Outskirts Overland Podcast
Welcome to the Outskirts Overland Podcast, your go-to source for all things overlanding! Hosted by a seasoned adventurer with over 15 years of experience, this podcast offers a genuine and down-to-earth exploration of the overlanding lifestyle. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting out, join us as we delve into the essentials of gear and equipment, share captivating stories from the road, and provide practical tips for your next adventure. Tune in for insightful interviews, expert advice, and a community of like-minded explorers who share a passion for discovering the world beyond the beaten path. Get ready to fuel your wanderlust and embark on unforgettable journeys with the Outskirts Overland Podcast!
Outskirts Overland Podcast
Overlanding trends and Insights in 2025
Ever wondered if your everyday Subaru could be an overlanding vehicle? You're not alone. In this authentic conversation, I dive into the surprising absence of compact SUVs at major events like Overland Expo, despite their practical advantages for newcomers to the overlanding world. Your current vehicle might be all you need to start your adventure journey.
The overlanding community is experiencing fascinating shifts. While participation continues to grow, content creation has mysteriously slowed across platforms. I share my observations on this trend, along with thoughts on the recent merger between overlanding pioneers Scott Brady (Overland Journal/Expedition Portal) and Clay Croft (Expedition Overland). This consolidation marks a significant moment for information resources in our community.
Beyond content trends, I open up about my personal journey – balancing full-time work, podcasting, and my new academic pursuit in unmanned aerial technology. I'm studying drone technology to enhance both my overlanding adventures and professional capabilities. I also share practical insights from my mobile hotspot setup that's revolutionizing my connectivity on the road.
From hotspot hacks to philosophical discussions on vehicle choices, from trailer considerations to brand authenticity in the creator space – this episode offers something for overlanders at every experience level. Whether you're contemplating your first adventure vehicle or looking to optimize your current setup, you'll find practical takeaways and thoughtful perspectives to inform your journey.
Join the conversation by reaching out to me at charlie@outskirtsoverland.com or finding Outskirts Overland on all social platforms. Your overlanding story matters, and I'd love to hear how you're making this lifestyle work for you.
Welcome to the World of Warcraft. Today we will be looking at the new Warcraft 3. The new Warcraft 3 is a new Warcraft 3. That is a new Warcraft 3. That is a new Warcraft 3. Hey guys, it's Charlie with Outskirts, overland. Happy May 1st. Today is May Day. Happy to be here.
Speaker 1:I took yesterday off. I was trying to get some stuff sorted out and we'll see how it works. It already looks like I've lost connection a couple of times. I got a hot spot in the car, so we'll see if that helps. That's what I was trying to get done was a hot spot in the car. I'm going to have a hot spot for the truck too, just in general, so I can uh. So that way like for instance, when I was just at uh more expo I could still stream live with a hot spot.
Speaker 1:I'm not a fan of the of the starling I. I think it's extremely proven to be reliable and good. It is just a ton of money and if I could find a way to make a hotspot and a wee boost kind of work with each other, that's what I want to do and I think I got that figured out. So that was a big, huge surprise that I had for everybody was getting a 5G hotspot to boost off the WeBoost so that you can increase the signal, and it seemingly works pretty good. We'll see. So we'll see. And then you've got, I don't know, think starlings, a hundred something dollars a month and I'll have not even five hundred dollars total, and there's no. Now, when you gotta watch, uh, when you got the weeboost, there's no password. I get that all the time. People are always asking me and this is not a commercial for weeboost by any means but people are always asking me you know, do you need a password to use it? It's like no, just a cell, just a cell booster, like it's your signal, like no password or nothing. Now the hotspot will have password, but it'll still be boosted because it's a cellular wi-fi hotspot. It'll still be boosted by the wee boost. So see how that all works. Anyways, techie, I uh, yeah, I mean so I took the day off.
Speaker 1:Yesterday. Blues had playoff game. Unfortunately they lost, but they played real physical, which I greatly appreciate as a just a person. I was actually thinking about that this morning.
Speaker 1:I was like how many people that are in this hobby are sports people? Maybe not a lot, maybe a lot, I don't know. I say sports like more than one. Obviously everybody's got Well, not everybody. I don't say Not, obviously Not everybody and not obviously A lot of people have a sport they follow, whether it's sometimes we're on motorsport or just A sport.
