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Writer's pictureRachael Nitz

What Kind of Camper Am I? (Overlanding Edition)

Guest written by: Ryan Nichols

Introduction (by Rachael)


Nature is one of the most underused cures for many mental health disorders. Getting outside allows us to see the big picture, let go of depression, connect with God and his creation, see ourselves as a part of the world and not the whole world, ease anxiety, manage PTSD and so much more. From the ions the earth releases to balance our internal systems, to day and night regulating our circadium rhythm, to the calming effects of blue and green hues, nature is amazing! One of the best ways to enjoy nature (in my opinion) is to get out and sleep in it... aka camp.


There are so many different ways to camp so I thought it would be a great idea to run a series of blogs about the different ways to camp. Since I have friends who do it all, this made for a pretty easy feat. For the next few weeks, I will be releasing some "What Kind of Camper Am I? blogs with different people chiming in on their set-ups and thier choices. Let's dive in.


Who is Ryan?


I’ve always camped and enjoyed the outdoors. From camping when I was young, hiking when I was a teen to hunting when I was a little older. But as I entered my 30’s, I found myself doing the outdoor activities I enjoyed as a youth less and less.


Fast forward to 2020. With the city I’m in shutting down I found myself spending more and more time getting back to hiking. With that, my wife and I revisited the plans we once had to venture west with the kids, to show them the wild areas we experienced as children.

Man and woman hiking selfie
Ryan and his wife, Sarah hiking

One of the single most poignant memories I have as a child is staring up at Devil’s tower—a monument I’ve wanted to climb since I was 10. It was also a place I’ve wanted to bring my wife since she had never visited. My wife on the other hand often spoke about her family trips to Yellowstone and the time her Mother and Father rented an RV and traveled west.


After discussing several options the choice was becoming more and more clear, we’re heading west. But where was always the question. We didn’t have a whole lot of time and we still needed to be somewhere we could get an internet signal.


Our First Trip


Another memory I had buried from childhood was of the Black Hills in South Dakota. That was it, a place that’s west, wild and just civilized enough to have internet. We set out and found a campground in Spokane, South Dakota that sat just at the base of a mountain. Little did we know that this was our very first introduction to overlanding. 


After our trip to South Dakota we found ourselves mesmerized with the west. The rolling hills of South Dakota were just a taste of what was to come. After a very brief recharge back home we quickly realized we needed to head west again. This time around we had to show the kids Yellowstone.

Tent set up in the woods
Tent set-up just before the downpour

Learning New things at Yellowstone


While at Yellowstone we had experiences of a lifetime. From seeing countless large animals you only see in nature documentaries, to waking up hearing wolves get a kill during the night in Grant Village while our youngest (at the time) had ventured to the bathroom, to waking up to a grizzly bear at our tent in Bridge Bay. That moment with the grizzly bear at our tent sniffing to figure out if what was in the tent was to be its next meal was not the worst part of the trip. That came when we were camped in Canyon Village. While in Canyon Village we experienced torrential rains. So much so that the entire village had to completely evacuate.


What In The World Is "Overlanding"?


Fast forward two and a half years. My wife and I expecting a new addition to the family and with that memory of being rained out of the tent still prevalent in your minds we began to look for ways to still camp but be better prepared for rain. My wife recalled something she saw the first time we traveled to South Dakota. A tent that was on top of a truck. I remember thinking that although it’s a novel idea it surely wasn’t going to be a big thing. So what started from getting rained out at Yellowstone turned into a lifestyle that I now wonder how I hadn’t discovered sooner. 


We weighed many options before diving into the overlanding lifestyle.


I have a few friends from high school that bought a van and traveled the country. To me, at the time, that seemed bizarre. Now thinking about it, they were ahead of the pack. But for me, a van wasn’t it. I saw their adventures and they weren’t really exploring the wilderness so much as they were experiencing the different regions of the country.

Overland vehicle parked next to river in fall
Camping by the river

As appealing as that was, the feelings that motivated me to get outdoors are the feeling of vast wilderness. The deep thick Great Forests of the Midwest, majestic mountains of the northwest or the vast deserts of the southwest. I needed to get out to those places. I need to rock crawl in Utah or get to the top of the Rockies in Colorado or get lost in the thickest forests of the Ozarks. What my family needed was a rooftop tent that could attach to an expedition vehicle. 


