Overlanding

Author
Discussion

ChocolateFrog

Original Poster:

27,618 posts

179 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
Anyone done it? Not sure of the exact definition but my take would be multi-week trips with atleast some of it off tarmac particularly in Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.

Seriously considering building a car to do trips of a few months at a time, or atleast cover the school summer holidays. Thinking you could 'do' Africa over 3 or 4 summers.

What an adventure that would be and some great life experiences for the kids.

Surprised there is so little on PH. Obviously Ben has put his trips up, Pub to Pub etc and there's the recent Yeti build and rally.

Would be great to read a few other stories and pictures.

walamai

449 posts

213 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
Quite a few years ago now, but my brother and I drove from London to Sydney overland.

London to Sydney Route Map



It was an amazing trip, some bits I'd probably not like to do now with current political issues.

I'd still love to do the Pan American Highway.

I don't think you need anything too crazy for these sorts of trips. Lots of people say you 'have to have' a Landcruiser or something, but people do this sort of thing on postie bikes! Take what you'd enjoy driving I'd say smile

RustyMX5

8,214 posts

223 months

Tuesday 11th June
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I'm sure there was a chap who drove his Chimera through the Americas a few years ago.

RizzoTheRat

25,818 posts

198 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
Take a look at Horizons Unlimited. Started by a couple who did a round the world motorbike trip in the '90's and now has a forum full of people travelling all over the place
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/.

LRDefender

229 posts

14 months

Tuesday 11th June
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I drove from Tbilisi to London 2 weeks ago after spending 12 months going the other way.

bobtail4x4

3,788 posts

115 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
pre covid a group of us drove to the arctic circle and back, over 3 weeks 5500 miles, in defenders,

now Im retired (if Putin packs in) we are going back for a longer trip including most of europe,

rix

2,833 posts

196 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
walamai said:
Quite a few years ago now, but my brother and I drove from London to Sydney overland.

London to Sydney Route Map

That looks beyond epic! Have you got a write up / blog anywhere that I might lose a few hours over?! That is bucket list stuff.

adamfawsitt

531 posts

219 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
London to Durban over 10 months in a Unimog - amazing.

Some tips:

1. You don't need a Unimog, any competent 4x4 will be fine
2. Go a route that allows visa on arrival (simplifies everything considerably)
3. Take a security / anti kidnap course (it will pay dividends on the trip and when you get home)
4. Try and learn the basic get by words in the local language (pays massive dividends)

Enjoy!

ChocolateFrog

Original Poster:

27,618 posts

179 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
walamai said:
I don't think you need anything too crazy for these sorts of trips. Lots of people say you 'have to have' a Landcruiser or something, but people do this sort of thing on postie bikes! Take what you'd enjoy driving I'd say smile
I was thinking exactly the same. I watch a few YT channels and you'd be mistaken for thinking you need a new Land Cruiser with 50k of accessories to even contemplate it but then you look at what makes it to Ulaan Baatar on the mongol Rally and you realise virtually anything could make it with a bit of ingenuity and luck.

ChocolateFrog

Original Poster:

27,618 posts

179 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
Take a look at Horizons Unlimited. Started by a couple who did a round the world motorbike trip in the '90's and now has a forum full of people travelling all over the place
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/.
Yes I'm already on there.

My good friend by the name of Max Clark recently set off on his own trip on Triumph Scrambler, he's posted a few updates on there.

A 6ft 7in bloke on a small Triumph must cut quite the figure, he's just left Turkey heading East IIRC.

ChocolateFrog

Original Poster:

27,618 posts

179 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
pre covid a group of us drove to the arctic circle and back, over 3 weeks 5500 miles, in defenders,

now Im retired (if Putin packs in) we are going back for a longer trip including most of europe,
I've always thought the Kola Superdeep borehole would make a good destination. There's bugger all there but it takes you right to the top of Scandinavia.

The costs would be quite horrific for trip like that I'd imagine. Harry's trip in his RR was probably my favourite couple of vids of his.

bobtail4x4

3,788 posts

115 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
it was about a grand on fuel
plus 5 ferries

Muddle238

3,993 posts

119 months

Tuesday 11th June
quotequote all
walamai said:
Quite a few years ago now, but my brother and I drove from London to Sydney overland.

London to Sydney Route Map



It was an amazing trip, some bits I'd probably not like to do now with current political issues.

I'd still love to do the Pan American Highway.

I don't think you need anything too crazy for these sorts of trips. Lots of people say you 'have to have' a Landcruiser or something, but people do this sort of thing on postie bikes! Take what you'd enjoy driving I'd say smile
Absolutely epic! If you haven't already done one, this definitely needs a write up thread. I'd love to do something like that, unfortunately my wife doesn't like long car journeys hehe

daqinggregg

2,634 posts

135 months

Wednesday 12th June
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I get the impression, that many people think, ‘because Africa is poor, it’s cheap to travel in.’

Poor it may be, cheap it is not.

Geoffcapes

795 posts

170 months

Wednesday 12th June
quotequote all
Muddle238 said:
walamai said:
Quite a few years ago now, but my brother and I drove from London to Sydney overland.

London to Sydney Route Map



It was an amazing trip, some bits I'd probably not like to do now with current political issues.

I'd still love to do the Pan American Highway.

I don't think you need anything too crazy for these sorts of trips. Lots of people say you 'have to have' a Landcruiser or something, but people do this sort of thing on postie bikes! Take what you'd enjoy driving I'd say smile
Absolutely epic! If you haven't already done one, this definitely needs a write up thread. I'd love to do something like that, unfortunately my wife doesn't like long car journeys hehe
This ^^^

idealstandard

686 posts

61 months

Wednesday 12th June
quotequote all
Geoffcapes said:
This ^^^
please please write it up!

walamai

449 posts

213 months

Wednesday 12th June
quotequote all
Muddle238 said:
Absolutely epic! If you haven't already done one, this definitely needs a write up thread. I'd love to do something like that, unfortunately my wife doesn't like long car journeys hehe
We had a bit of a site for it here https://londontosydneyoverland.wordpress.com/ The blog posts were pretty few and far between, we didn't have much enthusiasm for writing them at the time, but looking back I wish we'd been a bit more frequent! Maps and photos are still up though.


Howitzer

2,854 posts

222 months

Thursday 13th June
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
pre covid a group of us drove to the arctic circle and back, over 3 weeks 5500 miles, in defenders,

now Im retired (if Putin packs in) we are going back for a longer trip including most of europe,
Me and the wife did the same back in Feb 2012 in our 110, slept in it the whole way, was a great trip.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/p33qhr46t9px5tbl86x...

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vewfkm1vdnb72gcbh1c...

Dave!

Edited by Howitzer on Thursday 13th June 04:18

twing

5,142 posts

137 months

Thursday 13th June
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Evanivitch

21,589 posts

128 months

Thursday 13th June
quotequote all
There was a PH member building an overland on a MAN SV surplus truck. Big custom built accommodation box on back. Unfortunately his circumstances changed and he sold it on for someone else to complete. That's perhaps the more expensive end (circa £100k).