Speaker 1:But how many people are sports people Like I'm into? I mean I watch, I'm a Cardinals fan, I'm a Blues fan, I'm a Chicago Bears fan, I'm a William Byron fan, I'm a NASCAR fan, I'm a, you know, I'm a George Russell fan, f1. I'm a Tony Stewart fan in NHRA and again, he was NASCAR too, but I like him in NHRA as well. Yeah, I mean I'm just a fan. And again, motorsports too, I'm just a fan, and again, motorsports too. I just a sports fan. Really don't have a favorite basketball team, don't watch much basketball because it's kind of during baseball and hockey and football to some extent and I watch those way more. So I don't get too into it. But I wonder how many people like even play sports, like how many of you guys golf or or disc golf, disc golf's real popular around here actually, just a, just a thought I had this morning and as I do this every day almost said yesterday because I took the off something I thought about, you know, but I gotta get on it with the truck.
Speaker 1:The truck needs the. The gears are broken, freaking sweet. I need to change all the fluid, change the fluid in the discs. It's really not a big deal. The engine oil needs changed on the truck too. But and then I got to get my. I got a dual battery thingy-majigger, thingy-majigger. I got a dual battery set up. I got my red arc to set up things. Nothing, I mean none of it's anything crazy or nuts, just got to get it done. And I don't know if I mentioned this. I think I have.
Speaker 1:I'm in school. So I'm in college right now. I went back to school to be a for unmanned aerial technology so I can work on drones, build drones, fly drones, all of the above, and I'm going to get my part 107 and I'll be a certified essentially a certified drone technician. It'll let me do stuff for this. I even put a video up of me just screwing my drone, like I have a simulator and all kinds of stuff that go with. You know my courses, my coursework, and I still like you guys, I'm sure. Well, I don't talk about it a whole lot, but I'm sure you guys have seen my disabled veteran plate on my truck. If you haven't now, you know.
Speaker 1:So I have a GI Bill and I got a little bit of extra time on it recently. Um, I don't really know what the what it was for, why we got the kicker um, but I guess if you were using it you got a little bit more time, and I already used it to go to college, and so I was like I got enough time left to do this other um thing with the unmanned aerial system. So I'm pretty excited about that. So I'll be able to navigate that on, not only just for, like, social media content, but like commercial purposes too, like we go over all kinds of stuff. I mean I don't even know what they use these things for. Quite frankly, I'm like oh, they use them for real estate insurance and YouTube, right, but like they inspect bridges, power lines, I mean there's all kinds of stuff. There's gas-powered drones, like for commercial use.
Speaker 1:I had no idea about half this stuff. Some of them are freaking huge. But anyways, I got a little bitty DJ, uh, dgi mini 4k um that I got through school. School sent it to us to like kind of just get used to messing around with and I made a little video with it. So it will. It'll definitely increase my, my stuff on Instagram, for sure, and maybe even here, I don't know like, who knows, I I'm yet to like be fluent with it. I'm good enough, you know. Like, again, I'm going to school for it.
Speaker 1:I'm not like some just joe that bought one. Like I have molds. Many hours on a simulator with different drones. Um, I've flown other drones and again, cameras are a big part, but when you're looking to do like cinematic, it requires it to be a little more smooth as far as things go. But I'm learning how to program them and stuff. Anyways, not to talk too much about myself, but pretty cool stuff that you know, using them for agriculture, mapping and different lasers for range finding, slash measuring it's pretty cool stuff. Pretty cool stuff like range finding, slash measuring it's pretty cool stuff, pretty cool stuff Anyways, um, so that's something I just randomly was like man, I'd really like to do that, um, and I could do it for free. So naturally I'm like hopping on that opportunity. So I've been doing that. So that's so.
