A New Way to #SAFEscape: Overlanding Basics with Overland Kings’ Joel Pedro

What is Overlanding?

The long and dragging pandemic has led everyone in the world to start exploring, to start partaking in new escapades and to make the most of the new normal. One of the newest ways to go on an adventure is overlanding. This new vehicle-based adventure lets you explore the outdoors and go off-grid in a unique and fun manner.

Overlanding involves a relatively long distance travel to remote and rural locations that are away from the hustle and bustle of city living. This exploration usually requires self-reliance, a sense of discovery and a thirst for survival in order to fully immerse into this adventure.

Overlanding can be inferred to be a more thrilling, but a more comfortable alternative to camping as overlanding lets you travel much further because you will be exploring with your own vehicle. This escapade also allows for heightened comfort as overlanding gives you the ability to carry as much things and gears you need.

Overland Kings

Overland Kings is one of the few businesses in the Philippines that promote overlanding. This company helps with customization of overlanding vehicles by providing top-notch equipment. Everything you may need to go overlanding with your crew, friends or family, they most definitely have – from tents, awnings and recovery gear to basic camping equipment and accessories.

Overland Kings is partnered with many brands that offer only high quality products. In fact, the equipment they sell have all been tested by the company itself.

As its employees as well as its business owner are also into overlanding, we decided to conduct an interview with Joel Pedro, Chief Adventure Officer of Overland Kings about the basics of overlanding in order for us to share with everyone what they need to know to begin their own journey.

What vehicles can be used in overlanding?

An easy way to get an idea of what overlanding vehicles look like is to go on Instagram and search up “overlanding”. You should be able to find different types of vehicles with gears and equipment attached to it, parked in a rural area, where people set up camp.

A common misconception in overlanding is that those who want to try this escapade are supposed to have big sports utility vehicles. This isn’t always the case - in fact, you can start with whatever vehicle you have now; it all depends on how you customize your car. “I once had a client who went overlanding using a Toyota Wigo”, Joel Pedro (Joel), Chief Adventure Officer of Overland Kings said in an interview.

Although there isn’t a specific type of vehicle that’s advertised to work best with overlanding and you can basically use whatever car you want, Joel still advises that “if you were to actually pick a car that’s to be used only and specifically for overlanding, it would be best to get any 4-wheel drive or a 4x4, as it would be easier to drive it through different types of terrain, After that, just get your equipment from Overland Kings so we can help you customize your vehicle according to your needs using our high-quality products.”

What equipment do I need to get?

“To start your overlanding experience, it would be best if you start with the basics” according to Joel.

Awning – Awnings can really make a difference with how your campsite is set up as well as its livability as it is what you are going to use as shade to get away from cold rain as well as the hot rays of sun. A simple awning can have a huge effect on protecting you from the elements and your enjoyment of the outdoors.

Sleeping Platform – After a long day of exploring, a good night’s rest is definitely something campers look forward to. In overlanding, you can either sleep inside your car, in a tent or in a roof tent.

Electrical System – An electrical system, to put it simply, is like an oversized power bank. This, although not entirely necessary, is an easy way to make your adventure more comfortable. You will be able to plug in your devices at any time so you can enjoy your trip even more.

Tires and Suspension – Before going overlanding, you must be prepared for the type of terrain you’re going to encounter in your exploration. You want to make sure that your vehicle and its tires, as well as its suspension, can take the roughness of the road you will be going through.

The ones listed above are the basics which means you can survive and be comfortable during your adventure with only these. You can get all these and more accessories and equipment at Overland Kings.

Don’t forget to check out gears from Poler, Montbell, The North Face, Columbia Sportswear, Sea to Summit, Hydroflask, Jansport, Herschel, Backjoy, DFNS, too!

Where can I start my overlanding experience?

There are many sceneries and places in the Philippines you can travel to for overlanding. For your convenience and pleasure, we asked Joel to list down 5 of his recommendations of Overlanding destinations and lucky enough, he gave us 6! 

His first recommended destination is The Silent Sanctuary Reserve Campgrounds (SSRCG) in Cavinti, Laguna. This is one of the nearest campgrounds from Manila. Silent Sanctuary has four campsites, all of which are designed for vehicle-dependent camping or Overlanding. There’s also a nearby lake that visitors can explore during their stay. Other good things about Silent Sanctuary are their amenities like shower rooms, restrooms, a gazebo, and more.

The next places he recommended were both at Tanay, Rizal. He mentioned Jungle Base as a good place to go to if you already have some experience in overlanding. It has a varied landscape of rivers, caves, jungle, hills, and rocks that would give people a lot of variety and challenges for their excursion. Next, he mentioned Camp Boa. The campgrounds are nestled between the mountains of Sierra Madre and bound by the River Lanatin. Many campers, hikers, bikers and overlanders love visiting this tranquil sanctuary.

The Beach Garage Campgrounds (BGC) also made it into Joel’s list. If you’re looking for a beach-front campground near the Metro, this is a campground you’re probably going to want to visit. In Lian, Batangas, this venue is specifically designed for overlanding with its 500 miles worth of beach sand drive. If the beach is not for you, they also have a riverside/riverfront campground which is equally as beautiful and exciting.

Next on Joel’s list is the Coto Kidz Pool Mountain Resort in Masinloc, Zambales. If you have watched the movie “My Perfect You”, which starred Gerald Anderson and Pia Wurtzbach, this means you’ve already seen this camp site, at least on TV or in theatres. Named Happy Sunshine Camp in the movie, this place is also a popular overlanding spot for those who seek adventure.

<

The last is what the Overland Kings’ Chief Adventure Officer calls “The Ultimate Drive”. “I really recommend this place because it’s a different kind of experience. The views are breath-taking and even the drive up to the campsites are amazing”, Joel said enthusiastically. The place is Lake Tabeo, Benguet. With different types of terrain and wonderful sights to see, this place is definitely one of the best destinations out there.

Ready to go overlanding?

As you reach the end of this article, you’re probably wondering if you’re ready to go overlanding.

The answer is YES! What’s left for you to do is to head on over to Overland Kings and get your vehicle ready for overlanding. You already know the basic accessories you’d need to equip yourselves with and you also now have an idea where to go for your adventure.

If you’re thirsting for an escape from the city life and you want to explore the wilderness with less effort than trekking and more comfort than camping, overlanding is surely the activity for you.