Overland Expo Creates a Space for “Women Who Wander” – PNW 2024

Photo By: Loren and Patty Upton
Overland Expo PNW Banner link out to buy tickets

Overland Expo – particularly its female director of programming – is thrilled to launch “Women Who Wander” at Overland Expo PNW. Honoring and catering to one of the fastest growing communities in the overland space, “Women Who Wander” will feature female-specific education during the days throughout the weekend and a fun, engaging fireside chat on Friday night from 7 pm-9 pm. For more information about what you’ll find in this exciting new space, please continue reading.

Loren and Patty Upton

Misti Tokarsky

Natalie Muscat

Cara McClellan and Danielle Noonan – Grit and Grace 2024

Azure O’Neil (photo by Regine Trias)

Daytime Education

Misti Tokarsky with Lady Overlander Radio will host and teach classes tailored to women in the Women Who Wander classroom space every day throughout the weekend. Misti, “Barefoot Overlander,” is a podcaster, mother, overlander, and military veteran. She and her husband and three children traveled full-time for five years straight; overlanding full-time for three of those five years. She and her podcast partner, Arla Cress, run the Lady Overlander Radio podcast. Attendees can expect Misti and other instructors to teach classes like:

  • Safety Hacks for Female Travelers – Misti Tokarsky
  • Beginning Overlanding for Ladies – Misti Tokarsky
  • Find Your Tribe: Building an Overland Community of Women – Misti Tokarsky
  • Hygiene While Overlanding – Misti Tokarsky
  • All About Tire Changing for Women – Natalie Muscat
  • Go Bag or Go Home: Be the Boss Preparedness – Jess Caldwell
  • What Are They Talking About: Automotive Terminology for Women – Grace & Kelly Howard
  • Route Planning: A Rebelle Perspective – Natalie Muscat
  • Ladies, Start Your Engines! Automotive Maintenance for Women – Grace & Kelly Howard
  • The Survival Rule of 3’s: Leadership Mindset, Situational Awareness, and Intuition Training – Jess Caldwell
  • Packing for (an Uninterrupted) Adventure – Natalie Muscat
  • Test Your Knowledge: Off-roading Edition – Avis Cook & Natalie Muscat
  • Way of the Wildkind: A Holistic Approach to Thriving in a Modern World – Jess Caldwell
  • What the Diff? How a Differential Works – Grace & Kelly Howard

And much more!

(Note: all are welcome to attend these sessions – while the classes are tailored towards women, we guarantee that anyone in attendance will come away with valuable new insights and knowledge.)

READ MORE: Storytelling Pavilion at Overland Expo PNW

Evening Fireside Chats Series for Women Who Wander

On Friday evening from 7 pm to 9 pm, all ladies are welcome to join us for the official kick-off celebration of this exciting new addition to the Overland Expo program. Harkening back to the “good old days” of Overland Expo Ladies’ Nights, we invite everyone to gather ‘round the campfire, BYO favorite camp chair, sip on a beverage or two, and enjoy some tasty treats, to boot. (Don’t worry – we’ll have standard chairs around, but your favorite camp chair might be the comfiest way to spend the evening under the stars, make new friends, and plan adventures.)

While guests are welcome to simply mingle and network, we’ll have a few more structured Q&As and community conversations:

Q & A: How Not to Die in the Desert as a Rookie Rebelle

The Rebelle Rally is an 8-day, women-only, traditional navigation rally that stretches 1500+ miles through California and Nevada. Cara McClellan and Danielle Noonan, 2024 Rebelle Rally Team “Grit & Grace,” will get all of the dirt from 2023 Rebelle (and Overland Expo’s director of programming) Azure O’Neil. When Azure and Eva Rupert competed in the Rebelle last year, their goals were: 1. To get as many checkpoints as possible before noon. 2. Not to die in the desert. 3. To be good teammates to one another and all Rebelles. While rookies Cara and Danielle will surely have several questions of their own, everyone around the fire pit is welcome to ask Azure their most burning questions about how to Rebelle. (For more information about Cara, Danielle, and Azure, jump to the bottom of this article.)

Meet the Most Impressive Adventurer at Overland Expo

Before the invention of GPS technology, Patty Upton and her late husband, Loren, took their 1966 CJ-5 through the Darien Gap and around the world. She has always been fascinated by maps, exotic places, and different cultures. After meeting Loren, she stepped through the Looking Glass and into the world of overland expeditions and a lifetime of adventure. Patty will be giving a can’t-miss presentation about her travels during the day in the Storytelling Pavilion (those who have heard her speak before say it is one of the most captivating and inspiring stories they have ever heard). This fireside chat is an incredible opportunity to ask a true living legend questions about her wild and phenomenally interesting life.

You can learn more about Loren and Patty here.

Network and Plan New Adventures with Other Women Who Like to Wander!

We’re thrilled to host Natalie Muscat with Ladies Night Campouts at Women Who Wander. Natalie will tell us more about LNCO, which “is a community of women who love the outdoors, off-roading, and building belonging,” and how women in attendance can get involved. Also, bring any questions you may have about camping and exploring the outdoors

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