Adventure extravaganza at America’s 2021 Overland Expo

As we pulled in to the forested camp area for this year’s Overland Expo (OX), looking around prompted a moment of pause and reflection.

Back in 2009, I received a press release about an event in Arizona focused on expedition travel. Having just returned to the USA from a two-month trek across Southern Africa, this type of thing piqued my interest. Though turnout was quite small, maybe 400 people and a few dozen vendors, I loved the concept and knew it had potential.

Organisers Roseanne and Jonathan Hanson were passionate about backcountry travel, wanted to share their decades of experience with others, and were dedicated to see their dream come to fruition. Little did they know they were balanced on the tip of an arrow; the bow had been drawn, and their vision was about to take flight.

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Attendance swelled over the years and the vendor show slowly expanded from a few sparsely placed E-Z UPs to row upon row of rooftop tents, camp-ware purveyors, and caravan manufacturers. We were impressed when it drew 10,000 participants, but this year nearly 30,000 people and 400 manufacturers filled its 2.4km² home near Flagstaff. With stats like this, it seems that OX has eclipsed Germany’s famous Abenteuer & Allrad as the planet’s largest overland-specific venue.

While the vendor show is impressive, what makes OX special are the nearly 200 workshops, seminars, and skills classes. Subjects included everything from digital navigation and knot tying, to safe winching techniques and third-world border crossings. The kids get in on the action as well, learning how to identify wildlife, camping skills, and how to safely rig a climbing harness.

While the backcountry presents culinary challenges, few go hungry at Overland Expo. Dozens of vendors not only presented their newest mess kits and accessories, but also cooked up sizzling brats (bratwurst sausages), grilled shrimp (prawns), and veggies for famished attendees. There were also several off-road tracks, where participants received technical driving instruction from the 7p Overland Team (ex-Camel Trophy competitors) and took a spin in the new Ford Bronco.

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BUSH MECHANICS

WE made our way out to the training arena, where participants were learning how to perform emergency field welds with 12V batteries, repair punctured tires, and recover a vehicle from a potential rollover. For those that wanted a more laidback experience, the Overland Film Festival is not to be missed.

We dedicated a few hours each night to chilling out with a cuppa joe and watching presentations on everything from traversing Australia’s Simpson Desert to the joys of driving the Silk Road with the family stuffed in the back of a Land Rover.

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Overland Expo’s motto has always been ‘Get outfitted, get trained, get inspired ─ get going’, and the Hansons have done a helluva job. After a decade of motivating others to turn off the television and hit the road, they have handed the reins over to Lodestone Events.

While Lodestone has lifted the venue to the next level, late Saturday night we old timers gathered around a keg of craft beer at Equipt Expedition Outfitter’s afterparty (part of the OG crew), and reminisced about the intimate nature of Expo in the good ol’ days.

As for Jonathan and Rosanne, they are planning to head back to Australia (when the welcome sign is reinstated) to explore the outback in their 78 Series Troopy.