Since its inception, the robust education and training available to attendees at Overland Expo has been at the heart of the event. That tradition continues at Overland Expo East this year, which is just a few short weeks away. Join us in Arrington, Virginia, from October 23 – 25, where you can learn from a vast group of industry experts and community members on just about every overlanding subject under the sun. We have nine different areas set up for overlanding education, and each will have classes going all weekend long. Here’s what we have planned and where to find it, along with a preview of some of the classes being offered:
Overland Essentials Area
Whether you are new to overlanding or need to brush up or expand on your knowledge of the fundamentals, the Overland Essentials Area is the place to be. All weekend long, we’ll have classes like Mindy Kniss’ Business from Anywhere: What it Actually Takes, Bill Elwell and Pam Standley teaching Overlanding for Couples – Traveling as a Team, and Walt Middleton’s Winch Rigging and Demonstration, as well as Winch Line Splicing and Care.
Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion Sponsored by Storyteller Overland
As the name implies, the Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion sponsored by Storyteller Overland is the hub of all education related to skills in the backcountry and leveling up your cooking skills while out there. We are excited to share that Lee “Natty” Trebotich teaching Medicinal and Edible Plants of the Smoky Mountains, Mindie Kniss will present Clean Living, Dirty Roads, Simple Swaps for You and the Planet, and Trail to Recovery will be on hand with Rally Point: Mud, Campfires, Veterans and Functional Human Connection.
Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires
The Storytelling Pavilion, sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires, is the place to hear firsthand about some epic overland adventures and to hear how many overlanders went about exploring their passions through the medium of travel. There you’ll be able to attend sessions such as 50 Years (and Counting) On and Off the Road and Prepping a US Overland Camper for Travel in Europe by Fred and Denise Cook, Michael Ladden’s Creator or Consumer? The Real Road to Becoming a Full-Time Content Creator and the immensely popular (and moving) The Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery with Guinness World Record holder Patty Upton. In addition, Patty will be selling signed copies of her new travel memoir Road’s End to Road’s End: The Epic Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery.
Roundtable Pavilion
The Roundtable Pavilion offers a place where we’ll have a group of experts on a wide variety of topics sharing their experiences overlanding and taking questions from the audience. We’ll cover a very broad range of topics over the course of the weekend, along with a couple fun new topics – Top Chefs Tell All and Experts Q&A: Top Gear.
Women Who Wander Pavilion
The fastest-growing demographic in the overland community is female. The Women Who Wander Pavilion is the place to find women-oriented programming all weekend long. Open to all, you can attend classes such as Clear Head, Calm Heart: Why Intuition is Your Best Survival Tool with Mindi Kniss, Directing a Driver: Marshaling and Spotting by Connie Rodman, and No Sink. No Problem. How to Maintain Your Self-Care with Little Water – A Self-Care Junkie Shares Her Secrets with Cyndee Schneidau. Additionally, join us for the Women Who Wander Community Conversations and Networking Event at the Oasis Bar and Food Court sponsored by Nexen Tire America on Saturday from 10:00 am to noon.
Showcase & DIY Vehicle Area
This area showcases a diverse set of overlanding vehicles that span several generations of vehicles and reflect builds from mild to outrageous. Their owners will be hosting vehicle tours for those who want a deeper dive and would like to talk to their owner/builders. Check the schedule for these unique vehicle tours.
Bivvy in Showcase & DIY Vehicle Area
The Bivvy in the Showcase & DIY Area offers a comfortable place to get out of the sun, recharge your electronics, and attend some great, more informal class sessions. Start your morning right with Restore and Recover Yoga, attend a session on bridge building, and up your sleep score with How to Sleep Warm, among a variety of other classes offered all weekend long.
ADV Skills Area
For all things moto, come to the ADV Skills Area, where there will be moto-oriented education all weekend long. Come see instructors like JP Prins, Michael Leyden, and Patty Upton cover classes such as Sit When You Can Stand When You Have To, BDR-Proof Your Motorcycle, Motorcycle First Aid, and Through the Darien Gap on Two Wheels.
READ MORE: Faces of the Foundation: Anthony Sicola
Kids Adventure Area
The Overland Expo Foundation will be a Kids Adventure Area all weekend long, where kids and their parents can attend classes and activities aimed at the young and the young at heart. Please note that you need to attend the Kids Adventure Area with your children, so please plan accordingly. The Kids Adventure Area will host the enormously popular Kids’ RC Driving Course, which has been redesigned with new obstacles that will make it more challenging than ever. Sunday afternoon will see the return of Leave it Better Than You Found It: A Clean-Up Scavenger Hunt that teaches Tread Lightly! principles through a fun scavenger hunt.
Exhibitor Area Demos
In addition to all the classes programmed across our twelve educational areas, there will also be in-booth vendor demonstrations going on throughout the weekend. With far too many exhibitor demos to list here (there were more than forty two by last count), be sure to check out the event schedule for a full list of the many offerings throughout the vendor area.
With so many educational options, you are sure to find a long list of classes to keep you occupied all weekend long. Check out the full schedule at the link below.
Join us in Arrington, Virginia at the Oak Ridge Estate, October 23 – 25.
