Since its inception, the robust education and training available for attendees to Overland Expo has been at the heart of the event. That tradition continues at Overland Expo West 2026, just a few weeks away. Join us in Flagstaff, Arizona, from May 15 – 17, 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 twelve different areas set up for overlanding education – 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 Sponsored by Midland Radio
Whether you are new to overlanding or need to brush up or expand on your knowledge of the fundamentals, the Overland Essentials Area sponsored by Midland Radio is your ticket. All weekend long, instructors like Graham Jackson, Walt Middleton, Michael Ladden, Jared Simpson, and Chris Walker will be teaching classes covering topics like Daily Vehicle Checks; Tire Plugs: When, Where, and How; Powering Your Adventure: Overland Electrical Systems, Made Simple; Back it on Up! Overland Travel with a Trailer; How to Select Your Recovery Equipment; and a host of other overlanding essentials topics.
The Learning Lab Sponsored by Iron Peak Campers
The Learning Lab, sponsored by Iron Peak Campers, offers our widest range of educational topics across all classroom areas. There you will find a mix of perennial favorite classes by longtime instructors, classes being offered for the first time, and a host of cutting-edge topics. Among the classes being offered, check out Colombia Beyond the Headlines: Overlanding in One of the Most Biodiverse Countries on Earth, being taught by Yash Patankar, The Truth About Baja:
Beyond the Myths by Michael Ladden, and Stargazing for Overlanders with James Howard. The full list of classes is available at the schedule link below.
Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion Sponsored by Black Rhino Wheels
As the name implies, the Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion sponsored by Black Rhino Wheels is the hub of all education related to skills in the backcountry and leveling up your cooking skills while out there. Top Chef Finalist Chad White will be continuing his popular cooking demonstrations, long-time instructor Connie Rodman will be teaching classes on overlanding, daily necessities, as well as food provisioning, preparation, and storage, and Steven Despain will be teaching a class on cooking with a wood-burning camp stove. Join us for these and a host of other popular backcountry and culinary-oriented classes all weekend long.
Women Who Wander Pavilion Sponsored by Harker Outdoors
The fastest growing demographic in the overland community is female. The Women Who Wander Pavilion sponsored by Harker Outdoors is the place to find women-oriented programming all weekend long. Open to all, you can attend classes such as Start Somewhere: A Women’s Open Q&A with Rachelle Croft, Ladies, Start Your Engines: Automotive Maintenance for Women taught by Kelly Howard, and Tire Tactics for Women with Natalie Muscat.
Oasis Bar and Food Court Sponsored by Nexen Tire America
The Oasis Bar and Food Court, sponsored by Nexen Tire America, at the center of the venue will host a number of exciting presentations throughout the weekend. Start your weekend off right with Lory Perfect’s Central America Border Crossings: Be Your Own Fixer; see 18 Years Overlanding as a Family Across 49 States, 53 Countries, and 5 Continents by Dan Lin; and be sure to join us on Saturday morning for the Women Who Wander Networking Event and brunch.
Bivvy Sponsored by Hankook Tire
The Bivvy sponsored by Hankook Tire offers a comfortable place to get out of the sun, recharge your electronics, and attend some great, more informal class sessions. Chris Bradley will be doing his popular How to Get the Most Out of Overland Expo orientation, Walk Middleton will be teaching Overlanding with a Purpose: A More Fulfilling Way to Travel, and you can catch Yoga Slacker’s Sam & Raquel’s class, No Gym? No Problem! Family AcroYoga Fitness for Overlanders. There’s a full weekend of fun and interesting educational programming going on at the Bivvy.
ADV Skills Area Sponsored by Quad Lock
For all things moto, come to the ADV Skills Area sponsored by Quad Lock, where there will be moto-oriented education all weekend long. Come see instructors like JP Prins, Sean Flanagan, and Lee Vernon cover classes such as Overlanding by Motorcycle 101, BDR-Proof Your Motorcycle, Lessons from Two RTW Motorcycle Trips: The Useful Fear, and Motorcycle Trauma 101: Treating Injuries Specific to Motorcycle Crashes, among an impressive list of classes to support you along your two-wheeled journey.
Roundtable Pavilion Sponsored by Pebble
The Roundtable Pavilion, sponsored by Pebble, 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 covering such things as the Art of Traveling Solo, Earning a Living While Overlanding, Regional Q&A: The U.S. West, Real-Life Tips for Security on the Road, Experts Panel: Top Travel Tips, and so many more.
Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by Travoca
The Storytelling Pavilion, sponsored by Travoca, 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 How to Film Authentic Outdoor Content Without a Crew with Jason Darrah, Turning an Adventurous Lifestyle into Your Career by Connor Scalbom, Photographing the Milky Way and Western Landscapes: Tips from a Pro Photographer with Christine Kenyon, and the immensely popular (and moving) The Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery with Guinness Book of World Record holder Patty Upton.
READ MORE: Hipcamp and Overland Expo Launch the Epic 2026 Adventure Route
Hand-On Pavilion Sponsored by American Expedition Vehicles (AEV)
The Hands-On Pavilion, sponsored by American Expedition Vehicles, is the home to our classes that get you “hands-on” with the skills you need to level up your adventure travels. Get your hands dirty with classes such as Overlanding Fundamentals: Winch Recovery, taught by Graham Jackson; Trauma in the Wilderness: Improvised First Aid, with Lee Vernon; and GMRS Hands-On Lab: Mastering CTCSS and Repeater Operations, with the perennially popular Scott Jensen.
Kids Adventure Area
The Overland Expo Foundation will be a Kids Adventure Area all weekend long, where kids and their parents can attend a wide variety of 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. In addition, classes such as AI Co-Pilot: How Kids Can Use AI for Outdoor Adventures, taught by Farid Kheloco, Road Schooling with Project Archaeology with Nicole Armstrong-Best, and Baja with a Baby with Kristen & Levi Palmer will be interspersed with all the other activities to be found at the Kids Adventure Area.
Showcase DIY and Creator Vehicle Area
This area showcases a diverse set of overlanding vehicles from a 2026 Nomad Euphoria XLQ to a 1967 Pontiac Firebird with an overlanding trailer and from a 1986 Toyota Mirage to a 2006 Sterling Marmon Herrington AWD Conversion, and just about everything you can imagine in between. You can wander around the many display vehicles all weekend, and 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.
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 fifty 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 Flagstaff, Arizona, at the Fort Tuthill County Park, May 15 – 17.