Growing up there was always one vehicle brand that was the epitome of expedition travel. That’s the Toyota Land Cruiser. Just one problem, those are not as prevalent in the states as they are everywhere else in the world, unfortunately. The next best option is the 4Runner, the little brother to the Land Cruiser. So before I could figure out what tent I could buy, I needed to have the vehicle.


Being that the legendary fifth generation 4Runner was nearing its epic 10+ year run and slated for a makeover I knew I had to make important decisions on a tight time table. I dove into a world of trucks that I was not familiar with.

Overland vehicle
The Rig!

After spending hours upon hours for months it was decided that the 4Runner is the best choice with an iKamper rooftop tent. I needed a vehicle that could withstand the off roading needed to get to the back areas, that also had the payload capacity to handle all the gear needed to usher not only myself and my wife but two of our three kids. With the vehicle secured and the tent mounted it was time to set off to the off roading capital of the country, possible the world, Moab, Utah. 


First Overland Trip


The trip to Moab opened our eyes quite a bit. It showed us a lot about the pros and the cons of the set up we had chosen to explore and, at times, live out of for weeks at a time. Yes the 4Runner can quite literally go anywhere I desire. “Oh that’s a neat trail, it looks like it leads to the top of the mountain, Let’s go.” But with that are some downsides that we knew about but didn’t think would impact us much. The first being the wind.

Overland vehicle in rain with lights on
Set up in the rain

We sought this style of tent out to avoid the rain, which it does wonderfully. We have experienced torrential rainfall in this tent with zero issue. But being up higher does leave us subjected to the wind. Our tent can mitigate those windy conditions, if I would have kept that in mind at the time. Things I only realized after the fact. Mainly by facing the hard sided part of the tent into the wind. That reduces all felt wind by 99% percent.


The second downside is that your base camp is all tied into that vehicle. Example, you find an amazing site and get set up. Oh you forgot buns for the burgers, now you have to go back into town. That means you have to break camp and head out. The easy remedy is to, obviously, double check but also bring other meals in this case.


The last con we’ve come across is something I didn’t think would bother me and that’s the wind noise while traveling on the road above 65ish or more. It does sound like a hurricane is locked on above you. With that said the pros significantly outweigh the cons. So much so that I’ve never once thought about abandoning the set up. After summiting my first ten thousand foot mountain in the 4Runner and camping to sights that many will only see in movies or on postcards I was hooked.


Having a king size bed on top of a formidable expedition vehicle is an unreal tool to have. Being able to go get lost in the woods or by a waterfall, or both, has shown me that I’ve made the right decision. The only problem is how do I find a better spot than the last.

family of four selfie
The family out in nature

Lastly, and arguably the most important point for my family. We live in a world that is rapidly losing its connection to nature, replacing that with screens. Something my older kids, who are 20 and nearly 15, refer to as a generation of iPad kids. This being a huge motivator for my wife and I. So our thought is to raise our 18 month old from the start out in the bush, instilling in her a deep-seated love for the outdoors. A love that is already noticeable. Just the sight of the tent invokes her desire to go out and adventure. With repeated pointing and uttering “that.”We know that we are on the right path.


She was never a good sleeper until she started sleeping in the rooftop tent. She’s been out camping since she was six months. Now she’s even begun to be an asset at camp as she often is helping me carry fire wood or showing mom the beautiful rocks she’s found around camp.


 In closing, the questions I was asked were; why did I make the choice I made? Because I needed to get away and into areas rarely seen. Would I change my set up if I were to start again? No, I think for what we desire this is the best of both worlds. What are the downsides? The downside is that your base camp is all rolled into one, which for us is also a positive.


My question for you is, will this set up suit your family? Are you looking to stay local or discover areas long forgotten? Overlanding can do that for you!


Connect With Ryan


Ryan is an enthusiast for all things outdoors; whether it be Overlanding, hiking, hunting, or biking, he is in! He has a wife and 3 great girls he is doing his best to raise up with a confident and free spirit with a love and appreciation for nature. He also teaches Brazilian Jui Jitsu and is a black belt.


You can follow him and his family as they "figure it out"on the weekends in their Overlanding rig on Instagram and Youtube.

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