Do it for the "Gram": How social media has ruined overlanding

Interesting read and I see it around here. Brand new Tacoma's, 4 runners, JKs and others. Not a spec of dirt anywhere but retrofitted with all the top gear on their daily driver. Though, I may be classified as an enthusiast according to the article...
 
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Seems like about 2 years ago everyone here in Utah decided the couldn't camp on the ground anymore. I would say 35% of all late model Tacomas have tent platforms permanently installed these days.

That being said, I think this author came off as a bit mightier-than-thou. Seems like he's from the "built not bought" crowd. Who cares if Bill finances his life away on a new Tacoma draped in gas cans? Some folks like the challenge of fabricating an overlanding rig out of an old Xterra with all the blood, sweat and tears they can muster, and some folks have enough disposable income to just buy the whole package. Who cares?
 
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This article couldn't be more true around here. Others are often surprised to find out I do all my work to my rigs rather than slapping one of everything from catalogs and paying somebody to install it all. I also find it hard to converse with these people about gear choices, etc, since they generally just choose what others tell them to and don't understand why it's good or bad.
 
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Reading that, my initial thought Is they come across as pretty elitist. The kind of person with stickers about how they built instead of bought.

However I do think the “overland” idea has become a bit ridiculous. Obviously you need your fridge, range, and microwave to spend time in the wilderness.
 
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I see several Jeeps in the area I'm in that are permanently outfitted with offroad/overland gear. Lifted with 35/37s, RTTs, Hi- lift jacks, Rotopax cans for water and gas, blinding fog lights. Like these are in all the time. There is rig at work that makes me shake my head everytime I see it. These guys I suspect get the stuff for the "Jeep look" and nothing more. I understand having all that gear when you go offroad or for a long hard trip. But for coming to work? Nah. They are doing it for the 'gram.

People can do whatever they want to their rigs. Some build purely for looks and I get that. But they just won't admit that and that's where the problem is. No different than the tricked out truck bros out there.
 
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Very true! It's one thing to build your rig to look like an off-road vehicle with no intention of every taking it off-road. I have no complaints with that. However, when you won't actually admit that and want to pretend you're some sort of super overlander, that does bother me.

But, in this modern day of social media where everyone is putting on a front and acting fake, I'm not really surprised.
 
Glamping. I am actually amazed at the stuff available, but I would just rather hike or bike my tent and a few rations in for a weekend. I do wish I still had my '88 Westy- I thought that was sinful camping at the time.
 
It's all pretty harmless, although I do wonder how many RTT's get knocked off in shopping centre carparks.

I just can't get over how the Overlanding thing has taken hold though. Went to a 4wd event recently where there were 350 vehicles parked in a racetrack carpark for a show and shine. Amongst the myriad of young guys with rock lights and RGB Led headlights (it was like fast and furious 2001 but 4wd). It appeared that having a roof top tent open when parked was a thing. Then there was the guy that dragged in a trailer with a side by side and boat on it. Weird... strange times indeed.
 
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If they use it to get outside and see the outdoors, good for them. If they are driving around with a 2k tent on top and never use it, they are just dumb.

The more money these yahoos spend the more companies can spend on R&D. That will create better products for the folks that actually use them as intended.
 
A daily driven new to the owner JKU with an attached RTT was the end of a fairly long relationship I had with someone. He showed up to show off his new to him JKU with tent attached and was complaining about how much body roll he had on some local trails that are the hardest in that area. Well no shit dumbass, you've got that steel rack up there, a hard top, and that damn tent, what did you think was going to happen?

Running that trail is not overlanding, it's rock crawling. Rock crawling is not the same as overlanding and the vehicles are outfitted differently. Not only that, but why in the fuck are you driving around with the tent on top of your daily driver? What the hell is wrong with you?

Over the years, he has always wanted one rig to do everything. I want a rig that climbs dirt hills with a low center of gravity like a stock XJ with lockers, that runs rock trails like a TJ, with the comfort of a Caddy, that will do 85 on the freeway, and get 20+ miles to the gallon while doing it. We had endless conversations about compromises and why you can build a rig to do 1 thing well that kinda sucks at everything else or you can build a rig that does everything fairly well but isn't great at any one purpose. Literally hundreds of conversations about that and why it doesn't work.

After the RTT episode he pretty much faded away and that was it, just gone.
 
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The only things that stay on/in my LJ on a permanent basis are:
- 1) the rear awning, because I'm too lazy to take it off and because it comes in handy at cookouts.
- 2) the fridge/freezer, because I'm too lazy to take it out and because it comes in really handy when I go to the store to buy cold stuff and then realize that I should have done that errand last amongst all the rest.

Everything else that I use gets taken off/out. Why cart all that stuff around? I mean, I know why; it's so people can hang out and talk about all the cool gear that they have...but we can do that without having to show it off to everyone else in the parking lot of the local pub. Since when did popular acceptance and validation become the sole means of defining one's self?
 
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Sundowner said:
Since when did popular acceptance and validation become the sole means of defining one's self?
Click to expand...
Lots of folks would blame social media but the reverse is true. Social media is the venue that resulted from the overwhelming desire by so many to define themselves by what instead of who. You and I have seen it many times. How many folks do internet Jeep builds based on what will garner them the most attention instead of what actually works for what they want to do?
 
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Popular acceptance and validation became the sole means of defining one’s self for too many people when social media came into being. Teens commit suicide because of bullying and adults die taking the ultimate selfie. Don’t underestimate it, it is extremely addictive and has the power to kill. The opposite is what the op’s interesting article is about, a preemptive strike if you will to impress their social media buds. All you need are deep pockets and a minimum amount of time. Hopefully the fakers will tire of it and grow up, sell their rigs and move on to the next big thing. Maybe a few will get enlightened and get real. Guess I’m an odd duck as this educational and entertaining forum and a few others are the extent of my ‘social media’. Sally Fields foretold it with her ‘you really like me!’ statement.
 
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Seems like people do everything for social media attention these days. That's what I've come to notice at least.
 
mrblaine said:
Lots of folks would blame social media but the reverse is true. Social media is the venue that resulted from the overwhelming desire by so many to define themselves by what instead of who. You and I have seen it many times. How many folks do internet Jeep builds based on what will garner them the most attention instead of what actually works for what they want to do?
Click to expand...

I'm glad to see someone aside from me recognizing how it all actually happened. Nobody invented social media in a vacuum; like everything else, they saw a desire and a need, and they filled the void. Social media never caused the problems; it just made them easier to share. So, same question on my part: what caused this?
 
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