Speaker 1:I'm not only working full time, I'm doing the podcast, I'm traveling, I'm camping and I'm I'm in college. So and that's not always been the case. I just started college in like march, so my uh, this program started in march. So that's not always been the case at all, but very busy for me. So taking a day off here and there, to you know, I set up the wifi hotspot and this I wrote a paper. I worked all day. I, you know, watch the blues game. Just busy, that's all. So it's not like, uh, I'm really doing it on purpose for any of you guys Like, uh, I'm gonna, my listeners don't need to hear. So I, I mean, that's what's been going on with me and that's why I took a day off.
Speaker 1:But today is May 1st. It's going to be pretty crappy here in Missouri. It's pretty overcast and nasty, but what are you going to do? So, yeah, but as far as overlanding goes, I've been trying to keep track. Man, again, I've talked about this many times over the last year and some change here, but I just feel like there's less content out there. And not that I rely on content necessarily I make content, but it is nice to kind of watch stuff, but I don't know what's going on. I mean, I was just at more expo.
Speaker 1:I mean there's no doubt that this, this hobby slash genre, is not. I mean, it's not dying, you know. If anything, it is actually growing, but when it was growing, like growing at the fastest rate. I still think it may even be bigger now than when it was growing the fastest literally bigger at the moment, but there's not as much driving it. And it's a complete and totally known fact that YouTube drives overlanding Content, drives overlanding like Instagram, but it's all. I mean all kind of still comes back to YouTube. There's just not as much. There's just not as much. There's just not as much content.
Speaker 1:I did see yesterday that the Overland Journal and Expedition Portal, which was like the first forum from like my days back in the day, has merged with Expedition Overland and the Expedition Ranch. So that's cool. That's all in one place now. So that's Scott Brady and Clay Croft. I'm sure most people know about Clay Croft, but they merged and I saw that go kind of. It looked at least like it was announced live yesterday. So that's cool. I'm excited about that. I like both those guys and I think they're both kind of pioneers in the space.
Speaker 1:Now I I do think that, like when you look at world expedition versus like north american overlanding, you're gonna see a big difference. Like world expedition is not nearly as much off-roading, it's travel. It's not going to be, you know it's. It's unsupported travel. And, like me, when I go to the Ozarks, like it's very off road, off roadie, and that's not what you're going to get there. So if you're not into the whole like kind of traveling different continents and covering miles and stuff like that, it might not be your cup of tea. You may still want to be more involved with, like the Storytel Now, who does a lot of off-roading, slash overlanding.
Speaker 1:But the Overland Journal is something I've read since it's been out, and Expedition Portal I've been on since 2006. It really was the first place for people to kind of uh in north america. Well, I mean, it's not just for north america, the internet, right, like, but it just is kind of uh place for people to be together. And just for reference, like I've been on expedition portal since 2006. The iphone wasn't out until 2008. Guys like this is pre, pre is pre-smartphone, not even just iPhone smartphone. So just to put that into context, for some of you guys that are younger, you're like I don't even remember that, like I don't even remember a time without smartphones and iPhones and whatever. But yeah, it's that long ago my space time, you know, and that might some of you guys are like what is that? But that's how long I've been on that, so it's and it's a cool place and it's always been a cool place Huge Rolodex and stuff, so that's awesome. So, yeah, that's what's that happened in the overland space. It's worth talking about. For those of you guys that are interested, maybe it draws some of you guys to x overland. They have a lot of videos out, very high quality videos, so that's maybe that's something to watch.
Speaker 1:I, I do enjoy watching, like overlanded travel content, but, like I'm saying, man, it's just, it's kind of a bummer. Like I've been watching more movies lately because there's not as much of it and I would prefer to watch, you know, people's travels. That's how I, that's how I learn about new stuff. Maybe stuff, stuff that's not so good to do, maybe stuff that's better to do Some new ideas, new places, even potentially, like oh, they're in the desert, that looks cool, or you know whatever. Learn about, oh, excuse me, learn about some considerations of things, but for whatever reason, that is slow right now and it's almost summer. I just don't understand. I don't know. I'll tell you the people that are big.
