Overlanding for beginners

by Sherry Thomas

LW contributor

According to Wikipedia, overlanding is overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically it is accomplished with off-road-capable transport where the principal form of lodging is camping, lasting for extended lengths of time.

I have been overlanding with African Trails, Oasis and Adventure companies.

The trucks we journeyed in were large and held passengers in the back. The configuration varies. Some have windows and some just have plastic sides you can roll up or down.

Are there other overlanding experiences out there? Most definitely, but I chose these companies for their cost, and you are actively participating in day-to-day life. Cook groups are formed and you take turns cooking dinner and breakfast for the whole group. There is an allowance for buying food from the local people.

What kind of people do this kind of travel? Some can barely afford their trip and lived with their parents for a year or more to pay for it.

And some came from completely different life experiences.

One was a former vice president of Microsoft, with multiple degrees and patents. One person I met in Africa lived in Monaco, was a retired captain on Scandinavian Airlines and was a barrister in Norway. One woman I met in South America came from a very wealthy family. They had center court seats at Wimbledon. She usually flew first class and was met by a car and driver. She then went to a resort her parents had chosen. She wanted to branch out.

Some started the trip not even knowing how to put up a tent but practiced in their backyard until they mastered it. One woman was so afraid that she couldn’t stay by herself in a tent in Morocco. I met her shark cage diving in Cape Town.

On my first trip, we had 25 people with 11 nationalities.

It is a great reminder that most of the world does not have sources of clean water, and reliable electricity is a gift.

The one thing that remains a firm prerequisite for this type of trip is a positive attitude. The environment can quickly go from challenging to very stressful. If you complain, you are given a warning. If you continue to complain, you are left off at the next town. Negative talk and complaining is poisonous to group dynamics. Everyone is hot, or cold, or something. Complaining helps no one.

Is this kind of travel for everyone? Probably not, but it certainly helped me become more grateful for my every day life.