (like, for example, a rag bath using a bandana)

[Mikeallison]

If you're thinking about showers (if you've thought, I need to be clean, so I need a way to take showers), I'd suggest that you are not analyzing needs clearly. We just need to clean ourselves. That doesn't require a shower and in fact can use very little water (like 1 cup of water per cleaning) if done more efficiently (like, for example, a rag bath using a bandana)

This would depend on the length and type of trip for me. For some reason I can hike for a week with nothing but a dip in the creek, but sitting in an enclosed cab for an extended period, with nothing but sponge baths? I'd be open to trying it, but I dunno. I'm a big guy, and I can get pretty smelly. Plus I would have kids along and that complicates things. I would rather hose them off if at all possible haha. But I get where you are coming from if I'm in an arid, remote location. I would either skip the bath or do like you are recommending and use a wash cloth in that situation.

How do you manage your food, if you don't mind me asking?

[C40]

My personal example: I've went for 10 months straight at a time only cleaning myself with water and bandanas. It gets me over 95% as clean as taking a shower. This was mostly in dry areas but it also works in humid places. (I am pretty small and don't get particularly stinky compared to others). I started doing this while I still had a girlfriend. She has a very strong sense of smell and she noticed no difference. During the 10 months straight I was going on dates and having sex and it all worked out great.

Food has turned out to be very easy, thanks in large part fo having a solar electric system in my van and a 45 quart refrigerator (the size of a large cooler). I eat mostly vegetables, chicken, rice, beans/lentils, bread/tortillas. The fridge can hold more than enough food for me (one active person eating quite a lot), and if I fill up the fridge entirely, the fresh food will be going rotten before the fridge is empty of food. I cook using a little one-burner propane stove that attaches to the top of bottles.

[bryan]

Yeah, showers seem to be a common "I thought I needed it, but I didn't" thing. I encountered it myself (during my two years in the van, wet wipes were good enough for daily life and having a weekly or more often shower somewhere was fine). I've also seen it play out with other vandweller blogs/vlogs.

I would certainly prioritize an AC, dehumidifier, air flow, good sponge bath system before bothering with a shower (and too much water storage), especially if you think you will be in humid environments (which the interior of a van will become quickly with the windows up and no circulation). Of course I would hope you aren't sticking to the inside of the cab for much more than sleeping!

[Mikeallison]

@C40

What model fridge did you end up going with? I see ARB has a very efficient one, but it is pricey.

@bryan

Im probably going to be doing the tent thing since I have a landcruiser and not a van, so circulation should be ok. Although you guys have me checking out the van thing now too lol.

Maybe I will do a trial run with the sponge bath thing and see how it goes. Hopefully my SO doesn't make me ride in back with the dog because I start to smell like he does.

[bryan]

My two years were initially meant to be a trial run of a couple months.. turns out the experiment proved to be too successful, easy. I never bothered doing any improvements whatsoever (other than hanging a hammock or rigging some bungee cords). I think the main benefit of the planned improvements (e.g. kitchen nook, paneling, bed, etc), at least in my case, would be for presentably (similar to having a neat apartment as a bachelor..). Except for installing a toilet.. that is the one thing I thought I would need that turns out you can get by without (but it sure is nice to have, (in theory)).

[Mikeallison]

Except for installing a toilet.. that is the one thing I thought I would need that turns out you can get by without (but it sure is nice to have, (in theory)).

A little off topic, but any experience with composting toilets? I'm thinking about making one for my cabin, they want $5000 to put septic in up there. I've had people tell me they smell, others say they don't. I've heard of people sticking them in vans and RVs, so I'm thinking they can't be too bad?

[sky]

Check out Natures Head toilets. Or put a trash compactor bag in a pail and poop in it. Then throw some wood shaving bedding on top. When it is full, find a dumpster and throw it away. Use a pee bottle whenever you can to avoid moisture in the pail.

To keep clean, start out your day by moistening a half paper towel and gently wiping down your eyes and face. Then, wipe your anus, fold the paper towel and wipe again, and do it once again. Throw the paper towel away and use another if you still need some cleaning.

Get a dozen or so washcloths (enough to get you from laundry day to laundry day), put about a cup of water in a small bowl and wet a washcloth. Find a private place and take off your clothes. Wash your face and hair a few times. Soak and rinse the washcloth and wash your arms, torso, legs and groin. Wash your feet, rinse out the washcloth and hang it up to dry before dropping it in your laundry bag.

Using the paper towel and washcloth method, you should wash yourself in the morning and evening, and anytime you feel dirty. Two or three times a day is normal

[bryan]

No long-term, first-hand experience (sadly, happily?). halfmoon, Riggerjack, and others have experiences with outhouses: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8325&p=138062#p138062 (more if you search e.g. "outhouse" or "composting toilet").

[Mikeallison]

Seems like there are alot of sponge bath advocates on here, I may do it for a week here at home as an experiment If I can get away with it. It would simplify things as far as water storage goes.

I think I will try out the compost toliet after doing some research, it doesn't seem all that bad of a system.