All the obnoxious branding overlanding equipment is getting really out of control.
Posted by brainhack3r@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 59 comments
I was looking at an independent, small company’s overlanding gear. It was pretty expensive, about $2,000, but they put their branding all over it. Part of it also disables the product.
Like they had part of a MOLLE panel, and they stopped the MOLLE panel so they could put their branding on it.
I don’t mind if you add a small, one-inch branding element at the bottom of your gear. What I do mind is drilling it into the equipment and disabling some of its functionality. That’s seriously problematic.
I can't be the only one that feels this.
C_A_M_Overland@reddit
Adventure motorsports online presence is flooded with consumerism but in the wild, it seems to be less the case.
The more you remove yourself from “expo” culture and just go do the actually hobby the less you will see it.
These products that are just created to solve problems that don’t really exist don’t see the light of day very often in the woods.
RufousMorph@reddit
I agree with this observation. I see Tacomas with RTTs and traction boards, etc. primarily in “luxury” apartment parking lots. In the woods, I see clapped out dodge rams etc.
BibliotecaAlejandria@reddit
Strapping 20+ gallons of fuels to the sides of the car is the dumbest common over landing practice in my opinion. And lots of the steel tanks are not vented so people are creating rolling bombs. You are not going into the middle the gobi desert, you will be max 20 miles from a town!!!!
You need like a backup 1 gallon can maybe if you like to help folks who you come across who are stranded.
dbrmn73@reddit
You must have never been out West to think youre never more than 20 miles from a gas station.
BibliotecaAlejandria@reddit
It was hyperbole targeted at the specific type of consumerist spending that is being discussed here. Obviously there are people who go further, but many of the Rigs near me with Jerry can setups are very expensive pavement princesses.
lunaoreomiel@reddit
Built not bought. Fixed it for you.
211logos@reddit
I guess they had to put their brand on it cuz "just a board with a bunch of holes of a certain size" didn't fit. And of course they need some more room for the price tag because of the extra digit or two.
And silly you...the point of the panel is to tell others that it's an Overlanding MOLLE panel, since otherwise you'd just store stuff without spending all that money.
Ok_Impression3324@reddit
Overlanding. The nascar of camping.
CdawwgzWorld@reddit
The over landing aesthetic in general is wearing on me. I’m thinking about getting a spare tire cover with a big soft kitten to balance it. I hate feeling like the guy who looks like he thinks he’s tough shit
zoey_will@reddit
I put a bad dragon logo in with the travel stickers I have on my camper recentlyjust to take the piss out of the hobby a teeny bit.
Reasonable-Age-6837@reddit
gay
BibliotecaAlejandria@reddit
My wife and I glued tiny plastic barnyard animals to the hood of my car to make a farm scene.
I can confirm it gets more compliments at the grocery store than a 6” lift kit and external fuel cans
Mayday-J@reddit
People design products around what they expect their use case is. Maybe that area wasn't needed for how they designed it. Lets be honest MOLLE panels are largely not needed anyway. i cannot imagine what you possibly need $2K worth of hanger for. Are you lining your garage with it? lol
That said, modern product design is ruled by marketing; branding and flash is always said to be more important than function.
MOLLE panels don't sell theyselves, they're sold on hype because they are a luxury. So branding is very important.
armchairracer@reddit
It sounds like in this case the intended use case is for the panels to look cool on Instagram and YouTube.
asr40@reddit
How many vehicle mods are necessary for effectively just car camping on dirt roads?
EZKTurbo@reddit
The vast majority of people would be surprised how far you can make it with stock suspension
andensalt@reddit
Lift kit on my Golf R. You know for when the jeep is being fixed.
Yes, they sell a lift kit for the Golf.
Asklepios24@reddit
That doesn’t surprise me with its rallye pedigree.
BibliotecaAlejandria@reddit
Have been debating doing that to my Miata
DudeByTheTree@reddit
Rampant consumerism has convinced so many people that hobbies are all about what you buy and flaunt, rather than you know... purpose, utility, any of the things that actually make sense when purchasing hobby-related products.
EZKTurbo@reddit
You mean like everyone bolting as much gear as possible to the outside of the truck they end up using to commute to work more than they actually camp?
pm_something_u_love@reddit
Exactly. All you need for overlanding is an esky full of ice, your tent and your dog.
Ok_Giraffe8865@reddit
But that's called camping, no as glamourous.
r64fd@reddit
Unless I’m going into a national park. The dog has a visit at mum and dad’s place. They love it and the dog loves the treats.
pm_something_u_love@reddit
That's called a staycation.
monstertruck567@reddit
I agree. My approach is to DIY everything that I can and only buy products that I can’t make. And then only buy “overlanding” products if nothing is available in the non-overlanding market. Let’s be honest, a cheap ass Home Depot shovel will work way better than a $200 overlanding shovel.
pukesonyourshoes@reddit
FTFY
monstertruck567@reddit
Mine is 20 years old. I’ve moved many tons of dirt with it. It’s just a garden spade. It will and has broken me before it will break.
