“I’m so inspired here, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever been to. I’m having the best time!”
– Katy Noel, attendee at Overland Expo PNW, 2025
Our experience at Overland Expo Pacific Northwest (PNW) 2025 was electrifying. More than 16,500 attendees descended on the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center for the fourth year, seeing approximately 500 MORE attendees than in years past. 322 exhibitors set up booths for attendees to shop products, enter sweepstakes, and grab freebies. The energy was high, and the weather was spectacular.
Whether you were there to discover the latest gear, refine your overlanding skills, or simply bask in the camaraderie of like-minded explorers, the 2025 iteration of Overland Expo PNW surely delivered. Let’s break down everything that made this year’s event one for the books.
The heart of Overland Expo starts with our exhibitors and sponsors. Innovative products and cutting-edge gear provided a little something for everyone. From customized off-road rigs to compact camping solutions and solar-powered tech, there was plenty to ignite adventure and truly inspire. But our Pacific Northwest event is so much more than just exploring the latest gadgets and rigs. It’s about building skills and confidence to take your adventures to the next level.
This year’s education and live demonstrations were nothing short of phenomenal. Attendees had the chance to participate in hundreds of hours of sessions including off-road recovery techniques, navigation skills, cooking in the wild, and MUCH more.
A fan-favorite of Overland Expo PNW was the hands-on training offered by the Overland Expo Training Team, and sponsored by ComeUp Winch USA. Our professional training team spent the weekend teaching driving techniques to eager enthusiasts with classroom-style learning and in-vehicle driving on a custom-built course in participant’s own vehicles – because when you get in a jam, it will likely be in your own rig. Plus, participants were taught Tread Lightly! principles and ethics for responsible overlanding, ensuring the ecology we love will stay pristine for this and future generations.
On Thursday, a full day of training included classroom sessions and on-course training in small groups for a more hands-on experience. This included a winch class, tire repair class, and recovery techniques. On Friday, select times throughout the day were available for attendees to purchase trail course-only time slots for a couple laps around the trail course guided by professional instructors. The Ultimate Build Vehicle got time on the course to showcase how capable it is despite its size and weight. Saturday featured a 3-hour custom-curated training session where each attendee received an exclusive 1:1 experience on and off the trail. A noteworthy rig that did almost a full lap on the training course, was a 1998 Mercedes Benz Actros 2040 4×4 with a 2017 One-off Cabin (18’) – Vehicle is 26’ long. It was an impressive sight to see it travel through the course.
Women Who Wander Community Conversations and Networking Event (not just for ladies) lead by female legends in the overlanding community was a huge success with approximately 150 attendees. Azure O’Neil interviewed world traveler, educator, and longtime Overland Expo trainer Sarah Batten about her history with overlanding and her adventures around the world. After the interview, attendees broke out into groups to discuss camping logistics, navigation, safety & security. A bar and massive charcuterie table were available for attendees.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Game Night kicked off with surprise celebrity host, Andy Bell. The booth was PACKED as they served chicken skewer bites and had conversations about who has the most miles, model fan favorites, and answered various questions. Andy made his appearance to kick off game night with a game of bingo followed by a raffle with tons of prizes (2,000 raffle tickets were distributed by Toyota for their raffle).
For those of us who were looking for something a bit calmer, the Overland Expo Film Festival gave the opportunity to sit down and watch some tremendous pieces of art and storytelling created by and about some of the people and landscapes that make overlanding so rewarding. The first film for this event Where the Wild Things Are, by Grace Schuessler, was about the beauty of Oregon’s backcountry wild west and promoted the importance of responsible recreation to protect the adventure for generations to come. The feature film for this event, Latitude 70, by Michelle Francine & Roy Rudnick, took viewers on the fascinating journey of the couple Roy and Michelle, who traveled the world for over three years and four months, traveling 141 thousand kilometers in a total of 51 countries. In this, which was the couple’s second trip around the world by car, the main objective was to reach, by driving, three Latitudes 70°N – one in Alaska, one in Norway, and one in Siberia. In their constant search for great challenges, the couple faces remote regions that few dare to visit, arriving where, literally, the roads end.
While the education really stands out at our Oregon event, we can’t deny a good party when we see one. And there were plenty. Subaru continued their adorable pet adoption, this time partnering with Brightside Animal Shelter. Our very own staff members, Chelsea and Curtis were one of the first to adopt a puppy, but all six dogs found loving homes.
The Overland Expo Foundation charity raffle was full of excited attendees who took home hundreds of prizes donated by our amazing exhibitors, including Nokian Tyres, Gazelle Tents, American Expedition Vehicles, CAMP Eyewear, GOSO Cookware, DECKED, Spyderco knives, Grizzly Knives, TOPS Knives, CIVIVI Knives, InstaPrivy, Overland Glovebox Guide, Gaia, VSSL, DryFoxCo, Rugged Radios, Midland, PACT Outdoors, Ironclad Performance Wear, Lone Peak Overland, LLC, SeaSucker, Tire-Rite Solutions, MORRFlated, and ARB 4×4 Accessories. The raffle gave away over $10,000 in prizes and raised over $20,000 for the Overland Expo Foundation. Over the course of the year, those funds will be used on a variety of projects that protect trail access, introduce new groups to overlanding, and work to clean up heavily impacted areas. Check out last year’s impact, thanks in large part to the fundraising that took place during the raffles.
Across the event, Camp Subaru Live! was a huge hit with food, live music by Nashville artists Cassidy Daniels and Trevor Panarello, wine and beer from pFriem Beer Company, and as always, plenty of fun and good, chill vibes.
Of course, we can’t forget our Happy Hours sponsored by Toyo Tires (Thursday), MAXXIS (Friday), and Pelican Products (Saturday). Every evening, everyone gathered at the Oasis Bar & Food Court. It’s a great time to catch up with friends, enjoy a good drink, and plan for the other evening activities.
Overland Expo is always a busy weekend and buzzing with activity, but at its core, it’s really about the people and relationships within the overlanding community. From brand new exhibitors to those who have never missed an event, and from the curious first-time day pass attendee to the dedicated camper who traveled thousands of miles to be a part of the event, the quality conversations and friendships found at Overland Expo are innumerable. While there’s no way to truly capture this in a short post, some of our friends offered their point of view on what makes Overland Expo special.
“It was awesome! I loved the instruction, and the course was set up beautifully. There was enough challenge, but it wasn’t too daunting for a newby like me. The instructors were great; super positive, really supportive, and where you struggled or had questions, they were right there.”
– Mack, San Francisco (Friday Trail Course Experience Attendee)
“We’ve had a really great time at Overland Expo PNW! We’ve been really impressed by the traffic and the number of people who come by. People are definitely showing up to buy and we’ve moved through a ton of product which has been great. We love being a part of the overlanding community! We believe that we have the right tool for outdoor adventures.”
– Kendra Tobler, Director of Marketing at Benchmade
If you’re feeling the FOMO, don’t worry. We still have two events left this year! Join us in Loveland CO, on August 22-24, and Arrington, VA, on October 3-5. We’ll see you down the road!
