What To Expect When Going to an Overland Expo
What Is Overland Expo All About?
That’s the question I asked my husband, who has been to several of these events, after I decided to go with him to not one but to all three events this year—Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado (August 27-29), West in Flagstaff, Arizona (September 24-26), and East in Arrington, Virginia (October 8-10).
Even though my husband is a seasoned overlander, I am not and I really didn’t know what to expect.
After talking with my husband and checking out the Overland Expo website, I concluded these events are basically a cross between a trade show and a professional meeting. They provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about the latest and greatest innovations and solutions for overlanding and a chance to network with other adventure-seeking, outdoor enthusiasts in this community.
At each expo, there would be thousands of overlanders and hundreds of representatives from companies who specialize in manufacturing and selling products and services to enable and enhance their adventures. There would also be classes, seminars, demonstrations, and hands-on educational opportunities to help overlanders build new skills and hone existing ones.
This was going to be a lot to take in.
“Bring your walking shoes”
That was the primary piece of advice my husband gave, and it turned out to be a really good one.
At each of the three expos, which were all held outdoors in fairgrounds, we walked and walked. And walked some more. Did I mention we walked?
The reason for all the walking is because there was so much to see and it covered acres of space. There was a mind-boggling array of vendor booths, offering everything from tires to toilets, and rooftop tents to rocksliders, and so many vehicles, each one uniquely outfitted and as diverse as all the different people who built them. The level of creativity that went into customizing all the vehicles was truly astounding. And there were hundreds of them!
Endless Exhibits
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Before we got to our first expo in Colorado, I wasn’t really that thrilled about checking out the vendor booths. I know my husband gets pretty excited about lift kits, shocks, and all the other mechanical doodads that keep him in the garage for hours on end but—honestly?—they don’t make my heart race.
Instead of being totally bored, I was happily surprised to find plenty of gear and equipment throughout the vendor area that did catch my eye and make my heart go pitter-patter.
At our first expo, Overland Expo Mountain West, I had so much fun checking out the earth roamers. These vehicles are behemoths, they’re like the Godzilla of overland rigs, and they have every conceivable comfort imaginable. One of them even had a wine rack. Seriously!
One of the very large and comfort-packed overland vehicles on display at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona.
We also discovered a booth with kayaks, which made me happy. My husband and I both love kayaking and we’ve been talking about getting one for a while. Kokopelli, the vendor, was at both Mountain West and West and had their kayaks inflated so you could actually sit in them and thoroughly check them out. Not only were they rugged and durable, but they also folded up pretty compactly. Although, given how tall my husband and I both are, we would definitely need two singles—squeezing into the two-man version, which we tried at the expo, would put a serious strain on our marriage.
The Kokopelli single kayak (left) and double kayak (right).
I was surprised to discover there weren’t more smallish items on display at any of the expos. I was really looking forward to finding things that would help with all the tasks and activities you do while overlanding, things like cooking, exploring your surroundings, keeping clean, and taking care of business (if you know what I mean).
By and large, the expos offered a lot of big-ticket items, but not a lot that you could buy and carry away in a bag. But, even though there weren’t a lot, there were a few that stood out to me.
I was happy to see the vendor for one of my favorite personal hygiene products, the Shower Pouch, at the expos in Colorado and Arizona. These body wipes are by far the largest I’ve been able to find, they smell great, and they are way more effective for keeping clean when you’re on the trail than baby wipes—if you haven’t tried them, you are missing out! Whenever my husband and I go overlanding, we bring several of them so that we can “shower” without making a dent in our water supply.
At the Sea to Summit booth in Flagstaff, we found some water storage bags that were lightweight, durable, and fold down as the water is used, an important feature when dealing with limited space. Space in limited in our Four Wheel Camper and these seemed like a great solution, especially since I tend to use more water than my husband would like. They were also the only vendor I saw that had a variety of camp kitchen items and sleeping bags, which is probably one of the most basic necessities for overlanding.
While their product isn’t physical, Trails Offroad definitely provides a “compact” solution to help adventurers find the perfect trails for their overland journeys. Not only are the trails rated to ensure you don’t exceed your skills, but you’ll also find community reviews within insights and tips from people who have actually been on the trails. They offered demos of their product at both Loveland and Flagstaff.
Step 22 was at all the expos, where they displayed their travel gear and storage solutions for keeping everything from tools to toiletries and cooking supplies organized and protected when out on the trail. Personally, I love their gear and we use several of their products, including a flat box for all my cooking spices and condiments and a larger one that serves as my husband’s coffee “go box” (containing coffee, Jetboil, stove, percolator/French press, and cups).
