Five minutes was all it took. In those five minutes, I put down my kickstand, met a world traveler and was offered two beers. I couldn't ask for a better start to the weekend. To be honest, I wasn't completely into the ride down from Phoenix. In this day and age where we're in a constant state of multi-tasking, it's sometimes difficult to let go, and enjoy the ride. My mind just couldn't let go of all the work and tasks that I had left undone back in Phoenix. It's an affliction suffered by many today.
Even if I wasn't sure what “overlanding” meant, I have been gravitating toward it for some time now. Camping, hiking and adventure motorcycling have all competed to fill my free time. Overlanding is an active outdoor niche that fits somewhere between hard core four wheelers and off road motorcyclists and your conventional recreational vehicle enthusiasts. It's all about exploration and camping. Could be ten miles from home or around the world. Typically over backroads and trails in capable four wheel drive automobiles or adventure motorcycles.
This year's Overland Expo took place in Amado, AZ, a small town about thirty miles south of Tucson. As the largest event in North America, equipment manufacturers, vendors, professionals and enthusiasts gather for a weekend of training, stories and camaraderie.
A full schedule of classes filled all three days of the expo. The breadth of topics spoke volumes to the ever increasing interest in overlanding. As a testament to the ever broadening appeal of overlanding, several classes focused on traveling with children and pets, as well as woman and handicap specific courses. Courses also covered the gamut of experience, from the very beginner to advanced. So, even if a participant had traveled the world, they had plenty of content that would enrich their knowledge. How-to classes on orienteering, food packing strategies and off-road driving/riding techniques filled out the schedule.
Walking around the vendor area was informative, inspiring and impressive. Vendors included manufacturers of equipment, services and vehicles. Popular vehicles included the Toyota Tundra, various Jeeps, and Land Rovers. Specialty vehicles were represented by companies such as Sportsmobile. The sheer number of aftermarket suppliers was yet another piece of evidence as to the growing popularity of overlanding. The gear-head in everyone had ample opportunity to compare and contrast a dizzying array of tents (vehicle mounted and stand alone), bags and hardware.
Inspiration is vital to the world of overlanding. Without it, we'd be content to stare at the back of someone's class 'A' at the local KOA. To feed the hunger, the expo included a film festival that highlighted mostly self produced, world overlanding movies. Imagine Gaurav Jani riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle to the highest and most remote parts of India, or four friends rowing a boat through Russia to the Arctic. Most of us will never do such a trip, but knowing that others have simply drives us to do more. The advice in these movies and talks was often sage. For example, Ted Simon recommends that while on a trip, “do everything that anybody ever invites you to do.” Some of his best times were the result of random invitations.
Having graduated from the RawHyde Adventure motorcycle school last year, I was particularly excited to see that they would be in attendance this year. I took the opportunity to ride an advanced trail ride just north of the expo. The route was actually the same Jeep trails used by the four wheelers for their training. In fact, we had to coordinate some trail sharing at a few points during the two and a half hour ride.
Several round table discussions were offered, and each was well attended. Manufacturers, travel experts and industry leaders made themselves available for open discussions with expo participants to discuss the future of overlanding in their areas of interest. It was refreshing to see that manufacturers such as Jeep, Suzuki and Land Rover were all very open with the crowds regarding a variety of topics. including vehicles not available in the states and the challenges in responding to niche markets. Passionate opinions were heard, and recorded in notebooks by the representatives. It was nice to see manufacturers taking the opinions and needs of their customers to heart.
Finally, perhaps the most inspiring part of the event was the people. From the time I put down my kickstand, I was never at a loss for someone to “shoot the breeze” and compare adventures. I met Karl, a fellow camper from Denmark. He was at the end of his eleven month trip on his Yamaha, and shared photos and stories of his adventure. He wasn't a “gear-head”, but rather a collector of experiences. I asked him what he thought of the vendor exhibits, and he simply asked “why do you need all of that stuff”? Indeed, his small motorcycle had three small cases and a duffel bag. He was truly traveling light.
Other new friends included a family from Kansas City with the cutest little two year old daughter. She constantly disarmed me with her glowing smile, and random words (its that stage where she's repeating whatever she can). They were traveling in their mostly stock pick-up truck, with a huge REI family tent. Some fellow adventure motorcyclists camped nearby too. One was on a BMW, the other on a KTM. Both were quick with a beer, and ready to ride at the slightest hint. They all had the wanderlust that drives adventurers.
An epiphany came to me during this event. We in Phoenix have an ideal base of operations for overlanding adventures that might span just a few hours to weeks at a time. In fact, my new friend, Karl, who was near the end of his America's adventure had enjoyed his time exploring Arizona. That's just confirmation that we have some world-class adventures waiting for us here in our own back yard.
Comments
Nice write-up. I was with one of the Sponsors out of Las Vegas and was truly blown-away by the great turn-out this year. Glad you enjoyed it.
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