Since its inception in 2009, Overland Expo has grown exponentially, expanded to five events across the United States, each featuring hundreds of vendors, over 100 presenters, trainers, and VIPs, and nearly 500 session hours of education. With so much to do during the event, it can be both exhilarating and a bit overwhelming for the first-time attendee to an Overland Expo.
Here’s a brief introduction to what we have going on, along with some tips to get you going, whether you’re an Overland Expo veteran or a newcomer experiencing all the excitement for the first time.
Things to Do Before You Arrive
First things first. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, head over here and do that. With your tickets in hand, be sure to download the Overland Expo app from your phone’s app store (links below). The official app gives you access to the event map, event schedule, and an easy way to find the vendors or classes you are looking for. Once you have the app, be sure to select “Overland Expo Mountain West 2026” as the event and let it download the event-specific data.
Once you arrive, the overland world is your oyster. Here are the highlights to get you on your way:
Educational Opportunities
A huge part of our event revolves around education. Classes are open to everyone and run all day long in our education pavilion and the DIY area. There are a ton of classes ranging from cooking classes to electrical and solar systems, first aid on the road, overland marketing, and nearly two hundred other classes.
For people newer to the overlanding world or people looking to refresh their skills, be sure to check out the classes in the Overland Essentials Area Sponsored by GME. There you can get a thorough education on foundational skills like trip planning, map reading and navigation, communications, and what to do if something goes wrong, among many other topics.
For those looking to deepen their backcountry skills or up their camp cooking game, there will be classes just for you all weekend long at the Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion Sponsored by EarthRoamer. Among the laundry list of great classes offered, check out Pop Chuc with Top Chef Alum Chad White and Lee Vernon’s Medicine in the Wild: Improvised First Aid.
For those seeking adventure inspiration, the Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by Storyteller Overland will be the hub of great adventure storytelling all weekend. We have a stunning lineup of people who have traveled the globe and will be sharing the inside stories behind their travels, including the good, the bad, and the ugly of extended travel. You can’t go wrong with any of the presentations planned for the weekend, but you don’t want to miss Patty Upton’s The Epic Voyager of the Sand Ship Discovery. She and her late husband Loren circumnavigated the globe in a 1966 Jeep CJ–5, spanning over 5 years and 56,000 miles, including a Guinness Book of World Records entry for the “First All-Land Crossing of the Darien Gap. You can hear all about their adventures on Saturday at 3:00.
The Women Who Wander programming has been an increasingly popular part of Overland Expo since its start just a few years ago. Come to the Women Who Wander Pavilion, where a wide variety of women-oriented classes, roundtables, and get-togethers will be offered throughout the event. . Classes range from tips on off-road driving to mastering your off-road vehicle components, to safety and security as a solo female adventurer. Come help kick off the weekend’s adventures on Friday at 10:00 am for the Welcome and Community Conversation for Women Who Wander (or Who Think They Might Like to), and don’t miss the Women Who Wander Networking Event Sponsored by VanCraft on Saturday, 10 am – noon at the Oasis Bar & Food Court
The Learning Lab Sponsored by Peak Performance Campers will make its way back to Overland Expo MW this year. The educational space is intended to provide more intensive education for those looking to do a deeper or more advanced dive into a given topic or area. The instructor/attendee ratio is smaller in this teaching area, allowing for open dialogue and complex learning. Topics range from running a business on the road to traveling with pets, and exploring Baja, among so many more topics.
For those wanting to go deeper into a topic, the Roundtable Pavilion Sponsored by Air Down Gear Up hosts roundtable panels and Q&A sessions with our experts. Topics vary across a broad range from budgeting to traveling as a family, and solo travel to favorite travel gear. Additionally, there are a number of regional Q&A’s happening all weekend long. If there’s a destination, domestic or abroad, you’ve been dreaming about, there’s probably a roundtable for you. Here’s your chance to interact with the people who have done what you want to do.
