Many people are unfamiliar the term overlanding and what it exactly means; we hope to clear that up today. While many may look at overlanding and simply see off-roading; while you are not necessarily wrong, there is much more to it than that. Oxford Languages defines the term Overland as “to travel a long distance over land”. Another definition found on Wikipedia is “self-reliant over land travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal”. This second definition is probably the best one sentence definition that could sum up overlanding. While most travel is all about where you are going, Overlanding is about the journey and the memories made on your travel. This is where you truly see the difference between off-roading and overlanding. Off-roading is simply going off the pavement and while off-roading is a large part of overlanding; overlanding is truly leaving not just the pavement behind but civilization as well.

Journey Over Destination

We take the phrase “journey over destination” to heart, as this is where the memories are made. As you take your travels and explore areas that are not a part of people’s daily commute; a deeper connection is made not just with the sights you will encounter but with those you share them with. Whether travelling through Moab, the Mojave Road, or Black Bear Pass the beauty encountered will leave an impression you will always remember. The most important part of overlanding is stepping out of your comfort zone and engaging in an experience that you would otherwise not be able to. Whether this experience is simply the journey or the different cultures you may encounter depending on how far you want to take your overland travels

Is it Overlanding?

Now to be clear, you do not have to go on a month-long excursion in an overland Tacoma build that was designed to take on the Rubicon Trail to go “overlanding”. This could simply be escaping for a weekend trip or a weeklong trip; the important part is that your journey is self-reliant. You must allow yourself to truly unplug from civilization and not be at the local KOA where the worries of the world are still within reach. Overlanding is you and your Tacoma, 4Runner, Jeep, or whichever rig you choose, and the open trail.


We hope that this was helpful in defining what overlanding is and possibly inspired you to investigate this lifestyle. We would also like to mention that every picture featured here is not just a stock photo found on a website but are photos taken by the Truck Brigade crew. They serve as reminders of the memories we have made on our own expeditions and hope that they in turn inspire you to explore; making memories of your own. If you have questions about overlanding, how to start overlanding, building your overlanding rig, or popular areas to go overlanding, please do not hesitate to give us a call or chat in. We would be honored to assist you in what is sure to become a life-long passion.

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