Category Specific Criteria and Guidelines

In addition to our General Criteria and Guidelines, the below guidelines and criteria must be met based on the category which is selected. Because our database is to assist overlanders, some non-essential places have more rigorous criteria. 

Established Campground

Campgrounds that advertise camping, regardless of amenities provided.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Any advertised campgrounds are considered established campgrounds, regardless of amenities provided. This includes everything from an RV park with every imaginable amenity to a designated area in a national park without any facilities.

Guidance:

• Please add in the description: cell phone signal availability, electricity voltage (if it varies), size restrictions for larger vehicles, and any permits or park fees.

Informal Campsite

An unadvertised camp spot associated with another business or institution (restaurant, gas station, etc)

Criteria for acceptance:

• Add non-advertised camping spots attached to another business or facility. If the place is remote or not attached to any other facilities it should be wild camping.
• Camping must be permitted. Do NOT add if the place is private property and permission is NOT given, locals do not allow it, or camping damages the environment.
• Camping in abandoned buildings must state that permission has been given.
• The site must be available to ALL travelers. Do not add if camping was a special one-time invitation from the owner.

Guidance:

• Please add in the description: cell phone signal availability, electricity voltage, size restrictions for larger vehicles. In the case of camping on vacant private property, please state who gave permission.

Wild Camping

A camping spot not linked to a business or institution regardless of amenities or formal permissions.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Camping must be permitted. Do not add If it is private property, locals do not allow it, camping damages the environment, or ‘no camping’ signs are posted.
• You must stay the night. Do not add if you simply think it would be a good spot.
• Wild camps are non-established and not linked to another business or institution. They rarely have amenities and are free.

Guidance:

• Please add in the description: cell phone signal availability, size restrictions for larger vehicles, required permits for the area. Reserves, forests, parks, BLM land or other large wilderness areas that allow camping, but do NOT have designated spots, are considered wild camps.

Hotel

Private accomodations

Criteria for acceptance:

• Must typically be available without reservation. (Do not add AirBNB style accommodation, or long-term apartment rentals)
• Must be of interest to overlanders. Do NOT add every Super 8 and Ritz Carlton on the planet.

Guidance:

• Please add in the description: cell phone signal availability, electricity voltage, size restrictions for larger vehicles.

Hostel

Accomodations for groups of people

Criteria for acceptance:

Guidance:

Fuel Station

A place to purchase vehicle fuel

Criteria for acceptance:

• Do NOT add fuel stations in towns where many other stations are available, unless: Quality of fuel is an issue (i.e. Tajikistan or Russia) OR purchase by a foreigner is difficult (Bolivia) OR there is a problem with the place (bad fuel, etc)

Guidance:

• Please state if a fuel station is in a remote area! Please add information on quality of fuel, availability of low-sulphur diesel and air-compressors. Fuel stations that allow camping will be reassigned to the informal camping category.

Propane

A place to fill propane tanks

Criteria for acceptance:

• For refilling fixed tanks or bottles only. Do NOT add places that only swap bottles.

Guidance:

• Please add the connection of the cylinder that you had filled and information about other connections the filling station can handle.

Mechanic and Parts

A mechanic or a parts store

Criteria for acceptance:

• Do NOT add car sales or car rental locations.

Guidance:

• Please say what type of parts are sold and for what make of vehicle. Phone numbers are especially useful.

Water

A place to obtain potable water

Criteria for acceptance:

• Only add potable (drinkable) water and explain how you know the water is drinkable, unless in a very remote area. Water that locals drink without filtration is acceptable.
• Do not add natural sources of water (rivers, lakes, etc)
• Do not add water that is accessed through a campground or hotel

Guidance:

• Please tell us how you know that water is drinkable or if you are in a very remote area.

Sanitation Dump Station

A place to empty a black water tank

Criteria for acceptance:

• Must be a LEGAL place to dump waste. Respect the environment!
• If the dump station is attached to a campground, it must also be accessible to non-campers.