Unicorn187@reddit
He said Home Depot, not Temu or even Harbor Freight. A hickory handled steel shovel will last many years of hard use... just oil the handle and keep the blade free of rust. And a fiberglass handled shovel is the same whether it's HD, Lowes, or overpriced overlanding/tacticool branded.
BibliotecaAlejandria@reddit
Yeah, if it were $2. You could get a fuckin nice all steel shovel for like $40, and would still be cheaper and equivalent to lots of the purpose built stuff out there.
AloneDoughnut@reddit
Also people assume shit holds its value. I wanted to save some money, but an RTT second hand cheap (my eldest daughter has decided sleeping on the ground is no longer ever acceptable). People are listing their iKampers for retail, and many of the Temu special RTTs for the same price. A number of listings have "looking to make back my investment" in the description, or some derivative.
They-Are-Out-There@reddit
A cool part of overlanding in the 1980’s and earlier was the fact that most of the equipment we used said U.S. on it and came from a surplus store.
brainhack3r@reddit (OP)
Bro, I totally agree. ^Sponsored ^By ^Carls ^Junior
Mayday-J@reddit
MOLLE panels are a good example of this. lol
monstertruck567@reddit
Can only give one upvote.
davidg4781@reddit
I have some loops on the back of my seats. I added some packs and I hang a knife and tire gauge on them but that's about it. If I didn't have them, I don't think I'd go out and purchase them.
too_much_covfefe_man@reddit
You don't even need molle to go camping though
brainhack3r@reddit (OP)
Bro, do you even overland? A molle panel adds like 50 horsepower!
Revolutionary_Gas551@reddit
I've only got 65hp to begin with! 😆
GodHatesColdplay@reddit
Happy lil green boi, doing what he was born to do
stomper4x4@reddit
How about this? You don't need a molle panel to overland.
Gullible-Roof-4605@reddit
Where will I store the rotopax that I’ll never use on direct sunlight right next to the traction boards that are also in direct sun all day with Definitley no UV degradation
depressedroger@reddit
Not strictly necessary for overlanding, but I put stuff for trips in my truck that I don’t want stolen. Once upon a time someone slid my side window open and stole a ton of stuff so I welded a molle ish setup that bolts up on the inside and can also hold storage nets. It has saved me a few times living in the city
Flexion500@reddit
But what am I gonna strap my tactical trauma kit to??
WrenchMagnate@reddit
You mean the forums lied to me?
CharAznableLoNZ@reddit
Unfortunately most hobbies these days are polluted with logos and branding. I don't like being a moving billboard and will go out of my way to remove branding if it's overly obnoxious
Tonkatte@reddit
I had a 1st gen Toyota Supra that took me everywhere. Folded one side of the back seats down and I had a bed. Loved that car, took a ton of abuse and kept on going.
Now I have a Ford Transit, and other than the Quadvan “4x4” decal there are no markings on it, not even the Ford logo.
Not that I haven’t spent money, I just don’t want to be an advertising platform for other companies.
Gotta have the 4x4 decal for those restricted NPS trails though. 👍
fpssledge@reddit
Molle is pretty useless by itself so...it might have been a conscious decision
InfinityLoo@reddit
The best products that find a great niche market like this are made really well, have customer reviews saying how useful they are and how well they hold up, and branding is sometimes on the product but minimized, sometimes not there at all. Brands are partially built on how many people see the brand, but there are a whole lot of people willing to pay top dollar for the best stuff when it matters and brands build a better, lasting reputation off that than white labeling some crap product that’s cheap.
You build a moat as a company off a good brand known for doing hard jobs really well. You get copied by anyone who can send basic specs to a factory in China when you half-ass it. Molle panels are probably a more natural fit for the latter, but that’s a hard thing to carve out into a long term business if that’s the type of thing that represents your main product line.
Empyrealist@reddit
But the prestige! You forgot about the prestige!
mcpewmer@reddit
LOL my gladiator has a bed full of molle panels that I will never use. I have a tonneau cover and they just aren’t useful. If I had a cap or soft topper I still don’t think I’d use them much, if at all.
Balooz@reddit
Maybe.
smashnmashbruh@reddit
Don’t worry you can likely buy the same product from Alibaba and slap your branding all over it
Remarkable_Ad5011@reddit
But I sure like getting paid to install it for those people that want all the overlanding gear!
brainhack3r@reddit (OP)
Yeah, dude, make your bank. I'ma totally on your side.
IdRatherBeDriving@reddit
But how will all your Instagram followers know how cool you are if they can’t see what brands you use?!?
brainhack3r@reddit (OP)
That's fair.
Lost_Zaylin@reddit
Look to see if there is some kind of CNC, laser cutting company near you and if they take custom orders. May have to draw up sketch for it yourself, but it should avoid the branding. No guarantee it'll be any cheaper tho.
speedshotz@reddit
Some Chinese white label gear, slap your branding on it, PROFIT! RTTs are a prime example of branding run rampant.