Increasing overland visibility in America

I have been noticing more and more 4x4 overlanding shows or web journals coming up lately, especially in America. I have been enjoying the 'Alaska Off Road Warriors' TV series lately, as much for the characters they found for the show as the vehicles and travel. I have also starting watching 'Expedition Overland' series on youtube...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5T-LleaobQ

There are now overlanding shows in both east and western U.S. each year and more and more companies over there starting to produce 'overlanding mods' for big American trucks. I always used to think of overlanding as something you did across Africa or to the Far East/ Australia. Maybe South America. But maybe this is changing. I have also seen more members signing up here from the U.S.

I think that it may partly be a reduced space in which to travel safely. North Africa is largely closed off now. If you survived getting past there you hit all sorts of chaos across Central Africa with few safe or practical ways through. There is no safe way beyond Turkey anymore heading east. With increasing tensions between Europe and Russia, even our route out to Mongolia and the Far East may become more of a challenge.

Maybe it is getting to be time to ship Tembo back to Canada!

I see where you are coming from, and understand what you your reasons, I have always had a liking to go to China but due to the problems in the east and Russia I think I have left it too late.
If you ship Tembo out to Canada would you also move their.

I have no intention of ever living in Canada again...but given the way my life tends to go it could still happen anyway. I have always wanted to do Alaska to Terra del Fuego at the bottom of South America...so maybe one day. I would also love to roll in to the Nevada Overland Expo in Tembo one day. I don't imagine they get to see too many old Land Rover's that have actually been in the Sahara.

I do wonder though how all the overland companies based here in the UK or Europe (guides and equipment suppliers) are going to cope if travel possibilities are increasingly reduced. There are a lot of expensive toys sitting in driveways collecting dust and sooner or later people are going to start looking for new hobbies or adventure travel options.

Tembo wrote:

I do wonder though how all the overland companies based here in the UK or Europe (guides and equipment suppliers) are going to cope if travel possibilities are increasingly reduced. There are a lot of expensive toys sitting in driveways collecting dust and sooner or later people are going to start looking for new hobbies or adventure travel options.

Good point!

Come to Australia boys. Heaps to see and do over here.

Ipswich isn't too far away from me, given a choice I'd rather be down under where you are!

Gold Rig wrote:

Come to Australia boys. Heaps to see and do over here.

Now that is a great idea! My only concern would be a lack of real ales and that total obsession with Toyota's! Weird!

True, they don't seem to have many real ales, but they sure make up for it in the wine department!

Always wanted to go to Oz. Hopefully if I can make enough pennies, flying there and renting a 'Toy' camper is the way to go. No ... unfortunately time-wise, overland to Oz would be a step too far.

I have off-roading friends in Queensland, which at 1 million miles² (4,350 miles of coastline alone) is a decent start! Then there's the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island (a particular location on the planet I've always wanted to visit), those off-road friends of mine who just happen to run the biggest 4x4 Challenge event in the state - www.facebook.com/pages/Xtreme-4x4-Sport/251192353763 - and of course Gold Rig located just 26 miles from the capital city of Brisbane. Sorted!

yes Australia seems like a good idea, like Tom although I hate flying it would be best to fly there and hire a motor, maybe start start to do the lottery,

talking of america i am going for 3 weeks in september and my son has a F150 pick up so i am going to check the off roading scene out....and as for north africa...i am not sure about morroco now i think its still safe....but you never know whos about and do i want to put me or other people in the risk of harms way when theres still safe places in europe to visit....?

tuggy wrote:

do i want to put me or other people in the risk of harms way when theres still safe places in europe to visit....?

Quite! It's a shame, but it's an evil world nowadays.

I am pretty sure those guys are just on holiday

Jed