Guidance:

Short-term Parking

Short-term, usually daytime, parking for overlander vehicles

Criteria for acceptance:

• Must be daytime or overnight parking where the owner does not stay in the vehicle

Guidance:

• Please only add places where parking is difficult to find for overlander vehicles. If you spent the night at this place, please add in the informal camping category.

Eco-Friendly

Places to help eco-friendly overlanders, like recycling centers, bio fuel stations, etc

Criteria for acceptance:

• All items must be standalone facilities, or they must be independently available of other services (recycling bins in a restaurant should not be added).
• Other eco-friendly points will be accepted, if of interest to overlanders and do not fit in another category.

Guidance:

• Please remember to include location of the charger, Voltage, Amps and plug type on EV changing entries.
• Please make sure the recycling station actually recycles!
• Add Low Sulfur Diesel fuel stations in the Fuel Station category.
• Eco camps should be in accommodation.
• Eco training courses should be in tourist attractions.

Restaurant

Exceptionally good or bad restaurants (Food, value, price, location)

Criteria for acceptance:

• Description of the restaurant must be detailed and good quality.
• Restaurant must have exceptionally good or bad food, prices, or location, unless they are in a very remote area. Please explain in your description.
• Do NOT add temporary restaurants (like mobile food trucks)

Guidance:

• Please take time to write a thoughtful review of the restaurant. Submissions with brief descriptions will be deleted. Include details on price, cuisines offered, amenities important to overlanders such as parking and wifi, and reasons why the quality is so good!

Tourist Attraction

Attractions, tour guides, tourist information centers, etc

Criteria for acceptance:

• Provide a detailed helpful description. Places with short or vague descriptions are not accepted.
• The attraction must be significant. Do NOT add a nice panorama along the road.

Guidance:

• Tourist information centers, playgrounds, day recreaton areas and swimming pools belong in this category. Please write a quality description about the attraction. Add hidden gems or places where you had a special experience and places of specific value to overlanders. Also use this category to mark access or information points, such as an entry gates or trailheads.

Shopping

Places for purchasing goods related to overlanding (gear, quality supermarkets, etc)

Criteria for acceptance:

• Only add quality grocery stores, with a quality description unless you are in a remote area, or a country where good supermarkets are uncommon
• Add local handmade artisan goods or markets, but do NOT add average souvenir stands.
• Add other shopping stores if they are of interest to the majority of overlanders WITH a quality description.

Guidance:

• If you are adding a place that is in a remote area (a low quality grocery store in the middle of the Sahara) or a rarity in the area (a liquor store in the UAE), PLEASE explain in your description that the area is remote or that the store is a rarity. Car parts and pet supplies should go under Mechanics and Parts and Pet Services categories, NOT under shopping.

Financial

An ATM, bank or currency exchange, relevant to overlanders.

Criteria for acceptance:

• For Banks or ATMs: Must be a rarity in the area, or have exceptionally favorable withdraw fees, amounts, or currencies.
• For money exchange: Must be a rarity, or a country where currency exchange is complicated.
• Must not be illegal.

Guidance:

• Please state if ATM is in a remote area, and if black market trading is common practice in this location.

Wifi

A place to access the internet, either public or private with good work space.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Wifi must be of decent quality, given the location.
• Use of wifi must be permitted by the business.
• Do NOT add restaurants or cafes unless they provide a good work environment, except if they are in a remote area.
• Points related to cell signal are accepted if they include carrier information and are relevant to overlanders in remote areas.

Guidance:

• Do not add passwords, ever.
• Do not add hotels or campgrounds with wifi to this category.
• Add details on restrictions on usage and related costs.

Medical

Recommended doctors, dentists or other medical professionals.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Do NOT add saunas, massage parlors, or any points related to obtaining illegal drugs

Guidance:

• Please note if appointments are required, and include contact information.

Pet Services

Veterinarians, supplies, or other services for overlander pets.

Criteria for acceptance:

Guidance:

• Please add contact numbers. Dog parks go in this category.

Laundromat

Self-service or full-service laundry facilities.

