5 Reasons to start Overlanding TODAY
Overlanding is growing, more and more people want to travel and explore our great planet.
People are different, thus Overlanding; as a term is interpreted differently, some people consider overlanding to be long-distance, full-time, trans-continental travel while for others, it might be a shorter trip, exploring the Outdoors and reconnecting with nature. So trying to define Overlanding shouldn’t be the point here.
For the sake of this article, we will consider Overlanding as vehicle-based travel and camping, with the aim of exploring the outdoors and finding true inner peace. So, here are FIVE reasons why you should start Overlanding Today.
1) The Need to Explore
We; humans, have always been curious explorers. From our first step outside our caves to the Great Explorers of the Oceans. Some might argue that it is part of the human nature, our Desire to Explore (Granath 2015).
So, for us, fulfilling such desires is a key-component to happiness. The urge, the drive to visit places that you haven’t seen before, navigate through various terrains in order to reach a final destination only to understand that the journey is what makes it worth. And finally, when you “discover” this place, whether it is a remote beach, a stunning lake or a mountain peak, you get the feeling of accomplishment, of reaching a goal you set before and by doing so you understand that goals are meant to be reached and that YOU can do it.
A final note to that, yes; it is exploration. The fact that someone else has been there before you or google maps have a photo of the place online, means nothing, the whole point is that YOU haven’t been there to see the place for yourself, you haven’t felt how the ground responds to your gravity, haven’t smelled what the air brings to you and haven’t seen it with you own eyes, so yes, be an explorer for yourself.
2) Stress Relief & Mindfulness
We are daily bombarded with various stress inflicting incidents, small & big; and that's how life is for most, if not all people. And that’s OK, as long as you can cope with this stress and don’t let it consume and “stun” you.
Overlanding and camping have been our personal stress reliefs. Every time we go out in Nature, we don’t have to worry about how to deal with our daily issues, allowing our minds to escape. All we have to think about is where we are going to set up camp, when are we going to cook and which stories to share around the campfire.
The absence of phone signal, TV and loud neighbours helps you to stand still, focus on your breath and the sounds that you hear around you, practically meditating without even trying to. Finding Inner Peace. Every time we are out there, we kind of hit a “Reset” button on our brains, focus on the moment and let go of unnecessary thoughts. We escape and when we head back to our everyday lives, we've managed to "clear some space" in our minds and be ready to achieve goals and overcome boundaries.
3) Escapism
This word might not resonate well with most people; trying to escape from something. Well, it is not necessarily bad, closely connected to our previous point, you need to find a way to make some time for yourself and escape from the things you “have” and are “supposed” to do.
Escaping from our routine is a habit we all need to introduce to our lives. Stressful, unpleasant or even just tiresome events take place almost daily in our modern and "multitasking" lives.
Whether you have an office job, or you're working on retail, or whatever profession you perform everyday; no matter if you like it or not, sometimes you have to “escape” from your routine.
I’m going to get personal here, when I was a child I wanted to become a wildlife videographer and explorer. As most people, since then, I've changed a couple of different career paths that I wanted to follow. Fast forward to Today and despite the fact that I really enjoy my work; overlanding, camping and exploring the Outdoors allows me to dream like that again. Getting lost in nature, photographing stunning landscapes, not because I have to, but because I want to; escaping from these days stuck behind an office and allowing me to be me. So yeah, overlanding and being in Nature allows you to escape your routine and rediscover your inner self.
4) Away from your Comfort Zone
Having a Comfort Zone is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the collection of these habits that allow you to avoid unnecessary stressful events. But by only living inside your Comfort Zone, you will slowly start to feel less grateful about the things that you have and start considering them as given, when in reality they are not. When you head out to explore the Great Outdoors, you might have to “sacrifice” a few of your comforts, such as a hot shower, a big comfy couch and a pizza only a phone call away. At the same time, you also have to face a few challenges, like finding a flat space so you can sleep, carry the stuff you need to get through the day, set up camp, light a fire to keep you warm and have fun in ways that don’t require WiFi connection. By achieving these small tasks, in reality you have managed to achieve the goals you set for yourself for that day.
To be clear, we are not survivalists here, we do want a level of comfort and that’s why we’ve been travelling with a Roof Top Tent for the last 6 years, but its nice to set these minor tasks to yourself, like the fact that you need to light a fire before it gets really dark, you have to cook out in the nature and you must be ready to face unexpected challenges that might arise. All these experiences will make you feel that you are able to overcome challenges and at the same time, be grateful for the amenities you have back home and remember that some things should not be taken for granted.
5) Back to Nature
Last but not least, Overlanding helps us reconnect with our natural environment.
All of the above points have something in common; escaping the big cities, concrete jungles and routines. According to the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, reconnecting with Nature helps us being emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy. Such benefits include reduced stress and blood pressure, to improved cardiovascular health. (UCDAVIS, 2023). The same article argues that reconnecting with Nature also boosts Creativity and improve Sleep Quality.
All these benefits, caused by our reconnection with our natural environment, can help us function better in our societies but most importantly, keep us healthy. Outdoor activities not only take us away from our stressful routines but they also bring us closer to where we belong; Nature.
So, there you have it, 5, pretty good reasons, why you should get Outside and become an Explorer yourself.
References
Granath, B. (2015). The Human Desire for Exploration Lead to Discovery. NASA. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/history/the-human-desire-for-exploration-leads-to-discovery/
Mental Health Foundation. (2023). Nature: How Connecting With Nature Benefits our Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/research/nature-how-connecting-nature-benefits-our-mental-health
UCDAVIS Health. (2023). 3 ways getting outside into nature helps improve your health. Retrieved from https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/3-ways-getting-outside-into-nature-helps-improve-your-health/2023/05