Outdoor adventure? Sure! Let’s get our Wrangler, Defender, Bronco, etc. Well, not quite. While these ARE great cars, they’re more built to conquer trials. But if you want to do overlanding, then you’ve got your whole customized rig, which sometimes is great, but it has many drawbacks to it.
So which one do you go for if you want a balanced car that performs well regardless of what you put in front of it? Neither. You go with a pickup truck.
Outdoor adventures are messy, muddy, and involve a lot of gear, and you usually end up taking a lot of stuff you forgot you even had. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, and you need a vehicle that can hold its own against what’s out there.
There’s a bunch of firewood you have to haul? No problem. There’s a rocky path you have to drive on? No problem. Doing BBQ out in the woods, and you need to bring everything, plus drive on awkward roads? No problem.
Whatever the challenge is, chances are the pickup truck will do the job, and it’ll do it well.
What Even Is It That Makes Pickup Trucks So Great for Outdoor Adventures
Yeah, sure. Not every car can handle the outdoors. That’s true. But that doesn’t mean that you have to get a Wrangler.
As we’ve already mentioned, pickup trucks have some amazing off-roading capabilities.
Why do you think people go and buy themselves an old Ford F-150 (Raptor), or a Chevy K10, or an old Jeep Gladiator, a Silverado – there are so many examples here.
These people buy themselves one of these cheap ones, and then they go crazy in the outdoors, having the time of their lives. Those pickup trucks devour what’s in front of them. They’re built for this type of terrain.
Here are a couple of reasons why these types of pickup trucks are great for outdoor adventures:
Off-Roading Capabilities
First, you need to get to the campsite, and the best ones don’t have paved parking lots.
You’ll usually find them at the end of a washed-out road, behind a sign that says ‘high clearance recommended’ (which is a politically correct way of saying you’ll turn back this instant if you’re smart).
This is exactly what pickup trucks were built for. Many have 4-wheel drive, and they can easily go over rocks and through mud. And since they sit off the ground, you’re not scraping your oil pan on every rock the size of a watermelon.
The suspension is tougher, too, so just point your trick where you want to go, and it’ll get you there.
Towing Capacity for Outdoor Equipment
Camping in a tent is great, but sometimes, you want to bring more stuff with you.
And if you have a pickup truck, you can. They can pull some truly heavy stuff, like travel trailers, fishing boats, ATV trailers with toys, and even a small camper.
The towing capacity means bigger adventures because you don’t have so many limitations.
You can take dirt bikes, bring a bass boat to the lake, whatever you want. Tricks can handle the weight without the drama, even if you’re going down a steep mountain pass.
Spacious Cargo and Truck Bed Versatility
Outdoor gear is awkward, bulky, and most of the time, dirty as heck. And it can also be smelly. Eww. Greasy mountain bike chains, the rubber tires (depending on what you drove through), kayaks dripping all over the place, all musky.
All your camping gear. Ouch.
Campfire and old socks, if you’re lucky, that’s the smells you get. Do you want any of that inside your nice, clean car you take to work? No.
The truck bed is your solution to this issue.
You can toss pretty much anything back there, strap it down, and not think about the dirt, the smells, anything.
What to Do If You Happen to Have an Accident
This part of the article isn’t meant to make you paranoid, but let’s be honest: accidents happen, and it’s important to know what to do if you’re in a situation like that.
So when things go wrong out there, the injuries can be serious.
Outdoor accidents are usually pretty messy: broken bones from rollovers, crushed limbs, back injuries, cuts, etc. Maybe you were towing a trailer that was jackknifed, or you went off a forest road and hit a tree.
And if you go out the other end here unscathed, then you might think these are just fender benders you get to talk about with your buddies over a beer. But no. These are ACTUAL accidents. The types of accidents that can change your life. The type of accidents that could leave you buried under a mountain of medical bills.
If that happens (let’s hope it doesn’t), you’ll need someone in your corner. And no, it’s not (just) the doctor. You’ll need someone who’s experienced in all the legal trouble that follows recovery.
We all know that the insurance company won’t be your savior here. Sure, they’ll contact you, but it’s the insurance company’s interest to keep their money, not give it out. Even if you get some, they’ll try to reduce the amount.
And you don’t want to end up having to pay all your medical bills alone.
If you break an arm/leg in that accident, and you want to ensure you’re treated fairly, a broken bones injury attorney will be your lifeline. You take a lawyer who’s experienced in the situation you’re in, and you let them do what they’re best at.
This enables you to fully focus on healing and let a professional handle the fight.
Conclusion
Life’s too short to NOT try driving a pickup truck AT LEAST once.
If you’ve never done it, then you just don’t know what you’re missing. The commanding driving position, the way you see everything, the way you feel giant (and safe) next to others, the way it feels easy to drive regardless of its ginormous size. It’s something else.
And if you love going on outdoor adventures, then that same pickup truck would serve you just fine. More than ‘fine’ in fact, it’ll eat up anything you throw in front of it – and what more can you ask here, right?
There’s no need for you to take your dedicated off-roader, nor do you need to invest tens of thousands into a fully customized overlanding rig; no, no.
Even without any adjustments, a pickup truck will take care of all your problems. With a pickup truck comes freedom.
The freedom to take whatever you want with you and drive wherever you want, knowing that your vehicle can handle all of it and more.