It’s All About the Vehicles
We also put in a lot of steps checking out all the vehicles—those in the exhibits and the camping area. This is my husband’s favorite part about going to the expos because he loves seeing the variety, ingenuity, and innovation when it comes to how the average person customizes their rig for their personal use. As he says, there is more than one way to get out and have an adventure. Until attending these expos, I didn’t really understand what that meant. A Jeep is a jeep after all. Right? Wrong.
To be honest, I had no idea how vast the scope of overland vehicle customization was until attending the expos and seeing the hundreds of off-road vehicles that were all uniquely modified to fit the individual needs, preferences, and styles of their owners. In a way, the vehicles reminded me of people—no two were alike and they all had their own “personality.”
We saw everything from a modified 5-ton American military truck to a 1980s Toyota Town Ace from Japan (similar to one we owned when we were stationed there…minus the overlanding modifications).
At Mountain West, one of the coolest vehicles we saw was a converted firetruck. In addition to a “bathroom” with a teak floor, it had a ton of space. It kept the look and feel of the original fire truck and it just looked like it would be so much fun to take on an adventure!
We also came across a 1982 Toyota Chinook with a pop top that made it really roomy inside. They also had air-conditioning and a DIY, custom-designed countertop with a map. You could see all the effort the owners put in to making it their own and it was beautiful.
At West, one vehicle that stood out was a beautiful old LandCruiser that was outfitted with a hammock, massive awning, and a keg. This seemed like the perfect vehicle for savoring the moment and enjoying the destination every bit as much as the journey. It was the quintessential “getting away from it all” rig and I loved it!
Finally, at the expo in Virginia, we found a 1979 orange Jeep truck in the camping area that was beautifully restored and outfitted with a rooftop tent and—my favorite—KC HiLites lights with smiley faces. Their vehicle was a classic beauty and you could tell the owners had lovingly restored it. I’m not nearly half the gearhead that my husband is but I really enjoyed checking out all the different vehicles and seeing how much possibility there is when it comes to building and outfitting your perfect overland rig.
Converted firetruck and refurbished 1982 Toyota Chinook were two vehicles that caught my eye at Overland Expo West.
Community of Overlanders
My husband has always said that one of the things he loves most about overlanding is the community. It reminds him of the camaraderie he experienced during his time in the military. It wasn’t until attending the expos that I got to experience and understand exactly what he meant.
There were so many people—young, old, men, women—from so many different places and from a multitude of backgrounds, but they all had two things in common—a love of overlanding and a desire to share their experiences.
Having been in the military myself, I totally get what my husband meant now that I’ve been to the expos. Overlanders are totally diverse but everyone is bound together by their common interests, forming a community that is warm and welcoming. Wherever we went, I was completely impressed by how friendly everyone was. Overlanding truly is for everyone.
And let’s not forget about the four-legged overlanders. At every expo, weaving between the vendor booths and lounging in the camping areas, there were dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, shaggy dogs, dogs with floppy ears, dogs with pointy ears, purebreds, and mutts. The array of pups was as varied as the vehicles and the people. It would seem that it’s almost a requirement to have a dog if you’re an overlander! One of my favorites was a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog named Rascal. He was 113 pounds of pure sweetness and I enjoyed spending some time with him.
My new friend Rascal.
And then there was Fred the Afghan. Next to my own dog Rocket, he might be the best pooch I’ve ever met. Rescued by a Marine (his human Craig) during a tour in Afghanistan (hence the name) and brought back to the States, Fred is brimming with personality and is incredibly laid back. We were lucky enough to get to hang out with Fred and Craig at Overland Expo East and I’m so glad we got to know them both.
So, What is Overland Expo All About?
Overland Expo is about innovation. It’s about discovering the latest and greatest trends, products, modifications, and ideas (from either other overlanders and vendors) and deciding what you can take from all that to help you on your adventures future. It’s about learning that what is possible is limited only by your imagination and ingenuity.
Overland Expo is about community. It’s about meeting other people (and dogs), whether they're fellow overlanders or vendors, who can help you enhance your own overlanding experience. This overlanding community will help take your adventures to the next level by either sharing information about their experiences or their products and services, which you can then take and apply to your own journey.
Overland Expo is about adventure. The entire event is designed to encourage overlanders to get out there and go on journeys to experience all that our beautiful natural world has to offer. Whether that’s making sure you can find great trails, that you’re safe and comfortable on your journey, that your vehicle is capable, or that you have friends to join you, attending Overland Expo can help enhance your personal journey.
Below are links to two of TrailRecon's videos that share some of our Overland Expo experiences.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
!