Overland Expo 2013: Post Your Stories, Images, and Experiences Here! (Official)

[Fireman78]

Bonding time for father and daughter at Expo.

It has been less then a week for me since returning from the fantasy world of the Overland Expo. My first trip to the Expo was in 2011, during that incredible heat wave, and I knew I was going to be a long time attendee. I still remember the tire repair class from my first Expo and have put that info to good use. I was very excited to hear it was moving to Flagstaff in 2012 but due to a death in the family two days before the trip last year I was unable to attend. To say I was excited this year was a major understatement! I began packing for my trip two days prior to leaving for Flagstaff. It was only to be my five year old daughter and myself going this year. She had been talking about going for weeks, as I have been teasing her with pictures and tales of fishing, good eating, and making SMORES. I think she was almost as excited as I was. Maybe more.
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On Friday, May 24th, I was working in the fire department dispatch center ( I ended up in dispatch after a knee and back injury, but being close to retirement I may end up just staying) and got a call for a hiker with a head injury after a fall in the Sandia Mountains. After a few minutes of conversation with the 911 caller, who had hiked down to get a cell signal, I realized I knew almost exactly where the party was, as I had hiked that trail many times. I grabbed my map of the area, my GPS, and then contacted several agencies and organized the search and rescue. I stayed on the call from beginning to end. What connects this story to the Overland Expo is that I have a new piece of equipment I purchased at Expo that I have next to me at the dispatch console while at work. . My newly acquired portable HAM Radio. I was able to listen to NOAA weather reports in real time, as well as the search and rescue channel, and although I am not licensed yet for Amateur radio, I can monitor some useful channels and it does assist me in my work at fire dispatch. It was very pleasing to deal with a call like this when the rescue crew made it to the injured hiker within 2 hours of the initial 911 call. I spoke with the HAM folks at Expo and am very excited to learn about HAM radio. When I worked in the field as a provider I was involved in many search and rescues but never was involved in the communication aspect, but that has now changed.

My new HAM radio from Expo!
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The first night at Expo was a bit windy, but after a mildly long 6 hour drive, I was just happy to be there, wind or not. As I unfolded my roof top tent, I saw the grin on my daughters face light up, as she loves my "Treehouse". She immediately jumped into the tent and then asked me about making S'MORES. I explained there were no real fires allowed and she then reminded me that we had the "S'MORES maker", as she calls it. Which is a propane fire pit safe for these types of situations. We made several batches of S'MORES that night and she even walked around and offered some up to other kids camped near us. Everyone was so friendly around us it was great. We walked around the Expo Vender field for an hour or so Friday night and started to formulate our plan for Saturday. The folks next to us had purchased several Oz Tents and were messing around with the guy wires and enjoying the tents very much.
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My kiddo sneaking over and getting a snapshot with the neighbors Oz Tents.


Here is my daughter making fajitas / Quality time with daughter..priceless.
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We were camped near the winching course, and as soon as the vehicles cleared out I knew my R/C truck had to come out and hit that track. What a ball that was. I ran that RC truck for a good hour, laughing and feeling like a kid again. I had no worries in the world. Zero. The Overland Expo is such a break from life for me.
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This year , due to having my young daughter with me, I opted for only the three day pass ,as spending quality time with her took precedence over taking classes and a daycare situation, although it is nice to have that option. We walked around and spoke with many vendors, drooled over the amazing vehicles and array of gear. What was pleasantly surprising to me was my daughters enthusiasm over the awesome gear, tents, and vehicles out for display. I ended up buying her a mini-Hozuki lamp from Snow Peak and she just loves it.
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This rack , and the way the tools are mounted, really perked my interest. These are the "Ideas" I get from Expo.
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Hey, a man can dream can't he?
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I offered my Power Wagon to these guys to see if the barge could support 8000 plus lbs. They laughed..
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I likey....
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This year was a little different for me, as I only signed up for the day passes and ended up not taking any actual classes, as I decided to make this trip special for my daughter. Saturday , after a hearty batch of breakfast burritos, she went for a pony ride, and then we hit the fishing pond. We fished for hours, and were only able to catch a few crawfish, although, much to my daughters chagrin , the little boy next to us limited out! I had such a good , slow paced, relaxing time this year it was wonderful. I need to slow down and enjoy life more.
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Seeing this smile on her face was worth the money spent on this trip for sure.




