Becoming an Overlander, Mike Buell

Becoming an Overlander

I remember vividly the days of pushing my stock 1990 Nissan Hardbody to its limits. Looking for the deepest mud and the toughest climbs we could find. Trucks were only $15k new back then, we were young, and we were carefree. We loved to go “off-roading” on the back roads of Vancouver Island, British Columbia and while those days back in the 90’s were tons of fun, they were mostly day trips with some buddies around our hometown.

Fast forward a few years to the mid 2000’s and I was once again sporting the Nissan logo in my 2005 Nissan Xterra. What an awesome vehicle, such a unique look with tons of capability. I added some mud terrains and a small budget lift - it looked awesome! I liked my Xterra so much, I started a club. The Southern British Columbia Xterra club (SBCX). We had 14 members, decals, and did monthly runs in the Fraser Valley of BC. This was a great group of guys that came from all walks of life, and we all loved our Xterra’s. We held meet & greets as well as our day trips into the back country where we pushed the limits of our rigs. At that time, the aftermarket for the Xterra was very limited, so all of our rigs looked very similar. It was nothing like the Jeep and Toyota after-market.

I think I got my first taste of overlanding, not that we used that word back in 2008, when six of us from the club decided to do a multi-day trip up to a mountain lake called Cabin Lake. It was at 6,000 feet and for us, there were some challenging trails to overcome to get there. Once we arrived and I saw this amazing little lake with a fantastic grassy green rec site to camp in, I believe I became hooked. I may not have known at that time what it would be called or what it entailed, but I believe it was the moment that a seed was planted. Almost 10 years, later that seed has grown and become my passion.

Fast forward to today, many vehicles later, and onto my second Jeep Wrangler, I am fully immersed into the world of overlanding. My overlanding vehicle is a 2018 JLU Rubicon with many modifications made to make it my ultimate overlanding rig. My Jeep, aptly named Ferris the Jeep, is my daily driver which means that, when building

the rig, I needed for it to be practical for daily use yet very functional for overlanding. The Mopar 2” lift with Fox shox was the first task which was quickly followed by 35” Falken Wildpeak ATIII All-terrain tires mounted on 18” Fuel Beast wheels.

I ordered my Firecracker Red Rubicon from the factory with all the options including the steel bumper package as I knew I would be adding a Warn 10S Zeon winch. I don’t look for deep mud pits anymore, it’s fun in the moment, but I do not enjoy the cleaning process. And as a result of avoiding unnecessary mud pits, my winch is yet to be used. But it’s ready!

Next was to install the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform and Backbone system to allow me to add a Roof Top Tent from Wild Coast Tents. There are many other additions to Ferris, but the last one, which I personally built, was my overland kitchen drawer system. It tucks nicely into the back-cargo area of the Jeep and has really completed my overland build. Well, are we ever really done?

The love of vehicle-based travel regardless of the duration of the trip burns inside me. Whether it’s a weekend trip or a couple weeks of vacation, I enjoy it all. The challenge of finding that epic camping spot in the middle of nowhere. Having the ability to survive in the back country for days and weeks with only what we have in the Jeep is exciting! I have made so many new friends who have the same passion as I do and believe that I have influenced some of my friends to join me in the crazy world of overlanding. My wife and kids all enjoy getting out into nature and are slowly learning to like “wild” camping.

I love the challenges of preparing for our trips and I am always looking for ways to make the experience better, more efficient, and more enjoyable. I am an Overlander. I may not go on overlanding trips for weeks, months, and even years, but I am an overlander. I may not get out every weekend of the spring and summer, but I am an Overlander.

Mike Buell

Vernon, BC, Canada Okanagan Overlanding

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