Overland With Confidence Review: Is This the Safest Route Guide?
Safety-first route planning • Practical risk checks • Real-world examples • Digital-friendly
Quick Summary: Not an atlas—this is a framework for choosing lower-risk routes anywhere in the world. You get a repeatable workflow, checklists, and examples you can pair with Gaia/OnX/OSM. For beginners and intermediate travelers who want fewer surprises and better contingencies.
What it is
- A compact, safety-led planning guide you can apply to any region.
- Focus on risk assessment, route options, and contingency design.
- Built to use with your apps: Gaia, OnX, Google, OpenStreetMap.
What it isn’t
- Not a country-by-country atlas or turn-by-turn trail book.
- Light on diagrams; you’ll supply maps and layers from your apps.
What stands out
- Safety-first mindset: Avoid high-risk corridors, time-of-day traps, seasonal hazards.
- Repeatable workflow: research → shortlist → verify → contingencies → brief.
- Real-world scenarios: Shows how the checklist changes choices on the ground.
- Digital-native: Easy to skim on a phone/tablet during planning or reroutes.
Route Risk Checklist (printable logic you’ll use every trip)
| Factor | What to check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain & grade | Recent rain/snow, clay, scree, seasonal closures | Prefer all-weather surfaces; add bypass for steep/exp. grades |
| Remoteness | Hours to services, traffic density, med-evac options | Increase spares/fuel/water; add Tier-3 comms |
| Fuel & water | Range windows; quality/availability | Pre-stage caches; confirm opening hours & payment types |
| Security | Local advisories, checkpoints, protests, park alerts | Shift timing; choose alternate corridors; avoid choke points |
| Weather | Wind/swell (beach), river levels, wildfire maps | Apply go/no-go thresholds; build weather-alternate route |
| Comms | Dead zones, repeater coverage, sat gaps | Share plan; carry sat messenger; define check-in cadence |
| Borders/permits | Docs, insurance, holidays, fees | Use our Border 101 checklists |
How we’d apply it (workflow)
- Pre-screen: Draft 2–3 candidate routes in your nav app.
- Layer data: Terrain, closures, forecasts, trip reports.
- Contingencies: Bailouts, alt passes, fuel/water windows.
- Brief: Share plan + check-in schedule & dead zones.
- Shakedown: Day-trip on similar terrain; refine kit.
What we’d pair it with
- OGG Expedition Planner (legs, fuel, events)
- Tyre Pressure Calculator
- Water Crossings Hub • Sand Driving Hub
Who it’s for (and not for)
Great fit
- First-time international overlanders wanting a clear process
- Duo/solo travelers who need robust contingencies
- Anyone stepping from weekend trips to multi-month routes
Maybe not for
- Readers wanting deep regional atlases and turn-by-turns
- Visual learners who need lots of annotated map figures
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Clear, safety-focused framework
- Applies globally; not region-locked
- Pairs cleanly with Gaia/OnX/OSM
- Concise and skimmable
Cons
- Limited regional deep-dives
- Light on diagrams/visuals
Related OGG reading
Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Bottom line
If you want a repeatable, safety-led process for choosing smarter routes—not a coffee-table atlas—Overland With Confidence is worth it. Use it to frame your research, layer data, and lock in contingencies before the wheels roll.