Speaker 1:I'm seeing a lot of shifts in. This is unfortunate. Let's talk on this. Actually, this is super unfortunate to me, but in the Overland space, you know, creators have sponsors or partnerships or affiliations or whatever with brands. I swear, this year too, like this year in 2025, the last five months, I've seen more creators work with numerous different brands across the same type of stuff. Stuff, like I can think of two creators off the top of my head and I never named names that have had three different brands of rooftop tents in the last five months and I'm like dude, like whatever happened to these people working with brands? Like these are different brands. Like sometimes, you know, like certain brands have a wide line and different creators work with a brand and they'll be like oh, here's tent, here's their other tent, blah, blah, blah. Here's their new wheels, here's the new tire. You know, I have seen more freaking brand hopping than ever in the overland space and I mean to each their own, do what you do, and that's fine.
Speaker 1:I don't have anything I mean. It's not a negative, it's just a what's the word I've just noticed. It's just an observation. That's the word I was looking for. It's just an observation. So I don't know if they're needing that to drive their content because the content's not getting the views or they're not putting it out as frequently I don't know, no idea, no clue man views. Or they're not putting it out as frequently. I don't know, no idea, no clue man. So but it's just interesting.
Speaker 1:I talk about it probably at least three, four times a year about content, because I am a I take in content, like I like content. Like there's a guy on Instagram chase in point, chase dot, end up point and he's in like a GX four 70, like travels all over and he's super good photographer and it's just enjoyable Keegan Jasper really like his photography and his shorts and stuff. Like I. I resonate with these people and what they post. So when they start to post less, it's like dang, that's like a daily routine of mine kind of thing. Like maybe I am for you guys, even maybe I'm just a daily routine of somebody that that chit chats, you know, and and it's hard when that slows down. I mean I took a day off, but by no means am I take it two weeks off, three weeks off, a month off, two months off. You. You know I'm here for whatever I. Yeah, it's just stinks kind of, but I have been.
Speaker 1:Uh, my friend wes did message me this morning. He travels with a trailer, so he wrote me a lot about considerations with trailers and why you do trailers and different stuff with trailers. I have x-grid trailers that I've been speaking to that I'm going to get on the podcast here in the next. You know, over time here in sometime they're in las vegas. It's expo season. They're busy. I'm busy after work, so I do this before work. So it's just, you know, I just got to get stuff together, get schedules together and stuff so. But I'll have them on and they have a wide range of trailers and they'll be able to talk about a lot of different ones. So hopefully, just so you guys can get to know about them.
Speaker 1:I don't know much, I don't. Well, I mean, I don't want to say I don't know much, I know some. I just know it's not, it's not my cup of tea, but again, I know that doesn't mean it's not your guys and I don't. I don't ever want to seem like I'm telling you guys to not, to not do what's going to work best for you. I just absolutely know.
Speaker 1:Like for me for how I like, like for what I value in this hobby. It's not best for me Like what I value is like ease, convenience, quickness. And again people be like oh well, trailer fits those things. Well, not really. You got to have insurance on its own plates, I got to hook it up, drop it off. I can't just on a whim leave with a trailer, like I got to have the trailer and I'm not going to drive around a hundred percent of the time with a trailer where I can drive around in my truck a hundred percent time, ready to roll, I can be ready, I can be unpacked and packed in two minutes, you know. And if I leave a trailer hooked up, yeah, that's the case. But there's going to be instances where having the trailer hooked up is not an option for trails and then I come back to it. Nothing against that object, just not going to be the object for me.
Speaker 1:But I do want to get people that are familiar with it, considerations for it, that know about it, and I'm not going to spend, you know, 10 to $50,000 to give you guys that information, um, on what I think about it. I mean, it's just not going to be. It's just not going to be my jam, but I am fully aware that as this podcast has grown and they get more popular and people with families and you know, don't want to be climbing up and down ladders as they age and different, just different stuff, that different strokes for different folks type thing, that it is something type thing, that it is something that the people want to hear. So I just want to let you guys know, even as much as that isn't my preferred way of doing it, I am trying to get knowledge and education so that I could get that out to you guys, so you could understand things better. Because that's what I do here, like I just try to be, you know, and I say I'm unbiased and and I'm not a trailer person, but I want to give you unbiased info on trailers like my. My info on trailers isn't that you shouldn't have one, it's that I don't have one and I have reasons for that, but it's not that you shouldn't at all. Like that's that's kind of with anything Like there's different things that go along with this that are better for situations, and I'm aware that my situation is in everybody's situation. My wants and needs aren't everybody's wants and needs. So I just want to have the information and education to where, like. I have no problem telling somebody like this would be. I think, based on what you're telling me, this is going to be the the ideal way for you to to go. Um, as far as trailers are concerned, you know and you're gonna have some vehicle limitations on what your vehicle can pull and what these things way. I'm sure there's a vast range of weights with these trailers, like from from, you know, not much to a ton, I would presume, but I don't know. I just don't know and I don't want to tell you guys I do know when I don't yet. So I am trying to seek that information out for you guys. I know that's a very hot commodity right now is trailers, so I'm trying to figure that out.