This fella was eyeballing that donkey I swear.
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It's like Boy Scouts but with bigger toys!
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Saturday night I again brought out the R/C truck for the now vacant winching course track. It is an Axial, interestingly enough... I had consumed a few IPA's by this point, and was having the time of my life. A small crowd had formed and another RC Car joined us. I talked to a fellow Power Wagon owner and drove my RC Truck like it was a rental car until dark.
I also spoke with another neighbor about the Foxwing awning, and how I could mount it to my rig. He liked my solar panel set up I had erected to run my fridge, run lights, and to charge my RC batteries. Sharing ideas and checking out other rigs is such a great thing for me. I only wish I could get my wife to understand why this is so important! Also, for some odd reason I REALLY want a BMW Adventure bike now.

On Sunday morning I slowly meandered around the grounds and stopped by multiple vendors until my wallet was literally empty. I suppose me being at Expo with a wad of cash is like my wife walking around the mall with my credit card. At least that is what it feels like. I really enjoyed speaking with the Goal Zero guys about upcoming products and complimented them on their work.

Coming to Expo is likely to be an annual event for me as long as I can physically make it. I didn't take nearly enough pictures for sure. It is one of those weekends that I think about for long after leaving. Seeing the priceless smile on my daughters face the entire time just warms my heart. Having her help me with the tent, cooking and her being the "Flashlight holder" is so precious to me. Watching her sleep like a baby in the roof top tent, knowing she is safe, warm and cuddled next to me is worth more then all the money in the world. Thinking about the time we spent together at Expo and the memories I am making for her almost brings me to tears as I write this. I can only hope Expo is around for a long time because I couldn't imagine not going and being a part of it all. I managed to run into Scott Brady right before I left the Expo and shook his hand and we chatted about Iceland for a few minutes. Another highlight! I think what makes it special for me is that THIS is what I love to do. It is nice to see so many like minded people doing the same thing, and seeing how respectful and helpful those people are. Thanks Overland Expo for the ideas, the experience, and the memories.

 

[STREGA]

Fireman78 that's what it's all about! Glad you were able to have the quality time with your daughter, she will have those memories for the rest of her life.

 

[Grabow]

Destination: Expo!

After years of reading about Expo online and in Overland Journal and daydreaming about someday attending, my girlfriend and I finally got our act together and purchased the Experience package for the 2013 Overland Expo.

The Experience package includes all the classes and roundtables that you can fit in. Everything from advanced recovery classes to route planning and food preparation. Scheduling the classes was a bit intense and nearly as complicated as registering for college courses. Coordinating with a partner (trying to take some of the same classes, while also attending classes solo) was a bit difficult, but doable.

(Our 2013 Jeep Rubicon w/ Top Bunk tent and Hannibal awning)

With our Jeep loaded up and our newly mounted Top Bunk roof tent, we started on our way: destination, Expo! We really wanted to make a journey of our outing, so we planned some side trips, both before and after Expo. Leaving Denver, we stopped for a night in Durango at the KOA (which is awesome and the showers are roomy), Canyon de Chelly (primitive campground, alcohol prohibited), Sedona (primitive campground - fires and alcohol welcome) and, finally, Flagstaff at The Hotel Monte Vista. If you haven’t stayed at the Monte Vista, the next time you’re in Flagstaff, be sure to book a room. The hotel houses a coffee/bar, cocktail bar and Thai restaurant. They are all excellent and the beds are comfy. The rooms range from $65-$140 and all are well worth the money.

The Hotel Monte Vista

Canyon de Chelly

Now for the Expo! We rolled in Thursday afternoon to claim some prime camping real estate. We quickly learned that no matter where you set up, the wind will find you and blow your awning away. Early arrival is not necessary as there is plenty of room for everyone. We took it easy Thursday night, getting the lay of the land, chatting with neighbors and enjoying some of the delicious appetizers (most of the main dishes/plates were a bit pricy for us, we’re cheap-o’s) at the Lodge.


Welcome to The Lodge!

From the next morning on, it was a bit hectic. The classes were marked by colored flags. However, the maps provided upon check-in were not color coded, so it was a bit confusing. Each class started with folks figuring out that they needed to be clear across the campground. There was also a bit of confusion about the Land Rover Driving Course. It seemed as though, upon scheduling, that there was a set time for each attendee to drive the course. We found out that anyone could drive the course at any time. It worked to our advantage, though, because we had to change our own schedule to fit with a sudden change in plans. Some folks, however, were not happy about it at all, and definitely voiced their opinions. Driving the course was fun and terrifying. Fun for me, terrifying for my girlfriend who has never driven off road before. Especially terrifying when she’s driving our brand new Jeep Rubicon head on into a lake. (she was sure we were going into the lake. We didn’t.)

