The Adventure and Challenge of Overlanding
The Adventure and Challenge of Overlanding
The Adventure and Challenge of Overlanding
“The Good and the Bad”
It’s tempting to think of extended overland expeditions as a vacation. But overlanding isn’t really a vacation—it’s an adventure. And good adventures usually come with real challenges.
The challenge starts with the vehicle itself. Building and learning how to use an overland vehicle isn’t simple. Maintaining a truck is hard enough on its own, but most rigs also include complex systems—electrical, solar, water pumps and filtration, stoves, battery banks, and in our case, an electronic lift mechanism. It takes time and patience to understand how it all works—and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
Then there’s the challenge of planning. Most of the time, it’s fun. But experiences like third-world border crossings or shipping your rig between countries? Not exactly relaxing. Driving through unpredictable terrain can also be intense—dodging potholes, topes (speed bumps), wild and domesticated animals, overloaded mopeds, and trucks barreling around blind curves on single-lane roads. We’ll never forget our white-knuckle drive to San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlán, or the harrowing descent from Oaxaca City to the Oaxacan coast. And we have no desire to repeat those particular drives.
The Good and the Bad
The daily rhythm isn’t as glamorous as it sounds, either. Between cooking, cleaning, driving, and route planning, there’s not always a lot of energy left over for adventures—never mind blogging, learning Spanish, or taking photos.
Still, despite all the hard stuff, overlanding is absolutely worth it. There’s no better way to get off the beaten path and immerse yourself in a country. There’s no better way to experience some of the best adventures the world has to offer. And there’s definitely no better way to build a shared story with your partner—and, in our case, our dog, too.
Despite all the challenges (and yes, occasional dangers), we wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. That said, there are always a few things we’d do differently next time around.
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