Your Next Adventure Should be the Overland Experience at Overland Expo

This article originally appeared on overlandexpo.com 01/29/2020.

Whether you have been traveling by vehicle for decades or you are just discovering the world of overlanding for the first time, one of the best investments you can make in your future as a vehicle based traveler is the Overland Experience at Overland Expo.

TRAINING FROM WORLD-CLASS EXPERTS IN VEHICLE AND MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL

You can only learn so much from YouTube videos and reading books about overland travel. Overland Expo assembles the best training teams in the industry to make sure that your time in the classroom is a good investment.

7P Overland sets the bar in the off-road and overland training industry! 7P trainers bring to the table hundreds of years of combined vehicle-based travel experience, most of it off-road as well as professional skillsets ranging from engineering, medical, applied sciences, and military training.

Courses offered by 7P cover a wide variety of topics and skills from the basics of vehicle recovery and picking a line, to more advanced topics of failing a hill climb or when and how to engage locking differentials. 7P provides a comprehensive training experience that will leave you more prepared to tackle your next trip safely and confidently!

Motorcycle training at Overland Expo is provided by DART (Dragoo Adventure Rider Training). Bill Dragoo is a life-long adventurer with loads of experience and a laundry list of accomplishments in everything from writing and story telling to mountain biking and most notably, adventure motorcycle travel. Bill and his team of experienced riders and teachers provide a positive and encouraging training experience that builds confidence while teaching and refining skills that will undoubtedly improve your next MOTO excursion.

Training staff at Overland Expo teach skills in a classroom environment as well as hands-on training in your vehicle or on your motorcycle while navigating the on-site driving and riding courses.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE DRIVING OFF-ROAD COURSES BUILT BY THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS

The Overland Expo build team consists of the best course builders in the off-road industry that coordinate and plan an epic off-road training course in conjunction with the instructors from 7P and DART to make sure the driving course is challenging, safe, and fun to learn on! The driving course is a fantastic place to hone your skills and learn new techniques in a controlled environment from instructors that have traveled the world and taken their vehicles to the very edge.

The build team at Overland Expo strives to bring new challenges to each training course and build courses unique to each event. The trainers will take you through obstacles, teach you along the way, and build confidence for your next off-road adventure.

IN-DEPTH CLASSROOM SESSIONS ABOUT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, PLANNING TECHNIQUES, AND OVERLAND DESTINATIONS

There are very few places in the world where you can learn such a wealth of knowledge about the newest technology, planning and travel techniques and strategies and the various overland destinations in the world as you can at Overland Expo. Real-world overland travelers from around the globe present courses on a variety of topics including gear and vehicle analysis, route and destination planning, photography and story-telling and more!

Want to know how to operate the new Garmin Overland?

Planning a trip across Africa and want to learn from travelers who have done it?

Curious about how to finance full-time travel?

If there is something you want to learn about overland travel, chances are, you will find it at Overland Expo!

VIEW PAST COURSE SCHEDULE

SO. MANY. EXTRAS.

The extras that come along with the Overland Experience package at Overland Expo are great!

From the beginning at Check-In you are greeted with a unique attendee bag that is exclusively for Overland Experience attendees, a customized schedule of courses and sessions that are only open to Overland Experience pass holders, and a boat-load of swag from Overland Expo exhibitors.
Overland Experience attendees have their own campground area that is closer to the event with easier access to classes, roundtables and amenities such as food and showers. The Overland Experience camping area is strategically placed to create simple and easy access to the training area.
Enjoy your evenings at the bar spending your complimentary drink tickets or winding down in camp with other like-minded overland enthusiasts.

A FESTIVAL-STYLE WEEKEND WITH THE OVERLAND COMMUNITY

From the world travelers that have crossed continents in their purpose built expedition vehicles to the weekend warriors that just want to spend time with their family in the woods, there is a place for everyone at Overland Expo and that is what makes it special. The best reason to attend the Overland Experience at Overland Expo is the community of motorcyclists, off-roaders, weekend-warriors, and full-timers- all enthusiasts with a passion for seeing the world.

Staff, volunteers, exhibitors, and sponsors put a ton of effort into making Overland Expo THE destination for checking out new gear, learning new skills, and making new friends. There is a reason that so many epic overland adventures have begun at Overland Expo, I recommend you come check it out and see for yourself!

It’s amazing to think that it is time again for Overland Expo 2019 EAST! It seems like just yesterday we (the tough ones at least) were trudging our way through 6-inch deep mud to see some of the coolest rigs and brands from the Eastern U.S. This year will be a bit different with new ownership, a new venue, and a new month. It seems like all of the changes have been good so far and we are pumped for the new venue and the all-weather title that it claims. We have scoured the exhibitor and training list and these are the top 4 things that you can’t afford to miss at Overland Expo 2019 EAST.

DIY and Showcase Area

This is where the real folks exist. Most of the rigs found in the DIY area are self-built and not funded by an off-road brands marketing budget. Most of these vehicles are well-built and practical and many have been very well-traveled. Take a stroll through the DIY/Showcase area to see real rigs built by real people on real budgets.

Okienomads Class Pick: My Overland Vehicle: 1964 Ford F350 (Robert Lahr)

Visit the Author Tent

There are truly some gems to be discovered in the Author tent including twice round the world adventure motorcyclist Ted Simon. Take a stroll through the tent and prepare yourself for stories and sage advice to begin flying from the pages of books outlining travel around the world on various modes of transportation. There is truly something for everyone in the Author Tent.

Okienomads Book Pick: Finding Jupiter by Ted Simon

Track Down Your Favorite Brands and Discover New Ones

The Exhibitor area seems to grow more and more each year and there are truly some great products being sold at Overland Expo 2019 EAST. Maybe you have some critical gear-storage problems, stop in Blue Ridge Overland Gear. Or perhaps you’ve been debating upgrading to a pop-up camper, now is the time to sit in a Four Wheel Campers and prepare to have your definition of quality and attention to detail changed forever. There are products at Overland Expo for every budget, travel style, and experience level!

Okienomads Product Pick: ARB 4×4 Accessories Awning + Room

Cruise the Camping Area

When you get tired after scheduling too many classes and talking to all of your favorite brands about your upcoming trip to the Finger Lakes, take a stroll through the campground to check out some of the everyday rigs that folks are exploring in all over the country. You will be amazed at the resourcefulness and creativity that some of the attendees bring to Overland Expo. Some of my greatest inspirations for changes to rigs has happened not in the EarthRoamer booth, but in the back-40 having a beer with someone that has put a lot of time into their rig.

Okienomads Campground Tip: Try tracking down the volunteer camping area. These are the folks that take off from work to travel across the region to help make the show happen. High-quality events can’t exist without a high-quality group of volunteers. A lot of the volunteers are full-time travelers or are at least on the road several months out of the year. They have stories that you want to hear.

There is still time to purchase tickets to Overland Expo EAST. Check out www.overlandexpo.com for more information!

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