In 2022, my dad stood on the edge of Dead Horse Point, overlooking the Colorado River as it carves through southern Utah’s red rock. As he examined the vast network of trails beyond him, a question nagged at the back of his head…can’t I go down there, to the places no one goes? A few months later, he purchased a vehicle fit to carry anything and everything one may need to explore the remote areas of Utah, joining the subculture of overlanding. He’s like that.
“What the heck is overlanding?” I asked him when he invited me on my first trip. Since that question, I’ve found an unexpectedly grounding love for Utah’s sublime places and a deeper connection to those with whom I explore them.
So, what the heck is overlanding?
It’s self-reliant adventure travel in an off-road-capable vehicle. You pack up everything you need—gear, food, water, extra fuel—drive to a remote spot, set up camp, cook a good meal, and settle in under the stars. The next day, you’ll continue the drive to another beautiful place, and maybe stop for lunch just before a hike. In overlanding, the focus is on the journey, not the destination. It’s about experiencing the solemnity of an untouched, pristine landscape, uninterrupted by tourists.
But isn’t overloading just car camping?
I’ve come to appreciate overlanding because it’s far more engaging. Everything you need to explore the expanse of the under-explored must fit in the back of your vehicle. Overlanding is about taking the adventure of camping to the next level and rediscovering our primal urge to roam (but comfortably and in style). Anyone can overland–but it calls for curiosity, preparation, problem solving and a spirit ready to adapt when the unexpected happens.
What’s in the rig?
It’s better to remember “better be safe than sorry,” but the trick is that everything you pack needs a place in your car. Not only do you need the basic camping essentials, but you’ll need to pack extra food, water, fuel, safety gear and a way to dispose of human waste for as long as you’re a way from civilization. Some of my favorite pieces of gear that we pack are the long-range walkie-talkies, a battery-powered fridge to keep our food cold and LED lights that stick to the inside and outside of our tent.
The point is the drive
Overlanding is said to have started in Australia when farmers needed to round up herds of livestock over great distances and multiple days. The point of overlanding is to drive!
On my most recent trip, we drove into Moab for a 99-mile journey over the White Rim Trail. Overlanding is like a bumpy road trip, especially if you take routes with more challenging difficulties. Make sure your vehicle is built for the trail. Most overlanding rigs are four-wheel-drive and designed to handle the bumps and ruts of off-road terrain.
A trail-finding tool
With the remote travel of overlanding comes the risk of getting lost if under-prepared. But there are plenty of sources to help you navigate your route. I recommend the onX Offroad app. The app shows hundreds of trail options with descriptions, difficulty ratings and photos and reviews posted from other adventurers. You can create your own route by connecting different trails, and you can download your custom map for offline access.
Beyond the drive
When overloading, you can do anything along the journey: take a dip in a river, hike down a new canyon, splash the car through a mud puddle. But nothing beats doing these things with the people you love. Bring along your family, friends, spouse or your dog to connect with in last beauty and often with no cell service. That’s why I love overloading; It didn’t just lead me into Utah’s forgotten corners, it brought me closer to the man who once looked out over Dead Horse Point and wondered, can’t I go down there? Turns out, we could. And we did.
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