After two days of classes, how-to’s and round tables, we decided to cut our Experience short by cutting out early to spend our last night camping in Moab. Putting our hands in dinosaur prints left millions (billions?) of years ago and sleeping underneath the desert stars next to an abandoned mine, inhabited by bats, was the perfect ending to our short adventure.






Some highlights of the expo:
- Meeting some of the people whose travels we’ve read about in the pages of Overland Journal and on the web for years; the Hackney’s, Pablo and Anna and Lois Pryce.
- Gathering some much needed intel from the guys at AT Overland and Equipt.
- Checking out all of the different rigs and their set-ups.

Some of our perceived downsides:
- We felt like there was no real social aspect. Granted, we are new to the scene and didn’t know anyone else at the Expo. It seemed as though the only real gathering places were at the Overland Theater, where they were showing films (feels kind of rude to chat people up while a movie is playing), or at the Event Lawn tent where most people redeemed their free drink ticket and moseyed on back to their camp spot. (In all fairness, we left early and missed out on the BBQ, so we probably missed one of the most social aspects of the entire event).
- THE WIND!

In all, our experience was a positive one. We definitely plan to attend again next year and we’re sure we’ll get more out of it now that we know what to expect. The Expo was educational, inspiring and worth every penny. It was exactly what we needed to get us talking more seriously about a real overland journey. One which we expect to start immediately after next year’s Expo. South America, here we come!

 

[Ozarker]

WOW! :Wow1: Great thread, thanks to all those who shared, looks like something to plan for. :coffeedrink:

 

[Willman]

The new 4 wheel camper looks awesome! Flat bed when not in use?

 

[fowldarr]

I love this cruiser

 

[Luminoz]

Only at Expo will you...

It all started with a man riding past our booth on a motorcycle.

The man's motorcycle was unlike any other motorcycle at Overland Expo. Instead of a seductive growl, or the purr of refined dinosaurs being turned in to a sound that has inspired man for ages, this motorcycle emitted only a faint whine as it passed. Realizing that the man with fiery red hair and a confident grin was riding a Zero electric motorcycle, I hopped up from my seat atop a stack of coolers and called out to the man "How is that Zero treating you?" He stopped, and over the next few minutes proceeded to tell me what a hoot it was to ride, and that he absolutely loved it. The man recounted to me the story of letting his friend learn to ride a motorcycle on it, and what a junk show that was. He told me "If you know how to ride, you'll absolutely love it! The torque this think makes is just unreal!" But it was what he said before continuing on his was that really floored me. Pointing down the road not 100 feet to a couple of Camel trophy defenders he said; "Feel free to come check it out at our camp later and take it for a spin. We're also getting into some really good food tonight, so feel free to stop on by." It took me a minute to process the fact that a total stranger had just invited me over for dinner and offered to let me take his motorcycle for a ride. Needless to say, I was definitely planning on making a stop at the man's camp and taking him up on his offer.

That evening at happy hour, my good friend Sam and I were waiting in the bar line when who else should we run into but the man with the zero. I formally introduced myself and Sam to the man, whose name we learned was Jeff. Together with his wife, Jeff had driven his Sportsmobile from New Mexico where he and his wife Shelia run a sea food distribution business. Over a Gin and Tonic, Sam and I shot the breeze with Jeff and quickly realized that he was an exceptional fellow - the kind of guy that you meet and they instantly feel like a friend. While our drinks didn't last long, they lasted long enough for Sam and I to make plans to swing by Jeff's camp later for the reiterated promise of good food. Now aware of the fact that Jeff was in the Seafood business, my mind was occupied dreaming up all kinds of excellent dishes that awaited us at Jeff's camp. However, Sam and I came to Overland Expo with a cooler packed full of some choice cuts of elk, and so we set off to our camp and it's grill, so that we could start cooking an excellent dinner of our own.

Sam is a generous guy when it comes to sponsoring the meat for a camping adventure. As is typically the case, we ended up with way more steak than the two of us could eat, so we tossed our extra steaks on a plate and set off for Jeff's camp hoping to barter our turf for his assumed surf. Jeff was most excited to try out Sam's elk and no sooner did he pop a piece into his mouth than did he get the classic 'light bulb' look on his face. Jeff turned and after rummaging through his extensive spice rack in his Sportsmobile, he produced his favorite brand of truffle salt. Neither Sam nor I had ever tried sprinkling truffle salt on elk meat before, so we were quite curious to see how it would make the meat taste. Turns out, Jeff knows what type of salt compliments elk quite nicely, and no sooner had he set the salt down than he was headed to his grill with a big cast iron skillet.