If you have kids with you, be sure to check out the Kids Adventure Area, where we have kid-centric classes and adventure activities running all weekend long. The Kids’ RC Driving course is a particularly popular option. While the education is oriented toward kids, there is still a lot of great content for parents looking to bone up on their backcountry skills alongside the next generation of overlanders. One important note: parents need to stay with their kids at these classes.
Check out the Overland Expo app for a full schedule of classes and read more about what’s going on in the educational area HERE.
Vendors
No doubt, the vendor area is one of the most popular parts of Overland Expo. This year, our Mountain West event will have hundreds of vendors there, with new vendors being added daily. Just about anything overland-related you can imagine can be found for sale, but the most enjoyable thing may be just wandering around and discovering new and interesting kit. You’ll find some in-booth demos, giveaways, and demonstrations going on in the vendor area – a further reward for wandering about a bit. The complete list of vendors can be found here.
You’ll find exclusive deals aplenty throughout the area, with some vendors offering their best prices of the year. If there is something particular you are looking for, check out our evolving show specials list to see some of the best deals to be had. Learn more about show specials HERE.
READ MORE: Get Behind the Wheel at the Winnebago x Transwest Ride & Drive at Overland Expo Mountain West
Relax at the Bivvys
Our first bivvy, sponsored by Hankook Tire is the perfect place to take a seat, recharge your phone, and plan your next move. We also have a number of informal, small group classes taking place at the bivvy in the Showcase and DIY Area throughout the weekend.
Premium Camping Comes with Premium Perks
Premium Camping has already sold out for Overland Expo Mountain, but if you got in on this package, don’t forget to stop at the Premium Hospitality Lounge Sponsored by War Horse All Terrain for an early morning kick-start to your day!
Get Behind the Wheel at the RAM & Winnebago X TransWest Ride and Drives
RAM is bringing 1500, 2500 series pickups, Jeep Wranglers, and Gladiators to Overland Expo Mountain West, where you can get behind the wheel of a variety of trim packages on a custom off-road track designed to showcase these vehicles’ off-road prowess. You’ll have one of RAM’s expert ambassadors along the way giving you tips and tricks to get the most out of these vehicles. Alternately, you can elect to see what these machines can do from the passenger seat as RAM’s experts pilot their pickups through the course demonstrating their features.
The Winnebago ARKA, along with other models, will be available at the Winnebago x Transwest Ride and Drive. This is a great opportunity to check out and compare Winnebago’s Backcountry Series. But, don’t wait, and register now HERE. This is a rare opportunity to test drive these vehicles on a purpose built course and it spots will undoubtedly go fast.
Evening Festivities
While you will spend your days attending classes, visiting our amazing vendors, and dreaming about your next overland adventure, we’ve got plenty in store for you in the evening with the hub of activities occurring at the Oasis Bar & Food Court.
Friday night, start off at 5:00 pm with the Happy Hour sponsored by Bowen Customs. Enjoy refreshments, live music, and a chance to get to know thousands of your fellow overlanders at the Oasis Bar & Food Court.
Following Happy Hour, the world famous Moto Party sponsored by Rider Justice will take place from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The party requires a separate add-on ticket to your admission, but brings a catered dinner, open bar, a raffle with a huge breadth of prizes, and live music. Read more about the party HERE.
Also taking place from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm is the Toyota Game Night taking place in their booth at C11. Join the folks at Toyota for an evening of fun and games alongside light appetizers and mocktails and raffle prizes.
Saturday evening’s activities start early at Camp Subaru LIVE! where there will be snacks, beer, and wine along with live music at their booth at H112 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The festivities continue with Saturday’s Happy Hour sponsored by WanderFox Overland back at the Oasis Bar and Food Court at 5:00 pm and going until 7:00 pm.
Be sure to stick around after it for the Overland Expo Foundation Raffle, which kicks off at 7:00 pm. The mountain of raffle prizes grows bigger and bigger every event with some truly impressive gear that just might be going home with you.
Ready to Join Us?
Now that you know what to expect and what can’t be missed, click the link below to make sure you join in on the fun later this month in Loveland, Colorado. And, don’t forget about our final event of the season, Overland Expo East, and the 2027 event registrations will be live before you know it.
