Expedition Overland returns to the MacKenzie Trail

[Jaydub514]

Some of you guys are just unbelievable...

1. You get to watch nice looking Toyotas complete an overland journey
2. These guys cleared and mapped the trail for future users
3. They recorded their adventure and posted their content online, which will raise awareness of overlanding, the MacKenzie trail, Toyota capabilities, etc.
4. Whether you like the commentary or not, they still completed the trail, which was clearly no small feat.

So what if there is product placement and marketing along the way. That's the way the world works. If you want to take a journey like this, you need many/all of the products they used. So, you can either partner with vendors to sponsor parts of your trip or pay for everything yourself. If taking sponsorships is the difference between going on the journey or sitting at home, I say take the money.

The tenor of the commentary actually reminded me of Les Stroud (aka Survivorman). At times, it may have seemed dramatic to some, but I am certain the folks on the trail are in a different frame of mind than all you Monday morning quarterbacks sitting in the comfort of your living room or office.

I agree that the wasted gas from idling and shortage of chainsaw chains could have been avoided. In reality, that is a good way to illustrate the importance of pre-planning to people who are new to overlanding and researching the topic.

In all, I'd rather watch their videos than a majority of the other BS content online. So, if I'm subjected to marketing (for products that I'm interested in anyway) and narrator commentary along the way, so be it...

Bravo sir.

And what's even funnier...to see guys criticize here, then go directly to social media and nutswing/fanboy like their lives depended on it all over XO/Clays page. LOL.

It's fun, it's cool to see, and it helps awareness. No need to overthink it guys! If I can live vicariously through these adventures while I'm stuck at work - I'm all for it haha.

 

[ADK Explorer]

I have to speak to the fact that people say it's too serious. It's documentary style film making. They are trying to build a professional image. This way they lend more credibility to their sponsors and following. They're not just a bunch of guys filming themselves screwing around. I think this is why I liked the narration. It gave it a documentary feel. It seems to me they're trying to build a legitimate expedition filmmaking business. Why not? Get paid to do what you love. (And get free stuff.)

 

[JohnTheLuck]

Most of us are americans. Anything south of the border is South America for us, until we build a wall, a really big wall! It'll be great.

So for us, your are in South America then...!!!

 

[LawnDart]

So for us, your are in South America then...!!!

 

[JohnTheLuck]

I really enjoyed watching this series, even if the marketing aspect is well present. That's ok since they are financed by them. The quality of the video and its content is much better than many others. Of course they take this seriously but it is their safety, not ours in line.

Good job XO!

 

[sn_85]

I don't think anyone is poo pooing the achievement, and it seems everyone is interested in the series... just nitpicking some details. But I agree with your post for the most part, XO has done a good thing and made it pretty watchable.

Actually I do get that impression from a few members on here as though they could do better which they probably could. However it's their adventure and documentary, I don't think at any one point they proclaimed to be world experts or anything. It's kinda like the arm chair or monday morning quarterback. To me it just reeks of jealousy because the XO guys are basically living out the dreams of many on here all the while getting publicity, sponsorship, and loads of free gear/trucks. I can't fault them for that.

Also if you watch some of the other overland "shows" on Youtube they are just horrible. They're slow paced, the camera work isn't that good, the cinematography is amateur at best, and really just boring imho. The thing that XO gets right is the the presentation, cinematography, and while the narration may be cheesy it does add to a sense of grandeur to their adventure.

I'm a fan of the series but what do I know, I'm just a newb.

 

[jrandom]

lol chillax

No one is hardcore sh!tting on it at all. Every series they put out someone starts one of these threads and people comment or critique it. Who better to do that than your peers. So yeah maybe if your a noob you haven't seen the others threads that come out every year, this is nothing new, and defiantly not as serious as some think.

I get the documentary aspect, I also understand a need for some professionalism (most importantly for safety, then for sponsors that doling out thousands of $ in cash and goods), some the the "tactical"ness is over the top but whatever, that's just my opinion. If I state it, it is anyone's discretion to reply back to it good or back, makes conversation. I like some of the older stuff a bit better, it still has nice production value but feels more interesting, less polished, less serious, more for the sake of a fun adventure, to me anyway.

What I think is silly is people just giving praise for something, some blindly, and bagging on those that may have a more critical eye. I don't think commenting or critiquing something reeks of jealousy, I think that those of us that have been in those or similar situations take it more at face value, that's all.

They're not just a bunch of guys filming themselves screwing around.

Lol but they kind of are, that is why people "judge" or harp on some of the too serious nature of it. I can start listing the Siskel and Ebert if you like to back that up, but I don't think it is really necessary.

You do this sh!t for fun nothing else, lol seriously.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Their vids are new to me. I just watched some of their older North America stuff and they were definitely goofier and having more fun. I like that aspect as well. Take them for what they're worth. I enjoy seeing the locations and how they handle the predicaments they get into. Beats TV.

 

[jrandom]

What's TV? :madgrin:

 

[LawnDart]

There's a big difference between saying "this sucks, they suck!" And providing feedback.

