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 more than 500 session hours of education. With so much to choose from, this 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 PNW 2024” as the event and let it download the event-specific data. You can refresh the event data at any time by clicking the circular arrow symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
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, the DIY area, and in some cases, in the vendor area itself. There are a ton of classes ranging from cooking classes to electrical and solar systems, first aid on the road, border crossings, overland marketing, and nearly two hundred other classes.
We have a number of education areas dedicated to overland instruction. Each of these locations have an broad focus or educational theme tying the classes offered there together.
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 Midland Radio. 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. Highlights include Graham Jackson’s How to Plan Your Overland Trip, a perennial favorite, Lori Perfect’s Baja Mexico: Gulf to Pacific in a Day, and a host of other great classes from new and returning instructors.
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 & Culinary Pavilion sponsored by Boss Lighting. Among a laundry list of great classes offered, check out “Ceviche in the Wild” with Top Chef Alum Chad White.
Looking to expand your technical skills up close and personal? Come by the Hands-on Pavilion sponsored by Quad Lock. We have great classes and demonstrations throughout the event. Here you’ll find classes on trail tire repair, the Overland Radio Hands-On Lab taught by Scott Jensen, several first aid classes by Overland Expo alum Zach Elsman as well as some great map and compass classes, and that’s just the start of what you can find there all weekend long. Check out the full offerings on the app.
For those seeking adventure inspiration, the Storytelling Pavilion 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 11:00.
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 offered throughout the event. Classes range from tips on offroad driving to mastering your offroad vehicle components, to safety and security as a solo female adventurer. If you are looking for some fun tales from the trails, check out Avis Cook and Cara McClellan’s Rally Stories from the Dirt Q&A on Saturday afternoon.
The Learning Lab will make its debut at Overland Expo PNW 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 budgeting to solo travel to mounting a conservation-oriented expedition among so many more topics.
For those wanting to go deeper into a topic, the Round Table Pavilion hosts roundtable panels and Q&A sessions with our experts. Topics vary across a broad range from budgeting to travel medicine to bringing your pet along for the adventure. 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.
If you want to get a little more hands-on, you can add an Overland Expo Training Pass to your camping or day pass ticket during the ticketing process. The OET add-on will get you access to the training provided by the Overland Expo Training sponsored by COMEUP Winch USA focusing on driving skills on our custom off-road course, vehicle preparedness, maintenance, and recovery courses. Training classes will be offered throughout the weekend. You can read more here, but don’t delay! Overland Expo Training Passes are limited!
*There are some classes that are for Overland Training ticket holders only. However, the vast majority of classes are open to everyone.
Check out the Overland Expo app for a full schedule of classes.
Vendors
No doubt, the vendor area is one of the most popular parts of Overland Expo. This year, our PNW event has over 350 vendors, and the number is increasing every day. 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 classes, 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.
Relax at the Bivvys
When you’re ready to take a seat, recharge your phone, and plan your next move, but sure to stop by the bivvy sponsored by Hankook Tire or another one of the bivvys placed throughout the event. We also have a number of informal, small group classes taking place at some of the bivvys throughout the weekend.
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 occuring at the Oasis Bar & Food Court.
Thursday night will kick things off with the 5:00 pm Welcome Happy Hour sponsored by Toyo Tires. Come and enjoy a refreshing drink and get to know the Overland Expo community as you get ready for an amazing weekend.
Friday night, start off at 5:00 pm with the Happy Hour sponsored by MAXXIS Tires and then stick around for the 7:00 pm Film Festival where you will be treated to an exciting collection of cinema-quality films created by our community.
If movie night isn’t your speed, head over to the Toyota booth where they will be hosting Toyota Game Night from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Saturday evening’s festivities get going with that evening’s Happy Hour sponsored by Pelican Products starting at 5:00 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.
After you’ve gotten your fill of raffle prizes, head over to the Subaru of America Camp Subaru Live! booth for their in-booth party from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
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 Redmond, Oregon.
