How is a “typical” day like while Overlanding?
We don't know does such a thing as a "typical" day even exist, but we try to tell you a little about how the days overlanding on the road are like.
Have you ever thought about how a typical day goes when you are on the road full-time?
Well, we try to tell you a little bit about it here. Even though, as said, we don’t know if such a thing as “a typical day” even exists… But here we go.
Is it all just adventuring in new destinations and searching for exciting experiences?
Well, yes, it is, and no, it isn’t. It depends on the day and where you exactly are.
And, of course, a “typical” day depends a lot on which continent you are in. For example, it’s a very different atmosphere and cultural customs if you are in Europe than in Africa.
We have been overlanding in Southern and Eastern Africa for almost five (5) years, so we concentrate on these areas. However, there are a lot of similarities in your basic daily doings.
Most Days Are Just those “Boring Ones”
On most days, we drive longer and shorter distances. Driving is the activity you’ll be doing a lot, so you better like it! ;)
But then again, if you hate driving, why would you leave on an Overlanding trip, or why would you want to live an Overlanding lifestyle in the first place?! ;)
And if you are two people, it’s a massive advantage if both of you will do the driving. Especially when you have a long distance to cover, it gets incredibly tiring for one person to drive 5-6 hours straight and keep their attention sharp in hot weather and always chaotic traffic.
So, it’s also safer to split the driving into 2-3 hour slots per person.
Take it from us: sometimes driving on African roads demands more of your attention and sharp reaction skills than you may be used to! I.e., in Europe, most people usually obey the traffuc rules, but in Africa it’s a different story…
And that gets exhausting in the long run. When you feel too tired to continue, it’ll be the other one’s turn to take the wheel. Or if you are alone, it’ll be the time to take a break!
Then, usually, when we get to the destination we’re heading on that day, it’ll be setting up the camp and then cooking lunch (or dinner) if we haven’t eaten anywhere on the way.
When changing to another location, we try to leave early in the morning. It’s also always cooler weather to drive in the morning before the day's heat slaps you into your face.
Thank gods we do have air-conditioning in our Defender! However, it has been broken numerous times, or the gas has leaked, and we’ve been without it for a while. When it’s +38-40C outside and maybe +50C (or more!) inside the car, it encourages you nicely to go and repair the air-con as soon as possible. ;)
Driving in the Khwai Area in Botswana in mid-January 2024. Yes, it was a bit wet, but not as wet as it was back in 2019 when we were there the last time. ;)
Groceries in Rural Africa May Sometimes Be Challenging
You can’t avoid doing the groceries regularly, either. Sometimes, it’s pretty challenging in more remote corners of rural Africa, where there are practically nothing but small villages, fields, and domestic animals (outside the National Parks or other nature areas).
But if we know that we’re heading to such areas, we will do a lot of shopping and stock up on groceries in some big city with decent supermarkets.
Our car may have a few weeks’ worth of food and daily necessities (like butter, cream, yogurt, etc.) stocked up on such occasions.
You can find some things virtually anywhere, like basic veggies and bread. Even in the smallest villages, local women sell veggies they’ve grown. And that’s the best way to buy your veggies in Africa!
They’re generally always fresh, and mainly no pesticides are used in producing them! Pure food is more like a rarity, e.g., in Europe.
Then, after setting up our camp, it’s hanging out, relaxing, catching up with some work, planning our routes onward, or doing other stuff we like or need to do.
Working online poses some regular challenges because no strong enough network is always available. So, when we do have it, we tend to try to do as much work as possible. And no, we don’t have Starlink or anything similar (it’d be too expensive). We just rely on the local networks and their coverage with local SIM cards.
Retiring early to bed is also customary for us while we are on the road. The sun usually sets around 6-6.30 pm and in half an hour or so, it will be pitch-black darkness anyway, so why bother to stay up late? So going to bed around 8.30-9 pm is how it usually is for us.
But then again, we mostly rise early in the morning with the sun.
This way, also your body naturally stays in better balance when you sleep and are awake according to the amount of light. It’s a better rhythym for your body, biologically.
