I overheard someone describe the Overland Expo as the Woodstock of overlanding. It truly is. The Overland Expo is probably the largest gathering of overlanding enthusiasts in North America. People come from all over the world get connected and get inspired.
What is overlanding? I think at its most base definition, overlanding refers to traveling over land which encompases every form of traveling ranging from walking to driving. Often, overlanding is associated with off roading. The reason for this is because the majority of the landmasses in the world can only be explored "off road". Wikipedia defines overlanding as:
“Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and spanning international boundaries.”
At the expo, you may browse the exhibitor booths, attend various classes and presentations, and meet some of the most fascinating people I've had the chance to meet. This year, I got to meet Danell Lynn in person. She is a solo female motorcyclist who has already traveled some 30,000 miles of dirt road traveling around the United States and Canada. I attended her presentation about her travels and I have nothing but complete admiration for what she is doing. Currently, she has authored Philanthropic Wanderlust which talks about her philanthropic work. She said she will eventually write a book about her current travels and I'm definitely looking forward to reading it as well.
Danell Lynn
This year, I also mustered up the courage to talk to the people from Expedition Overland, the people who were in the Expedition Overland: Alaska/Yukon Youtube video series. I definitely had a huge moment of fangirl gushing as I shook hands with Jeff Downer, mechanic on the X Overland Crew. Jeff was super friendly and gave me some tips for my own Alaska/Yukon adventure. He even showed me how to repair a punctured tire using the ARB Tire Repair Kit and how their ARB air compressor was rigged up under the hood of their Toyota 4 Runner. Regretably, I forgot to take a picture as I was completely overwhelmed by the experience of getting to meet my overlanding idols. I'm extremely excited for their new video series from their South America trip which should be released July 2015.
Other random things I did include going to classes on how to read topographic maps and what the US governement can do for you when you go to jail in a foreign country. The class on map reading was taught by a man who had worked for the US governement as a map maker for 30 years. The class on getting arrested was taught by a man who works for the US Consulate. I also attended a couple presentations on traveling to Alaska/Canada, how to create a travel budget, and how to both plan a trip and what happens when your trip ends. Lastly, I spent a good chunk of time volunteering which gave my weekend a bit of structure.
The funny thing about the Overland Expo is that at the expo the idea of longterm travel isn't "crazy" or "out there". The kind of travel that I'm undertaking is not unique. There are oodles of people at the expo just dying to tell you about their own experiences exploring the world. I once saw a motorcycle with a small sticker of the flag of each country the couple riding the motorcycle had visited at Overland Expo East 2014.
All the flags!
The best part is that the overlanding community's "celebrities" haven't done anything you or I couldn't do. The only difference is that they dared to do it. None of the reasons people say it can't be done hold any water because I'm sure you can find an example of someone who has done it with any number of constraints. Are you a single woman? married with kids? poor? inexperienced? mechanically illiterate? too young? too old? It's been done.
One of the most interesting things I've noticed at the expo is the recurring theme of people saying "I just trust" or "I have faith". I don't think that everyone who expresses these sentiments believes that a divine force is at hand. But, I do believe it is a testament of human's desire to help each other out and how sometimes things in life fall so perfectly into place that you wonder whether there was something divine at play.
Overall, I had a great time at the expo despite the record setting amount of rain, snow, and mud. I'm definitely planning on going to the Overland Expo East 2015. Hope to see you there!
What are your travel dreams? What's holding you back?
Here are some pictures of rigs I saw.
I love the fold-down on the swingout
Sometimes it takes 4 vehicles to pull an RV out of a mud field
