Shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020, we found ourselves in a significant funk. Being cooped up in the house we turned to YouTube for entertainment. We quickly found ourselves watching others who were “Overlanding”. Although neither one of us was overly familiar with the term “Overlanding” we are avid travelers who have a passion for exploring and overlanding definitely peaked our interest.
While there are many definitions for overlanding, we’ll attempt to explain what it means to us.
Overlanding is essentially vehicle based camping where the journey is just as important as the destination. It’s a sense of freedom where we can escape the stressors of our lives and experience nature in its purest form. It’s a free form of therapy that reenergizes our souls.
Before becoming “overlanders”, we truly had no idea where to start. A quick internet search led us to the Facebook group, Temecula Overland.
We joined the group and started interacting with an amazing group of outdoor enthusiasts. Through these interactions we worked up the courage to attend our first group meet-up. Having attended many car show events in the past, we were worried that we’d be judged when we showed up with our relatively stock Toyota Tacoma. So we arrived early and tried to pick out a spot where we could go relatively unnoticed. Immediately upon our arrival, we couldn’t have felt more welcomed.
We found there was a wide range of experience in the group. Some members have been overlanding for years and others were as new to it as we were. We also found that it was an amazing group of outdoor automotive enthusiasts who were willing to share the knowledge and experience without judgment. We also found that we did not need to have a particular brand of vehicle. Just about every make of vehicle is represented in the group. Toyotas, Jeeps, Chevys, Fords, Land Rovers, and even Porsche.
Temecula Overland generally meets once a month at Rival Coffee in Murrieta, CA. In addition to visiting with like minded individuals, you can often find second hand parts, vehicles for sale, and the group regularly provides training classes which have include trail navigation and solar power installation. During the last event, they even had an amazing local fish taco vendor.
Through this group, we have made some of the most amazing connections. If you’re in the area and have a passion for overlanding, we encourage you to attend the group’s next meet-up event. If you’re not in the area, with the growing popularity of overloading, there is sure to be a similar group in your area. If there isn’t one, consider starting one.
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