Jeff wasn't cooking seafood tonight. His first course was quail, sourced form a good friend of his who runs a sustainable quail farm. Having only had quail once before and thoroughly enjoying every morsel of it, I was quite excited to see how Jeff would cook his quail and how it would compare to the really expensive dinner I had many moons ago. In just a few minutes I had my answer; Jeff's quail was even more amazing than I remembered quail being in the restaurant. Juicy, tender meat that fell off the bone - In a word it was glorious. After cleaning his skillet, Jeff proceeded to tell us about his next course - Rabbit Quesadillas.

Rabbit quesadillas!? When Jeff told Sam and I what his next course was, we were booth quite intrigued. Jeff's preparation was simple. A flour tortilla, a variety of good cheeses and handful of Rabbit meat pressed between a second tortilla on his cast iron skillet. He served his dish like any self respecting resident of New Mexico would, with his personal brand of green chili salsa. I think chicken's days of being my preferred quesadilla meet may be at an end -Jeff's rabbit was that good. Tender, flavorful meat, packaged in something as timeless as a quesadilla was just brilliant. Telling people that you've had five-star rabbit quesadillas is just icing on the cake too, as the reactions you'll get from folks are that amusing.

Overland Expo is the type of event that attracts such exceptional people as Jeff, or as we dubbed him 'Jeff the chef.' I've never been the biggest fan of going camping with a thousand random people, but if I had to pick a large group of people to camp with, the folks at overland expo are who I'd want to be with. Good people just seem to come from every corner of the earth and congregate at the expo. I always leave inspired to go explore new places, try new things, and just adventure more. Yet, the greatest take-away is that I'm thankful. Thankful that I get to be apart of such an exceptional community. A community that makes the expo such a great place to spend a weekend. A community were the simple question about a motorcycle introduces you to some great people, great food, and ability to say that Zero makes a hell of a motorcycle.

 

[unplannedbbq]

Doug -
Thanks for publishing your PDFs - we had been to your site before but had missed the "presentations" section - great stuff!
Regards,
Joe

 

[paulsmith]

 

[Finlay]

That's me and my (well, my wife's) dog, Monty.

Here's the video from that.


I'll have more pictures up later, just got back yesterday and have too much to do.

View attachment 162724
In film-speak, this camera is: POV Dog. Overland Expo, Mormon Lake, AZ, USA

View attachment 162725
In film-speak, this camera is: POV Dog. Overland Expo, Mormon Lake, AZ, USA

 

[shocku992]

A quick walk around the Overland Journal parking lot. Just a few vehicles that will be at the Overland Expo. We are all getting pretty excited and looking forward to seeing everyone there.

View attachment 161161
A sweet TJ Unlimited owned by Trail Monkey on the forum. Diesel!

I'd love to get some more info on that TJ Unlimited Diesel. I've got an LJ I'm slowly building as an overlander and was looking for info on a Diesel swap. Can anyone point more in the right direction for more info?

 

[Brendon]

That's me and my (well, my wife's) dog, Monty.

Here's the video from that.

I'll have more pictures up later, just got back yesterday and have too much to do.

That's just awesome Finny!

 

[Scott Brady]

Overland Expo is the type of event that attracts such exceptional people as Jeff, or as we dubbed him 'Jeff the chef.' I've never been the biggest fan of going camping with a thousand random people, but if I had to pick a large group of people to camp with, the folks at overland expo are who I'd want to be with. Good people just seem to come from every corner of the earth and congregate at the expo. I always leave inspired to go explore new places, try new things, and just adventure more. Yet, the greatest take-away is that I'm thankful. Thankful that I get to be apart of such an exceptional community. A community that makes the expo such a great place to spend a weekend. A community were the simple question about a motorcycle introduces you to some great people, great food, and ability to say that Zero makes a hell of a motorcycle.

Awesome!

 

[dinoevo]

If you haven't seen enough photos of the Overland Expo 2013 yet, here is my gallery with more: http://dinoevo.de/gallery/overland-expo-usa/

And for all who need more, I also went to a similar event in Europe: http://dinoevo.de/gallery/overland-expo/

Enjoy!

 

[SOAZ]

Here's a good video of a Camel Trophy Disco almost falling into the pond. A back hoe dug out the pond so it was about 7 feet deep. Deep enough to make it a very bad day if a truck fell in.
The rest of the pics and video's are on the blog: http://soaztim.blogspot.com/2013/05/overland-expo-2013.html