Some of us do filmmaking for a living, and go offroading and camping. Some of us don't feel the need to make yet another offroad "overlanding" show. Most of them suck as people have pointed out.

But XO is a business, otherwise they wouldn't be selling XO branded gear at events. As such hopefully they listen to feedback and correct based on user response. As a designer/artist myself, it's the only way to get better.

If you don't offer up feedback that's constructive, you're just being a dick. If you don't solicit and adjust for feedback, you're just going to make stale crap.

 

[jrandom]

There's a big difference between saying "this sucks, they suck!" And providing feedback.

Some of us do filmmaking for a living, and go offroading and camping. Some of us don't feel the need to make yet another offroad "overlanding" show. Most of them suck as people have pointed out.

But XO is a business, otherwise they wouldn't be selling XO branded gear at events. As such hopefully they listen to feedback and correct based on user response. As a designer/artist myself, it's the only way to get better.

If you don't offer up feedback that's constructive, you're just being a dick. If you don't solicit and adjust for feedback, you're just going to make stale crap.

Well put :nod:

Now Saturday night tea for all :tea:

 

[Mikeson]

Current ones with the little convex blindspot mirrors.

Also Toyota has very tight control over what you can do with some of the vehicles. A tacoma with aftermarket bumpers generally still looks like a Tacoma. When you change the front quarter of a 4Runner, it tends to look radically different.

Different means it's not brand identifiable again. So I know they're pretty limited on some of the mods they can do with the 4Runners.

That makes total sense i get what you mean... this explains why the 4runners are running the stock front ends because I am willing to bet that they could have been sponsored by CBI or any other company that makes off road bumpers without a problem.

 

[e60ral]

someone made a comment somewhere criticizing them for fitting out so much weight in their vehicles. this video they just posted covering the girls at the rebelle rally gives a good insight into why they wanted that habitat and heavy customization:
https://www.facebook.com/xoverland/videos/1449610651717494/

its important to remember that these guys aren't just exploring/travelling, they are also producing videos from the trucks. now i'm sure that someone will respond to this by saying "yeah, well i make youtube videos on a rusty macbook in the snow uphill bothways!!!" but save it, no one will care. XO is actually running a business from their trucks, so in addition to supporting whatever trip they are on they have to support a whole bunch of extra demands for the actual video production.

 

[MeefZah]

Did anyone else get a laugh when Clay was talking to the lodge owner via radio, and he introduced himself as the "Expedition leader", and the lodge owner in response was just like "uh huh".

You're on vacation, dude. It's an 11-day, hundred and forty mile trip. You could probably dispense with the title.

 

[Avalon786]

Did anyone else get a laugh when Clay was talking to the lodge owner via radio, and he introduced himself as the "Expedition leader", and the lodge owner in response was just like "uh huh".

You're on vacation, dude. It's an 11-day, hundred and forty mile trip. You could probably dispense with the title.

Yeah, I did chuckle a bit.

 

[MeefZah]

This was posted by another user on TW. It cracked me up. In reference to the tactical scarf and battle gloves...

 

[msp]

I thought MacKenzie was better than Central America, by quite a bit. Central America felt like a very long Toyota commercial, but trips like that are easier with sponsorship. You can certainly pick around the edges at various parts, to each his own. I watched it for free and the production quality was very high. I prefer the earlier seasons, especially when the wives were along. It was a more interesting story, and less of a bro-fest.

 

[dade73]

I watched all three this morning before work...thats a pretty epic way to make a living.

I want to go find a nice rugged park entrance in the DC area, and PRETEND i am overlanding :guitar3:

I just finished watching the whole series. Wish I had the $$ to set up my ride.

Sadly unless you trespass along power lines (DO NOT DO-ILLEGAL) there is no where to pretend to overland around here. Have to go up to PA or maybe WV.

 

[dade73]

I thought MacKenzie was better than Central America, by quite a bit. Central America felt like a very long Toyota commercial, but trips like that are easier with sponsorship. You can certainly pick around the edges at various parts, to each his own. I watched it for free and the production quality was very high. I prefer the earlier seasons, especially when the wives were along. It was a more interesting story, and less of a bro-fest.

I liked season one more. Felt more like Hi we are real people. You can differently see the step up in quality in the production in season 2 vs season 1.

I just wish i had the ability to do some overlanding.

 

[MeefZah]

I just finished watching the whole series. Wish I had the $$ to set up my ride.

Sadly unless you trespass along power lines (DO NOT DO-ILLEGAL) there is no where to pretend to overland around here. Have to go up to PA or maybe WV.

I liked season one more. Felt more like Hi we are real people. You can differently see the step up in quality in the production in season 2 vs season 1.

I just wish i had the ability to do some overlanding.

Come west. Really, it's the only way to experience remote travel in the United States. There are still massive tracts of land out here that require you to have a reliable machine, bring your own gas, make your own camp, cook your own meals, navigate your own route... because there is, literally, nothing for hundreds of miles, no cell service, no other humans...

There is nowhere on the east coast that can offer the kind of remoteness you can find in the American west. And, for that matter, there is nowhere on the east coast that can compare to the beauty and ruggedness of the west.

It's only a few days drive...