Is overlanding such a thing in the UK??
Discussion
I'm a complete virgin to offloading and I'm aware of the green laneing movement here in the UK but when I lived in the US for a while, Overlanding was a pretty cool thing to do and slightly differently vehicles. Mods would be mods but mainly geared towards camping/ adventure but the vehicles are built to get out of trouble if needed.
I've seen a few jeeps and defenders mod'ed but I'm considering something a little different. An early Porsche Cayenne as a project car.
Thoughts would be appreciated of the direction I could take with this.
Luxury offroading
I've seen a few jeeps and defenders mod'ed but I'm considering something a little different. An early Porsche Cayenne as a project car.
Thoughts would be appreciated of the direction I could take with this.
Luxury offroading
Are you wanting to go Overlanding or Green-laning?
If you want to go Overlanding, I'd recommend keeping and drive train / suspension modifications to a minimum. Keep things as standard as possible, so should you have a failure when in the middle of nowhere, parts should be easier to obtain.
M
If you want to go Overlanding, I'd recommend keeping and drive train / suspension modifications to a minimum. Keep things as standard as possible, so should you have a failure when in the middle of nowhere, parts should be easier to obtain.
M
I don't know all the legalities of what you ask, but my understanding is that you're looking at two separate things here;
1. green laning to get to a wild camp site
2. wild camping
The issues would be that when green laning, you are only permitted to use the lane itself - i.e. you can't just swing off onto a field/moor/forest when the fancy takes you. You can't even go round an obstacle, you have to do what's necessary to travel along the 'lane'.
The wild camping element is restricted to certain parts of Dartmoor and Scotland.
As other European countries are easily accessible I'd look at 'overlanding' outside the UK - France, Spain or further south. Having done it in the Middle East there simply isn't the available open space here to go far enough into the wild.
1. green laning to get to a wild camp site
2. wild camping
The issues would be that when green laning, you are only permitted to use the lane itself - i.e. you can't just swing off onto a field/moor/forest when the fancy takes you. You can't even go round an obstacle, you have to do what's necessary to travel along the 'lane'.
The wild camping element is restricted to certain parts of Dartmoor and Scotland.
As other European countries are easily accessible I'd look at 'overlanding' outside the UK - France, Spain or further south. Having done it in the Middle East there simply isn't the available open space here to go far enough into the wild.
Overlanding must be a thing. I saw a new defender with FOUR jerry cans on its roofrack the other day.
Sadly we don't have enough land in good old UK, compared to Australia or North America for eg.
The greenlanes that are left open are being abused by naughty users.
You are massively scowled at by (most) ramblers, even when driving legally on a green lane, in a none-offensive vehicle (no gnarly tyres, no banks of chinese LED lights, no 'sniff my diff' stickers). I now only use greenlanes for acessing a few spaces to enjoy a picnic.
Ramblers (most, not all) don't care that the missus has MS and unable to access and enjoy the views any other way.
However, if you are near Staffordshire/Cheshire I'd be happy to share map info of where you can go.
Sadly we don't have enough land in good old UK, compared to Australia or North America for eg.
The greenlanes that are left open are being abused by naughty users.
You are massively scowled at by (most) ramblers, even when driving legally on a green lane, in a none-offensive vehicle (no gnarly tyres, no banks of chinese LED lights, no 'sniff my diff' stickers). I now only use greenlanes for acessing a few spaces to enjoy a picnic.
Ramblers (most, not all) don't care that the missus has MS and unable to access and enjoy the views any other way.
However, if you are near Staffordshire/Cheshire I'd be happy to share map info of where you can go.
I'm exploring a MB Sprinter 4x4 build for overland travel at the moment and if I was thinking of using it solely in the UK I wouldn't bother as a set of good offload tyres would probably suffice. As others have pointed out, it is the lack of space, access and wild places that deems a truly capable overlanding build pointless (unless it is a project that you just fancy doing). Once you start looking further afield then places like northern Scandinavia and Morocco/Western Sahara offer plenty of exciting options and possibilities.
Thanks all for the interesting responses.
