WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland Travel

While hiking around a volcano in Ecuador I realized there are a ton of Overlanders out there in the community who are extremely supportive and helpful to others hoping set out on a grand adventure. Many of us try out best to post information on our blogs and discussion forums we think will be helpful to others.
Some people have even written books on the subject.
Unfortunately, this information quickly slides off front pages, and goes stale and out of date, making it very hard to find, and usually not very helpful.

Enter WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland Travel

 

WikiOverland is designed to “pick up where the traditional guide books leave off” for Overlanders.
Everything you need to know to successfully get around with a vehicle is included.

Some of the important topics covered for each country are:

  • Crossing the border – paperwork requirements, insurance requirements, costs and permitted length of stay.
  • Gas prices, quality and frequency. Prices are converted in real time to any currency and unit you prefer.
  • Roads, Bribery and checkpoints.
  • Camping – both paying and “wild”.
  • Navigation – with paper maps and GPS co-ordinates.
  • Vehicle maintenance.
  • Buying and selling vehicles.
  • much more.

More general topics covered include:

  • Popular Overland routes.
  • Vehicle shipping.
  • Bribery tips and advice.
  • General Paperwork requirements explained.

If travel information is readily available in guide books or on the web, that information is linked to as much as possible.

To start out exploring WikiOverland, checkout the Overland Frequently Asked Questions

This is a project made by the Overland community, for the Overland community.
If we all contribute a little bit, we’ll make the entire site better for everyone.
Because WikiOverland is built on the wiki platform, you can click edit in the top right of the screen, update or add whatever you like, and click save all in less than 2 minutes.

You can help make WikiOverland better for everyone:

  • If you know a thing or two about the country you live in (like gas prices), please take the time to add or update that information.
  • If you are passing through a country, please take 5 minutes and update sections that have changed. If nothing has changed, you can just update the “last updated date” for those sections so we know it’s still good as of now.

Head over and checkout WikiOverland.org

-Dan

P.S. Now WikiOverland is live, I plan to spend more time back here on The Road Chose Me. I have some mind-blowing photos from the summer I need to share with you all.

12 Responses

  1. Renato says:

    Hy Dan,

    Awesome project!! Congratulations, will dive deep into it right now.
    Where are you? We had our expedition on hold and flew back to Rio de janeiro for Christmas and New Year. The Rubi is parked in SF and we plan to resume the trip by mid January.
    Best regards,

    Renato
    facebook.com/americas2011

    • Dan says:

      Hey Renato,

      Great to hear from you. I can’t wait to watch you drive the Rubi all the way down :)
      I’m living in Northern Canada now, right near Alaska. I’m saving money and planning my next big adventure. Who knows, right?
      Please do have a look around WikiOverland and let me know what you think. Obviously there is a ton of information in there you will find useful, hopefully you can add some as you go along too.
      Thanks, and have a great time !
      -Dan

  2. Hi!

    I had a stab at adding some content to your overland wiki. It will be interesting to see if the project will be popular.

    Regards,
    Harald Hansen
    Kongsberg, Norway

  3. mike says:

    Cool stuff Dan!! I can (and may) share detailed information on the finest ice cream shops surrounding the northern half of Lake Michigan (and on Isle Royale).

    I like that you’re already working on planning the next grand adventure. Based on the last one, I think it will take nothing short of leaving Earth’s atmosphere to top it (and that might not be cooler)!

    Glad to see you’re doing well,

    Mike

  4. Tiffany says:

    Hi Dan,

    I wanted to say thank you for publishing your trip. It makes me excited and less lonely to discover that other individuals out there have decided to ditch the road MOST travelled for the path that lies within their heart. Sometimes I feel like I can hear quiet cries of desperation in others as I watch them driving to work, sipping their coffee at Starbuck’s, or just staying in the same place they have always been. Your story makes me want to go out there and live deeper, faster and more authentically than I have before… Which is a huge testament!!!

    I wish you luck in your journeys, and I hope you know you have touched one more person than you had before.

    Peace be with you…

    Tiffany

    • Dan says:

      Hi Tiffany,
      Thank you so much for the kind words. I’m sitting here with a huge grin on my face.
      It means so much to know I’ve helped inspire others to get out there and live with purpose.

      I wish you all the best. If you ever need some inspiration or advice, I’d love to help in any way I can.

      -Dan

  5. John Jenkins says:

    Hi Dan

    Just got back from two months in North West Argentina (without vehicle) and trolling the Overlanders experiences for info on my planned next trip with my Land Rover Defender – Nov 2012 to April 2013 through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and back to Argentina. Your costs and equipment comments are good stuff – thanks for that.

    • Dan says:

      Hey John,
      The defender will be absolutely perfect for that trip. The countries you mention were absolute standouts for me, great choice!
      I’m sure you’ve seen WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland Travel by now?
      There are people driving around South America right now updating each country, so the information will be extremely relevant for you.
      Have an awesome time!
      -Dan

  6. Rich Polanco says:

    Hi Dan!

    Just like I mentioned to you a few months back, I’ve finally taken the plunge and headed South. I’ve made it to Guatemala so far. Thanks for being an inspiration to finally do it.

    I did settle on bringing an ’01 Jeep Cherokee. Great vehicle so far, and lots of room (which unfortunately encouraged me to bring even more stuff with me! Quite a hassle it turns out.)

    I did do things a little different because of the weather. The roads to Alaska were to tough by then, so I decided to start instead at the tip of Nova Scotia, on the other side of the continent. Cape Breton was amazing.

    I’m taking it slow and will be making my way down at a more leisurely pace. After the trip, I hope to come back to whatever place I felt most at peace in.

    Good luck on your travels and keep us posted!

    -Rich

    • Dan says:

      Hey Rich,
      Great to hear you are on the road!
      I’m grinning from ear to ear thinking about the awesome adventures you are having!
      I have a couple of friends on the road that are somewhat near you. If you want to meet up, Checkout Ruined Adventures (they are in Mexico still, headed your way) and Home On The Highway (they are in front of you in Costa Rica now)

      I assume you’ve seen WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland Travel by now?
      It contains tons of information for your trip. If you find it useful, please take a minute to update some of the stuff that will have changed like gas prices and border processes.
      Also, if you could link to it from your site, that will help more people discover it and make it more useful to everyone.

      Thanks Rich, all the best for your amazing adventure.
      I’m sitting at a desk at work right now, so I’ll be living through you for a while!

      -Dan

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