MAK and Owen of Bound for Nowhere present a detailed and approachable overview of overlanding. Here’s what you need to know before leaving the pavement.
There are two terms that routinely scare the bejesus out of newbie truck campers; price and weight. Okay, just kidding. While those two subjects may chase many a prospective truck camper into a nice European cruise instead, the terms I was thinking of were boondocking and overlanding.
The funny part about both boondocking and overlanding is that you can find yourself doing both without even really knowing it. Drive off the pavement for a stretch and park somewhere for free overnight? You just overland traveled, and bookdocked. It’s so easy a truck camper can do it.
Of course, what some folks who confront these terms imagine are the more technical aspects of boondocking and overlanding. Boondocking can mean understanding how to fund and properly use public lands. Overlanding can involve traveling off-road in areas where cell signals can be non-existent. What if you cross into the wrong cow pasture, or get stuck thirty miles from civilization?
I have friends – ahem – who are reading this and thinking, “No way. Not happening. I’m staying on pavement, thank you.” The unfortunate part of this position is that it’s extremely limiting. The natural beauty and camping locations available with a little research and preparations are all over our annual calendar. And this magazine’s very motto starts with, “Go Anywhere, Camp Anywhere,” because those are the most important reasons the truck camper product exists. It’s like owning a Jeep but avoiding puddles. Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the point.
Back in May of 2021, we interviewed MAK and Owen of Bound for Nowhere in their article, “The Hard Road to Independence“. We had been following their excellent blog and videos for a good amount of time, and continue to do so. Don’t tell them I said so, but they are easily some of the best photographers in the truck camper adventure business.
Getting back to overland travel, I can think of no better couple to help explain the ins and outs of overlanding than MAK and Owen. Not because they’re the most technically accomplished overlanders on Earth, but because they live full-time in a Four Wheel Camper, push themselves into incredible off-road adventures, and take the time to communicate what they learn. And they love cats, but that’s another story.
Above: An excerpt from MAK and Owen’s blog
Their article, “How To Start Overlanding” should be required reading before taking your truck camping tires off the pavement. They begin by defining what overlanding is and then move on through camping etiquette, navigation, gear, and land stewardship. We found it to be a refreshing, holistic, and approachable overview of what can be an intimidating subject. Really well done, MAK and Owen!
Continue to follow MAK and Owen’s adventures by liking Bound for Nowhere on Instagram.