Over the next couple of years, I'd like to explore more of the UK and Euro and I don't fancy dragging a trailer, caravan or having to put up a tent at every stop. Thats why the overland setups appeal to me most. Enough for a couple of nights at a campsite/ wild camp then move on and explore.
Over the next couple of years, I'd like to explore more of the UK and Euro and I don't fancy dragging a trailer, caravan or having to put up a tent at every stop. Thats why the overland setups appeal to me most. Enough for a couple of nights at a campsite/ wild camp then move on and explore.
camel_landy said:
Are you wanting to go Overlanding or Green-laning?
If you want to go Overlanding, I'd recommend keeping and drive train / suspension modifications to a minimum. Keep things as standard as possible, so should you have a failure when in the middle of nowhere, parts should be easier to obtain.
M
And consider a simpler, more common vehicle as there's less to go wrong to start with and better parts/specialist availability.If you want to go Overlanding, I'd recommend keeping and drive train / suspension modifications to a minimum. Keep things as standard as possible, so should you have a failure when in the middle of nowhere, parts should be easier to obtain.
M
You need to be careful with these sorts of threads, if the PH masses spot a snorkel or sniff a roof tent you’ll be accused of being a Walt and run out of town by a pitch fork wielding mob 
That aside, it depends what you mean by overlanding. If just driving off road, you can go green laning, but they are often very short and not very remote. Wild camping is tricky in the UK too. It’s not for me, but there are plenty of clubs to get you started if you fancy it.
However, within 2 days drive you’ve got some great destinations where you can do more of what Americans are used to. The Pyrenese is criss crossed with beautiful remote tracks that would take months to explore. In 2019 I did a Med to Atlantic traverse of the Pyrenees using as many unsealed tracks as possible. Some quite tough. It took 11 days and was the best adventure I’ve ever had. Wild camping is possible too, although I tend to go for a proper campsite as they are cheap, quiet out of season and I like a shower!
There are many other parts if Spain and Portugal that are excellent for these types of treks, my next trip will be Galicia and Northern Portugal.
Also, Morocco is only 3 days away, I’ve been twice, and provides a whole country of adventure from snow in the Atlas to dune bashing in the Sahara snd everything in between. You can really test you car with big distances on rough tracks if you want to.
I’ve not done this yet, but the Balkans and Greece also offer great opportunities that are within a reasonable distance.
Me in Sahara:
Me in Pyrennes
That aside, it depends what you mean by overlanding. If just driving off road, you can go green laning, but they are often very short and not very remote. Wild camping is tricky in the UK too. It’s not for me, but there are plenty of clubs to get you started if you fancy it.
However, within 2 days drive you’ve got some great destinations where you can do more of what Americans are used to. The Pyrenese is criss crossed with beautiful remote tracks that would take months to explore. In 2019 I did a Med to Atlantic traverse of the Pyrenees using as many unsealed tracks as possible. Some quite tough. It took 11 days and was the best adventure I’ve ever had. Wild camping is possible too, although I tend to go for a proper campsite as they are cheap, quiet out of season and I like a shower!
There are many other parts if Spain and Portugal that are excellent for these types of treks, my next trip will be Galicia and Northern Portugal.
Also, Morocco is only 3 days away, I’ve been twice, and provides a whole country of adventure from snow in the Atlas to dune bashing in the Sahara snd everything in between. You can really test you car with big distances on rough tracks if you want to.
I’ve not done this yet, but the Balkans and Greece also offer great opportunities that are within a reasonable distance.
Me in Sahara:
Me in Pyrennes
Edited by blueST on Wednesday 14th July 13:14
blueST said:
However, within 2 days drive you’ve got some great destinations where you can do more of what Americans are used to. The Pyrenese is criss crossed with beautiful remote tracks that would take months to explore. In 2019 I did a Med to Atlantic traverse of the Pyrenees using as many unsealed tracks as possible. Some quite tough. It took 11 days and was the best adventure I’ve ever had. Wild camping is possible too, although I tend to go for a proper campsite as they are cheap, quiet out of season and I like a shower!
You can head North too, Iceland is a fantastic destination....and this is me in Cape York, with my 4x jerry cans.
M
Edited by camel_landy on Monday 19th July 16:18
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