Enjoying the great outdoors has its fads that come and go. But within every fad is a small group of people who go hardcore. While everyone else gets bored and moves on, the hardcore folks keep the faith. They take things to the extreme. Enter overlanding. It is suddenly fashionable among an RV crowd averse to public campgrounds thanks to COVID.
Perhaps some of them will eventually become hardcore overlanders. Most probably will not. Why is that? Because even the most sincere adventurer quickly discovers that hardcore overlanding is neither easy nor simple. It can be very difficult at times. More importantly, you need certain skills to survive hardcore environments.
The designers of the Rollercam tie down straps for overlanding are actually avid overlanders themselves. They know what it takes to go hardcore. From their perspective, here are the most important skills hardcore overlanders need:
1. Problem Solving Skills
By its nature, overlanding tends to take travelers off the beaten path. It is not unusual to be out in the middle of nowhere for extended periods of time. When problems arise, overlanders need to be able to take care of things themselves. Therefore, problem solving skills are arguably the most important skills you need to go hardcore.
2. Mechanical Skills
You are smart enough to know that things break down in city and suburban environments. If you don’t know how to fix something, you can call a pro to do it for you. That luxury doesn’t exist when you’re in the middle of nowhere. So next up, hardcore overlanders need to have mechanical skills. They need to be able to pull out a toolbox and fix a stuck thermostat. They need to be able to change tires, attach and detach propane tanks, fix broken hoses, etc.
3. Wilderness Camping Skills
It goes without saying that overlanders don’t tend to spend a lot of time at public campgrounds or hotels. They may from time to time, but most nights are spent camping next to their vehicles. To do it comfortably and safely, a hardcore overlander needs to possess basic wilderness camping skills. Such skills include building fires, making comfortable bedding, and even packing food in a way that doesn’t attract animals.
4. Navigation Skills
A person who doesn’t know how to navigate using paper maps and a compass is not going to do well as a hardcore overlander. The truth is that, while GPS is a wonderful tool, it doesn’t always work so well. Signals get dropped. Batteries die. And sometimes, downloaded maps are just plain wrong. There are times when overlanders must be able to navigate with an old-school paper map and a compass.
5. Planning and Preparation Skills
Finally, hardcore overlanding requires planning and preparation skills. As the old saying goes, failing to plan means planning to fail. It might be okay to be a poor planner in terms of your daily routine, but it will not wash in the overlanding lifestyle.
Hardcore overlanders with good planning and preparation skills do not leave anything to chance. They plan absolutely everything, right down to the very number of cam straps they will carry alongside their spare parts. And yes, details are important to them.
Hardcore overlanding is a lifestyle that offers plenty of adventure. But it also offers plenty of risk. A hardcore overlander will do just fine with the right skill sets. If you have dabbled in overlanding and hope to go hardcore, do yourself a favor and start acquiring the necessary skills as soon as you can. They could save your life.
