Overlanding Doesn’t Need to Cost a Fortune
Diving into the world of overlanding feels like a tall task. Due to photos of six-figure rigs outfitted with more hardware than a typical humvee and the treacherous terrain we often see highlighted in clips online, actually getting out and trying it can seem unattainable for most. Thanks to some help from Firestone and Differential Overland, I was able to head out to Eastern Oregon to remind myself that venturing out to see some incredible untouched scenery doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive.
Firestone invited me out to join a group of other media members on a three-day overlanding trek through the Owyhee River valley in Eastern Oregon, sampling their latest Destination X/T and Destination M/T2 tires along the route. The X/T is an all-season tire for the light truck or SUV owner who hits the occasional trail, while the M/T2 is full-blown maximum traction offering designed to take serious punishment on the trail. We would sample both tires across a range of off-road products on the trip, highlighting how different owners might approach their own builds.
Eastern Oregon might not spring to mind as an off-road destination in the same way as parts of the American southwest, but the state’s terrain is chock-full of the region’s scenic highlights. Red-hued cliff faces do their best Arizona impression, interspersed between greener plateaus that wouldn't look out of place in Utah. Occasional lava flows from eons past scar the Earth, while ongoing wildfires continue that tradition during our journey. I've been fortunate enough to drive on trails all across the country, but no single place has offered such a variety of scenery.
The paths switch from gravely roadways to more jagged and larger rock-laden trails. Our rides for the trip were far from uniform either, the pack containing everything from an aging Land Rover LR3 on up to a brand new Nissan Frontier Pro 4X. The experience level among the group is equally as eclectic, mixed between life-long wheelers and recent additions to the off-roading family alike. Our guides with Differential Overland made sure to select a trail that would accommodate all of these skill sets. That said, it is not one that lends itself to pushing our Firestone tire-equipped vehicles to their limits. That is excusable considering that friends of the outfit owned all but one of our test vehicles, but gives us little chance to test the limits of the tires. The trip was less a capability test, and more a reminder: Off-road fanatics don't need to spend a year's salary to see some incredible parts of the world.
The Land Rover LR3 in the convoy was the prime example of this, arriving with no modifications but a set Firestone Destination X/Ts. The truck wasn't some pristine example either, with more than 178,000 miles. Yet the aging SUV was the fan-favorite among all of the drivers, thanks in no small part to the ease with which it tackled obstacles. That ease of use combined with the supreme ride quality provided by the truck’s infamous air suspension system makes for an inviting off-roader. A quick search shows that one could reasonably get a similar truck for under $10,000, though some extra savings for the inevitable British car maintenance bills won’t hurt. One would be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded truck for less money. Thanks to the X/T tire’s clever tread layout, the SUV was even reasonably quiet during the bookending highway commutes. One could happily daily such a ride, should your future off-roader need to be a multi-talented machine. A far cry from the last $100,000+ rig I brought to the trails, yet more enticing.
After loading our gear outside of Boise, Idaho, the group made our way to our first camp location on some government-owned land near the banks of the Owyhee River. The weather in Eastern Oregon has been tremendously dry this season, playing a role in the wildfires that smoked out much of the horizon as we left. That wasn’t the case during the latter half of our first leg, when the first proper rainstorm in weeks began. This is a somewhat stressful situation out on the trails, where running water can dramatically shift the conditions around you. Thankfully, the deluge stuck just ahead of the pack for most of the hike, giving us quite the lightning show. The trails further up the way weren’t spared from the storm, requiring a rework of the next day’s planned route. With that discovery made, the convoy pulled off to make camp for the night. As nice as a roof-mounted tent truly is out in the sticks, our group managed just fine with traditional tents and sleeping pads. And while our meals were admittedly prepared by chefs traveling alongside us with a full kitchen tucked into a trailer, I can’t help but think I’d have been just as content with some sandwiches out of a cooler. Going to sleep with the Milky Way above your head and waking up to the sun peaking over the mountains is what overlanding is really about, after all.
The thick mud on our planned route required the group to backtrack on the second day, winding back up the valley we’d dropped into the night before. Our mission was to locate a set of warm springs tucked along the Owyhee, situated in what has to be one of the most idyllic bits of scenery anywhere in the United States. As the day of climbing drew on, my fellow wheelers became less interested in swapping rides every so often. As such, I’d spend the majority of the remaining trek inside a nicely-modified Lexus GX470. That wasn’t much of a shame, as everyone began to bond with their vehicles. Like with a beloved sports car or weekend cruiser, off-road vehicles have a knack for getting under your skin when used properly. That whole process is made a lot easier when the vehicle itself is an attainable item, and not one far out of reach. Even the greenest of the participants among us started dreaming up their own overlanding builds, asking the more experienced folks questions about budgets and beginner routes. The desire to get out and do this all again was shared across the convoy.
We’d set up our final camp on a cliff face, just up the way from the aforementioned hot springs. The views were incredible from every angle, interrupted only by our own rigs. Once the sun slipped out of view, rounds of cocktails flowed. With our gas fire pits serving as the only source of light pollution for miles, we were again provided an untrammeled view of the universe above. Parts of Eastern Oregon are among the darkest in the continental United States, serving up a different look at the constellations that make up our night sky. We called out the more familiar drawings with necks craned high. There’s a genuine sense of calmness that comes with being so far away from the hustle of everyday life. With so much beauty surrounding you, it is difficult not to let go of some of the more trivial stresses of life, even if only for a night. Overlanding isn’t about conquering the terrain around you as much as it is about celebrating the experiences shared on the journey to those unmatched vistas. It doesn’t require a massive budget for tech-laden trucks and suspension upgrades. Some basic armor, enough suspension travel and a good set of tires will take you a long way off-road, especially when paired with modern mapping apps and equipment. Get out there and enjoy all the places that a cheap 4x4 can take you.
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