Speaker 1:I've had a lot of people recently just people I've been around, you know a lot of people that I've been around recently are talking more about how they like the convenience of a ground tent versus a rooftop tent, because there's a huge con to rooftop tents and that's that. It's with you all the time. So if you open it up, you got to put it down to go anywhere, anywhere. You can't just hop in the truck and go somewhere. That's an absolute con.
Speaker 1:I mean, to some folks mine closes up in I don't know 30 seconds, like for real, like it's and I mean that's not even a, that's not a exaggeration like it really takes, like as fast as I want to move is as fast as I can get it put up and appropriately. That's not like. That's not like. Oh, it takes five minutes, but if I rush it takes 30 seconds. I'm going slow, it takes me a minute and a half, like seriously. So that's just not a thing that I. You know I don't travel where I need to be sprinting places, so it just isn't a problem for me. But again, maybe for you it is. Maybe that's too long, I don't know. Or maybe maybe getting up and putting it up and taking it down is like just not in your long-term plan due to injuries or you know, whatever. You know ability to get up that high to pull it down. I have a truck, I get on tailgate.
Speaker 1:I mean vehicle structure makes a big difference in some of these things. You know, if you've got a hatch in the back, you know, then you can't just hop on the back and pull down your rooftop tent. It makes a difference. I mean, it's different. It's all different for different reasons and types.
Speaker 1:So I'm just trying to get the information on the trailers. I mean, I've owned every kind of rooftop tent. I feel like at this point, so like, owned them, not only owned them, been around them, friends have had them. Very, rooftop tent, knowledge, tent, knowledgeable for sure, heck, yeah, anyways, I've owned them all. So types, types, I don't know all the rooftop tents that are out there.
Speaker 1:There's a couple that are unique in the marketplace right now that I'm real interested in and, man, I want to get my hands on them before I even say if they like how they are. You got everything from ultralight ones where, like companies are making some that are like 70, 80 pounds total with still big footprints and stuff. And then you've got some that are that have unique designs for more space. You know, I even saw one the other day where, like the roof is actually like a plexiglass and you can almost unroll the interior of the roof so you can like see through to, like the sky in the night. So like it's still like a hard shell rooftop tent but like it's clear on the roof, and I thought that was about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I was like that is innovative, for sure. Um, they were out of stock but and I also looked for reviews on it and I couldn't find any. But I was like man, that is a and again innovative, cool idea. Do I know if that is a um? Do I know longevity, do I know durability? No, but I mean it's a cool idea.
Speaker 1:So there are companies out there that are willing to. You know, look outside the box, that's for sure. And I bet that's the same thing with trailers. Like I can't even tell you guys, like I don't even know the types of trailers I saw this weekend. There was some things this weekend that I saw or, yeah, this weekend it's Thursday, but it was last weekend that I saw that were like, so outside the box as far as trailers are concerned. I don't even know what you would call them, like form factors, shapes, slide outs, open ups, tons, and I'm talking like if there was 300 trailers. I saw 65 different kinds, like kind types, shapes and different things, and fiberglass and pop-up tops and wedge tops, and you just tear, drops and hook, just do everything and anything that you can. There was stuff I couldn't have imagined that. I saw that. Now I know about. So people are innovating, that's for sure, that's for positive. Uh yeah, that's really, really, really, really, really happening.
