When you think about camping in B.C., what immediately comes to mind is competing against everyone else to reserve a camping spot through the provincial parks booking website — at least two months in advance – and buying and packing the endless gear that you will need.
Exhausted and stressed out already? You don’t need to be, because there’s a stress-free option for camping in some of B.C.’s most beautiful backcountry spots this summer!
With overlanding, the adventure is not just the destination, but the journey itself. This way of experiencing the wilderness is popular in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, and it’s now gaining speed across Canada.
Overlanding offers an alternative way to safely explore B.C.’s massive backyard — which consists of 661,500 km of unpaved roads and 25,500 km of coastline! It is ideal for travellers that do not have the know-how to go-it-alone or access to their own 4x4 vehicle and camping gear. One of the absolute highlights is nestling in for a night of camping in a remote wilderness spot in a luxurious roof-top tent.
Different from the traditional RV, camper van or car road trip, overland travel is geared towards navigation on B.C.’s unpaved forest service roads. A 4x4 overland vehicle, such as those offered by B.C.-based outdoor adventure travel companies FarOut Wilderness and Pacific Backroader, gives you the ultimate freedom to explore and travel to more secluded destinations at your own pace.
This year, with the COVID-19 restrictions likely to remain in some way, shape or form, it is more important than ever to reconnect with nature, and one another in a safe and open environment. Overlanding offers the opportunity for families, or the family ‘bubble’ to experience some of B.C.’s hidden gems without a campground reservation.
Wild camping and recreational sites are abundant in B.C. — if you know where to find them. While they don’t offer hookups for RVs, these spots tend to be quieter, more private, and more adventurous than your traditional campsite.
Those interested in overlanding can leave all the preparation to the experts at FarOut Wilderness and Pacific Backroader, who will handle the vehicle rentals, equipment and the itinerary! Their vehicles are fully insured for the backcountry and they take your safety and comfort seriously.
One of FarOut Wilderness’ clients, Henry Choy, raves about the overland travel experience:
“With hiking being so popular, overlanding has really allowed me to access places that are generally much less crowded, where you can actually enjoy the tranquility of the outdoors. Overlanding has brought me to places my own two feet would never have been able to by just hiking. I could not believe that I only recently discovered this activity, and it has honestly been the best of both worlds – going off-roading and spending time with your friends and family outdoors. Nothing beats when you’re on the trail and looking forward to having that campfire with your favourite ones after setting up camp at the most perfect spot you’ve been looking for, and just taking the time to absorb and appreciate all that’s around you.”
Both FarOut Wilderness and Pacific Backroader offer stress-free, all-in-one truck, tent and camping equipment rentals, with Pacific Backroader specializing in Vancouver rentals and FarOut Wilderness specializing in flexible pick up and drop off in Victoria and Vancouver. The trucks and equipment packages come ready with everything you need to camp comfortably, so it really is a case of ‘pick up the keys and go!’ wherever the backroad takes you.
Both businesses have a fleet of fully-insured, customized off-road vehicles, built for driving on gravel and backcountry roads. These 4x4 vehicles can get you to where you’re going, safely and reliably. Each vehicle comes fully loaded with all the necessities to get off the grid, including an easy-to-use rooftop tent, kitchen setup, and more.
If you don’t need a truck, Pacific Backroader’s equipment rentals, done through convenient pre-bundled packages, will cover all your camping or backpacking needs. Likewise, FarOut Wilderness’ roof top tent rentals, implemented through its sister brand Vancouver Island Roof Top Tents, will cover those that have the truck but want to try out sleeping amongst the stars.
Both Pacific Backroader and FarOut Wilderness will handle all of the logistics, so you can get to mountain biking, climbing, surfing, hiking, or simply just soaking up the beauty of the Pacific Northwest sooner rather than later. For some sample itineraries, check out FarOut’s curated Pacific Marine Circle Tour and Vancouver Island Nature’s Paradise Tour.
This summer, look ahead to re-connecting with nature as you adventure through BC’s wild and beautiful places!
For more information on planning your adventure, visit faroutwilderness.com and pacificbackroader.com.