Criteria for acceptance:

Guidance:

Showers

Free or paid showers, that can be used independently of other services offered.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Free and paid showers are accepted as long as they are accessed legally.
• You must be allowed to use the shower, without having to use any other facilities. For example hotels where you have to pay for a room in order to use the shower, will be rejected.

Guidance:

• Leave detailed description of the included facilities, cleanliness, privacy, water pressure, temperature, towels, wheelchair accessibility, price, etc.
• If a place offers other services as well, like a campground, fuel station, etc., you can create a separate place for that on iOverlander, assuming it also meets iOverlander criteria.

Customs and Immigration

Customs checkpoints, immigration offices, etc.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Please add information that helps overlanders AVOID paying bribes and information about paying LEGITIMATE fees.
• Do NOT add information that promotes or admits to any illegal activities, especially paying bribes, or hiding contraband in your vehicle

Guidance:

• Please describe border crossings requirements, special paperwork issues or goods restrictions and how to navigate between offices at the border. Please add your direction of travel and the nationality of your passport and your vehicles registration. General information about paperwork and procedures to enter countries and to drive your own vehicle can be found and shared on www.4ever2wherever.com.

Checkpoint

A permanent police, military or agricultural checkpoint.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Do NOT add temporary road blocks or checkpoints.
• Please add a meaningful and helpful descriptions.
• Please add information that helps overlanders AVOID paying bribes and information about paying or avoiding LEGITIMATE fees.
• Do NOT add information that promotes or admits to paying a bribe, including information about paying a bribe to avoid a process (long line, lots of paperwork, etc)

Guidance:

• Add your direction of travel! An agricultural checkpoint may confiscate all your produce when traveling from north to south and just let you pass when traveling from south to north. Add information about the process of the checkpoint (questions asked, items asked for, documents checked, legitimate fees or bribes demanded.)

Consulate / Embassy

An embassy or consulate

Criteria for acceptance:

Guidance:

• The category describes experiences at specific consulates and embassies. General information about paperwork and procedures to enter countries and to drive your own vehicle can be found and shared on www.4ever2wherever.com.

Vehicle Insurance

A place where vehicle insurance can be purchased

Criteria for acceptance:

• Must issue insurance to vehicles with foreign registrations

Guidance:

Vehicle Shipping

Office, port or place related to long-distance vehicle shipping or difficult ferry crossings

Criteria for acceptance:

• Add places related long-distance vehicle shipping OR ferry crossing that have long waits or a difficult process. Do NOT add easy ferry crossings, with less than 2-hour wait times.

Guidance:

Vehicle Storage

Locations that offer parking for overland vehicles for weeks or months at a time

Criteria for acceptance:

• Add long term storage areas (more than a week at a time).

Guidance:

• Please add details about the parking area, specifically are there guards? Covered areas? Is it indoor or outdoor?

Warning

Warnings about serious dangers to health, safety or property, or impassible roads that cause delays of two hours or more

Criteria for acceptance:

• Add warnings about serious dangers to personal health, safety or property, such as muggings, thefts, or violent crimes.
• Add major road problems where the road is NOT passable and causes delays of two hours or more.
• Do NOT add general road condition reports.
• Add specific height and weight restriction warnings, if the alternate route results in a 2-hour delay or more.

Guidance:

• Please add any information you have about how long the situation is expected to remain. Please make the name of your point the type of warning this is (e.g. High theft area, Impassable Road, Low Bridge). Checkpoints and toll booths are added in the checkpoint category NOT in Warnings, even if you are warning about corruption.

Other

Another place of interest to overlanders.

Criteria for acceptance:

• Please add places that do not fit in any other categories. Places must be of interest to overlanders, permanently available, and not violate laws or wishes of locals or damage the environment.

Guidance:

• We do NOT accept: Car rental agencies, car washes, highway rest stops or picnic areas, public toilets, marketing agencies, beauty salons, etc.

About iOverlander

iOverlander is a free website and app created to help overlanders on the road find their next destination. Please help us improve our data by updating and adding places you have been.