Speaker 1:I do see a lot of bigger vehicles, too, coming into the space. It's no longer the forerun Tacoma, jeep Gladiator, you know Jeep 4-door, 2-door Gladiator. I saw a lot of full-size vehicles F-150s, 250s, 350s, tundras, stuff like that. It's not just like Frontiers, it's not just like that midsize anymore anymore. So I saw a lot of that. You want to know? I'm in the subaru right now, but you want to know what? I did not see much of subarus, so which, when I go to rendezvous in the ozarks, there's actually quite a few subarus. I, yeah, I mean, I think there's.
Speaker 1:I think this is a great vehicle if you're not a big off-roader, like gas mileage, all-wheel drive, comfort, like a lot of things that are awesome about this car and any subaru really. I mean you can get a rooftop tent on them. They make them to where the racks that they come with can support a rooftop tent. Like eight, nine hundred pounds, um, eight, nine hundred pounds static and like three, four hundred pounds dynamic, which is as good as any rack you'll put on anything. So these are great. I didn't, you know. I just know this is going to happen to me sometimes.
Speaker 1:I just thought about that and I was like I saw like zero Subaru stuff, zero Subaru stuff or even like small SUV stuff. I didn't see anything at more expo that was like rav for Forrester, how back cross track. You know, hyundai, what are they? Hyundai and Kia have like Sportage and Santa Fe, like I feel like man, hey, companies get on that, because that's what people have, that's what people drive those every day. If they want to get into Overland and they're not Newsflash most expensive thing you're going to get is a vehicle. Actually, probably I don't know why that was a thing that was developing within the last two years at least, like you saw a lot of, you know, because there's a segue between like kids going to soccer and camping, but doing it easier so you don't have to, can't pack so much gear, so they're making roof racks and tire carriers and skid plates. So you know, mom could take the kids to soccer but doesn't have to lift the car but could put a skid plate underneath it so that she doesn't pop a hole in the mom or dad or pop a hole in the, the uh oil pan of stuff.
Speaker 1:I guess you know sometimes I'm going to come to stuff while I'm talking to you guys. But yeah, no suit, like no mid-size suv stuff that I saw, forerunner, you know, forerunner, forerunner I saw a lot of forerunner. Everything was that size or bigger, weird. Well, I have a subaru and you guys will get some content on it. I just freaking, I have to strike back and it's got three, some content on it. I just freaking, I have the truck back and it's got three gears and it's got lockers. So it's freaking so sick, it's so cool. Like my truck is like the coolest thing I've ever owned. So, anyways, yeah, man, I gotta For my Subaru folks out there. I'm a Subaru folks and I need to probably pay more.
Speaker 1:Like I'm going to work on that actually, cause that's something that nobody's not nobody, but a lot of people don't have, they have interest in and there's nobody talking about it. I got you guys, whether you're in small SUVs or you don't need to get a forerunner, it's not necessary. You don't need to get a forerunner, it's not necessary. You don't need to get a tacoma, you don't need to get a tundra, you don't need to get a f-150, a titan, uh, even a frontier, like if you've got a car, it'll that car will work. And there's companies that make stuff, there's things you could make work and there's different universal pieces. Um man, yeah, that hit me. I'll work on that. So that, just that, just you know, clicked. I mean heck, yeah, anyways, I'll touch on that later. But anyways, guys, that's what I got today. I'll catch you guys tomorrow. Again, go ahead and text the podcast. Charlie at outskirtsoverlandcom is my email. I'm available on all social platforms. At outskirts overland.
Speaker 1:Yesterday I did not do the podcast, but I did make a I don't want to call it a blog post, but I made a longer post. If you go over to my instagram or my personal facebook or my outskirts overland facebook, you'll be able to find it. There's a picture of my truck, but it talks about genuine content and just like being genuine and not kind of being cringe or not, you know, not getting caught up in the content world, Like just being genuine. If you're putting stuff out there and I think it's worth the read, I took the time to write it and it's written well. I think it's worth your time to read. I did so. I did put something out yesterday. So go over there and look, give that a look and give that a read and, uh, I'll catch you guys tomorrow, for Friday, for the weekend. Um, thanks guys for being here. Contact me for anything, hit me with a subject, hit me with a thought, and I'll be happy to. Uh, we'll be happy to talk to you guys. I'll catch you later. Bye.