And – you can get a lot done in one day when you have about 12 hours to spend!
A 360-degree view of the Savuti Channel in the Savuti part of the Chobe National Park in Botswana. We were here on the 11th of January, 2024, for a few days – and it was a GREAT visit! We’ll tell you more later!
Then There Are the Interesting and Hectic “Adventuring Days”
All days are not so dull routines like the ones described above. We do see a lot of new destinations and exciting locations. And when we visit, e.g., some National Park, those days are action-packed!
The days in National Parks usually mean very early mornings on game drives, cooking and recuperating in the camps during the midday heat, and then on a new game drive in the evening.
Often, we return to camp only just before sunset.
And then, it’s pretty much just going to shower, having some small snack, and sometimes sitting around a campfire for a while before sleeping.
You can’t stay up for long; otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to rise around 4.30 am the following day again and be ready for the same hectic schedule with enough energy to enjoy it fully!
It may sound tiring, and after some days in a row, it is tiring.
However, the National Park fees are pretty steep in many countries for international visitors, so when you pay premium prices for your entry, you will want to make the most of your time inside!
Overnighting Inside or Outside of National Parks?
Sometimes, it’s better to stay overnight outside the park’s boundaries and make day visits to the national parks if decent camps are nearby.
This way, you may bring the costs down a bit. This is a good option, e.g., in Botswana, Zambia, or Zimbabwe, where there are always good camping grounds and camps just outside the National Parks.
When we don’t visit National Parks, sometimes there are other areas of special interest. These may be, for example, waterfalls, mountains, or other natural sightseeing places, or just exploring some remote areas on our own.
For example, the Desolation Valley in the Kunene region of Namibia, where there is practically nothing but mind-blowing landscapes, absolute solitude amidst the vast mountains and open areas – and the possibility to spot those rare, desert-adapted black rhinos!
These trips are pretty action-packed, too, but sometimes we also take it easier and just enjoy the adventure and peacefulness of Nature.
Remember – you don’t always need to do something all the time! Sometimes you can just be.
And, of course, even in the Desolation Valley or any other remote location, the routine of driving, cooking, setting up camp, showering, and sleeping is the one you will do.
The “Non-Typical” Days…
And then there are those incredibly “non-typical” days when something unexpected happens, something breaks, you get a bit lost, or other delays and surprises occur. But we don’t even get into them now. ;)
Those days would even have material for a whole book if we think about it. And – maybe there will be a book about them (and all other incidents and adventures) someday…!
But one thing is for sure, full-time Overlanding life is not boring in general! 😃
There is always something unexpected around the corner. Not all these things are good, but not bad either. It’s just life how it is.
There are always better and worse happenings and better and worse days. They are just a bit different when you live on the road full-time, compared to a “normal” (or should we say, traditional?)1 9-to-5 life.
…OR:
The Basic Things Are the Same Wherever You Are
So, our basic routines are the same as with everyone: sleeping, cooking, eating, exercising, shopping, working, planning, etc.
The differences come in how we fit all these things into our ever-moving lifestyle.
Being on the road full-time makes doing all these things a bit more challenging sometimes. For example, you will need to make time for exercising or for other hobbies (like Piritta has drawing, or Niina has writing) amidst all the driving and traveling.
It becomes your second nature in time, but it may initially seem very challenging, as you always seem to have something to do in the camp.
But relax and take your time! If you need it, you need it. You can still do all the other things, too. Don’t stress about it too much.
And if you need more time to take a breath and rest, you can always stay for another night in that nice camp or wild camping spot you are in.
This is why it’s also important not to make too tight schedules for yourself.
Always have some “buffer time,” if just possible. This is still one of the best advice we’ve learned through experience during these almost five years on the road.
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Stay Wild and enjoy your adventures – and routines,
We do use the ciphers on normal, because what even is normal? Who defines it? We think that it’s a highly personal matter. What is normal to one person is not necessarily normal for the other. Neither should it be. Everyone has the freedom and right to define whatever normal means to themselves – and only to themselves. So, “traditional” would be a better word for this context here. :)