Overland Expo East is just around the corner! It’s our last event of the year and your chance to learn from some of the most inspiring and experienced overlanders around! The list of classes is far too extensive to list here. Classes and courses start at 9 AM each day, and they’re spread around the event at classrooms, the ADV Skills Area, the Kids Adventure Area, the Overland Essentials Area sponsored by Midland Radio, and more. There are far too many to list here, but you can check out the full schedule linked below. Before we dive into that, let’s take a look at some of the new educational opportunities that you can expect at Overland Expo East 2024.
Storytelling Pavilion
In case you haven’t heard by now, in response to the overwhelmingly popular 2023 Creator Area and the associated Content Creator Panel discussions we held last year, Overland Expo has added a new multi-purpose area called the Storytelling Pavilion. This space includes a teaching area tent that hosts education on topics related to content creation, such as expedition photography, adventure photography, and video editing clinics. To truly get “into the weeds” of the content creation lifestyle, attend “Making Money as a Content Creator” with Amanda Zito and join the roundtable discussion “Overlanding as a Content Creator,” where our panel of content creators will candidly share a “behind the scenes” look into their world. And when you’ve had enough “how to” instruction at Overland Expo, the Storytelling Pavilion is where you can come to sit back, get inspired, and take a (vicarious) journey to Belize, Mongolia, Baja, Quebec, or go Euro-tripping or globe-trotting with some of the most well-traveled adventurers Overland Expo has ever hosted: Patty Upton and Denise and Frederick Cook. In addition, a select group of content creators will be camped just down the hill with their rigs, so if you’re looking to chat with or get an in-person tour of the rig of an overlander you’ve been following for a while, this will be your chance. Head to the Creator Area to meet Mike Ladden of @DriveTheGlobe, Chef Chad White of @TrailFeast, and Maria Barrera of @RoamingReckless, to name a few.
Women Who Wander Pavilion
Overland Expo – particularly its female director of programming – was thrilled to launch “Women Who Wander” at Overland Expo PNW, and we can’t wait to share this space with our attendees at Overland Expo East. 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 evening from 5 pm-7 pm. These are the faces you can expect to see in this exciting new area:
Olympian Rachael Flatt will present:
- Lessons Learned as an Olympian Turned Overlander
Connie Rodman will teach:
- Fear: Don’t Get Over It, Get Through It
Deb Lee, Cyndee Schneidau, and Lory Perfect will cover hygiene in:
- No Sink. No Problem. A Self-Care Junkie Shares Her Secrets
- Cleansing in the Wild: Hygiene and Potty Logistics
- Ladies, Let’s Talk Poop
Rebelle Liz Long will cover:
- Map and Compass Navigation
- Rebelle Rally Format and Enduros
For those interested in honing their self-awareness and safety, Alan Glickman and Paul Seehafer will teach:
- Discrete Defense
- Personal Safety
- Camping Solo Safety Tips
Check out the full schedule for more details, and make sure to join the various daytime and nighttime networking sessions for women.
Fresh Cooks in the Overland Expo “Kitchen”
Make sure to check out our new feature chefs in the Backcountry & Culinary Pavilion:
Lee “Natty” Trebotich
Lee (a.k.a. “Natty”) is a seasoned biologist and world traveler with a master’s degree in botany, specializing in medicinal and edible plants. He has been cooking for 20 years and founded “Food for Adventures,” which focuses on feeding, educating, and providing outdoor communities with the resources and knowledge about eating well while exploring. They do so by offering services such as private cheffing, outdoor catering, expedition cooking, and outdoor education. Natty will be joining us at Overland Expo East to lead a clinic on backcountry foraging, cooking, and medicinal plants, and he’ll also teach a cooking demo based on backcountry-appropriate recipes.
Amanda Zito
Amanda is an adventure rider, artist, and full-time content creator (you can find her videos on her YouTube Channel “As the Magpie Flies.”) Amanda has visited every U.S. state in the lower 48 on a motorcycle, and her goal is to encourage more people to get outside and enjoy the world on two wheels. She has taught (and will continue to teach) Motorcycle Camping Basics 101 and 102 and Motorcycle Camp Cooking in our ADV Skills Area, but having just released her first cookbook, Amanda will be leading cooking demos at Overland Expo East 2024. Join her on Saturday morning for her class: “One Skillet, One Burner: Tasty Tomato Orzo.” (She will also be leading cooking demos in the ADV Skills Area. Head there to learn how to make Amanda’s Camp Tacos and Beet Bourguignon.)
Connie Rodman
Connie is a familiar face at Overland Expo, having attended every single Overland Expo EVER. Little known fact: until two years ago, Connie was responsible for feeding the entire Overland Expo staff, three meals per day. We’ve been waiting to tap into Connie’s wealth of culinary experience, which includes cooking for multiple overland expeditions, and are thrilled to have her join us to teach “Making Your Own Dehydrated Meals” on Friday and “Food Storage, Preparation, and Provisioning” on Sunday.
Chef Chad White of Trail Feast
While Chef Chad White is somewhat new to the overland community, he has been renowned in the culinary community for years. White is a two-times James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in the Northwest and Pacific Northwest region in both 2020 and 2022. He is also an alum of BRAVO TV’s Top Chef from Season 13. When Chef Chad White isn’t delighting and amazing guests at his Zona Blanca restaurant in Spokane, WA, he offers custom-curated Trail Feast culinary experiences in the backcountry. Chef Chad White will be joining us in the Creator Area and teaching cooking demos next to his rig throughout the weekend.
In addition to all of these new teaching areas and instructors, storied overland travelers, and accomplished chefs, you can count on Overland Expo’s programming to provide the quality, core, essential education that we know is necessary for every traveler, such as:
- Daily Vehicle Checks
- Stop the Bleed
- Bubble Gum & Duct Tape
- Winter Camping Essentials
- Finding Awesome Dispersed Campsites
- The Art of Solo Travel
- Campsite Safety & Security
- Intros to traveling Canada and Mexico
In addition to some advanced and niche subject matters, like:
- How to 3D Print Your Own Customized Overland Gear
- Overland / Cyber Safe
- Tuning & Repairing Your 4 Paw Drive
Check out the full schedule to see all of the other dynamic offerings our educational programming has to offer at Overland Expo East 2024.
