Overland West Expo

October 26, 2018  
|  0 Comments
Categories: Musings

Overland Expo is something of a “Holy Grail” destination for some of our team, including our resident van nomad, Sara Liberte. If you love vehicles and the outdoors at all, you need to make the OE pilgrimage at least once.

 

Where to buy Mystery Ranch packs

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

 

Overland Expo

Overland Expo West, Flagstaff, Arizona, 2018

When I first rolled into the Ft. Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, AZ for the Overland West Expo with the Van Solo I thought “Shit, this is a fuckton of people crammed together for an event that caters to people that like to get out in the middle of nowhere, as far away from people as they can get? This outta be interesting”

Overland Expo in style

I could have spent a few days just walking around the camping area checking everyone’s overloading rigs out. I did the best I could, but people…. so many people, I could only stand it for so long before I had to escape to my little safe-spot of the earth my van was parked on.

Range Rover Heaven at the Overland Expo

Doggie-style at the Overland Expo

Overland vehicles and overland gear

Overland vehicles and overland gear

 

There was no shortage of Toyota 4Runners, Tacoma’s or Land Cruisers. Those guys were everywhere, and the majority of them were set up tight, complete with Tepui tents and even stand up bathhouse tents for showers and private morning rituals. Don’t worry, no one’s gonna look at your 53-year-old hairy ass, trust me, no one cares to see it.

 

Packin' it in at Overland Expo

Overland Expo Heavy Duty

Rubicon at the Overland Expo

A few of my friends were staying over in the motorcycle camping area and that was also jam-packed with adventure bikes with the top of the line tents and camping accessories. The Overlanding industry is alive and well and a stark comparison to other industry events I attend.

Overland Expo

Camping in style at the Overland Expo

The vendors were on display in full force and if you couldn’t find exactly what you needed to make your stay in the great outdoors all the more comfortable, then I’m afraid there is no pleasing you. Everything and anything you could possibly need was on hand, from tents, cooking stoves, wheels, lift kits, roof racks, solar panels, winch kits, camp chairs, knives, backpacks, and even clothing. This place is your one-stop overloading outfitter.

There was also an area set up for OEM’s that allowed you to get behind the wheel and see for yourself the supreme handling capabilities each brand boasts about. The challenge courses weren’t all that challenging, but it wasn’t stopping anyone from having fun and giving it a go.

Lining up for something at Overland Expo

 

Check out more of our vehicle gear/Overlanding/vehicle camping (and tactical vehicle) articles:

Overlanding vehicles, tactical vehicles, vehicle camping, and vehicle gear - we talk (and review) it all.

See our full line-up of Overlanding articles, vehicle gear reviews, and tactical vehicle news.

 

I think the part of the Overland Expo that is really appealing to the wider audience is the seminars. This allowed some of the “Newer to Overlanding” the opportunity to learn new techniques, and absorb stories and experiences. The seminars offer a really nice range for everything from basic land nav to dealing with the call of nature on longer trips, getting the most out of your fixed blade, cooking and even basic off-road driving techniques for both vehicles and motorcycles.

Relaxing at Overland Expo

The Overland Expo has two events each year, one on the west coast which happens late spring and one on the east coast that you can catch in the fall. Head over to their website for exact dates and locations.

 

Where to buy Mystery Ranch packs

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

 

 

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

 

Sara Liberte

Sara Liberte

About the Author

Sara Liberte is a 100% indisputable adventuress. She's a graduate of the Montserrat College of Art and the Unofficial University of Offroad Literal Cross-Country Journeying (itself associated with the famous "School of Hard Knocks"). A photographer/videographer of supreme talent and utter disregard for inclement weather, arduous conditions, or little things like the law of averages, Sara is an eleutheromaniac who loves firearms, motorsports, motorcycles and…well, all vehicles, really, as long as they’re the kind that gets dirty and generates adrenaline. She travels the US in a van called the Dodge Mahal, dog at her side (he also rides in her motorcycle sidecar). If you need to find her, you’ll have to look outside. Try moto-events, mountain ranges, or firearms classes. She runs the website Garage Girls and is the author of "How to Repair and Maintain American V-Twin Motorcycles", "1000 Biker Tattoos", and other works. Her work has appeared in Easy Riders Magzine, In The Wind, Hot Bike, Street Chopper, IronWorks, Cycle Source, RECOIL Magazine, OFFGRID Magazine, and many other places. What more is there to say?

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Articles

PROMOTION ENDS: MARCH 31ST, 2024

Tactical Easter Sale Part 1

desert camo tracksuit gif

Can Cooker Trailblazer gif. Reads: Turn up the heat. Trailblazer bundle. Only $80.  Order bundle.

Gun.deals: back Breach-Bang-Clear

Find what’s in stock, and where, and compare prices. 

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

Get Patched In

Wretched Minion Patch