Overland Expo west 2017

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
yeah, yeah, you guys don't like to go. It gives me an excuse for a week of camping and a month of fixing the Rover.

https://www.overlandexpo.com/west/

Join us May 12 ? 14, 2017 for the
ninth annual Overland Expo WEST near
Flagstaff, Arizona, USA NEW VENUE!

We are the premier overlanding event in the world--no other event offers the scope of classes taught by the world's leading experts, alongside a professional-level trade show that brings together in one place all the camping and vehicle and motorcycle equipment and services you need to get outfitted and get going.

The WEST show is held in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona, gateway to the Grand Canyon and Four Corners region. Nestled in cool ponderosa pine forest, the venue includes plenty of camping, food vendors, and miles of onsite and nearby trails for walking and riding. Hotels, restaurants and shopping are just moments away in downtown Flagstaff, and the international airport is just across the interstate.
 
Last edited:

Mongo

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
5,731
2
59
probably be there again, but not camping on the lake bed...
 

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
probably be there again, but not camping on the lake bed...

It's in Flag this year around Fort Tuthill County Park. I might stay in Munds Park or along 89a.

Is this a question or a statement? If the latter, the confidence sounds a little shaky.

ha! it's two dashes on their website. I guess it translated wrong. I'll fix it.
 

javelinadave

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2004
134
0
Way Out West
Last year the port-a-crappers were full up to the seat. If you sat down without looking you would have been in deep shit, literally. The year before people were getting stuck so bad that a deuce and a half was pulling people free due to not properly prepping the roadways. That said, they have a new venue but I think I'll skip this year and see what feedback people have to offer.
 

Mongo

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
5,731
2
59
you forgot about the 50mph sustained winds on the lake bed...
 

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
Last year the port-a-crappers were full up to the seat. If you sat down without looking you would have been in deep shit, literally. The year before people were getting stuck so bad that a deuce and a half was pulling people free due to not properly prepping the roadways. That said, they have a new venue but I think I'll skip this year and see what feedback people have to offer.

That wasn't mud, that was primordial ooze. I made it out fine, but I think I loosened up a tie rod end in that adventure.

you forgot about the 50mph sustained winds on the lake bed...

It killed my Columbia tent. You could pretty much read a newspaper through it after 3 yearly trips up there. Last year I stayed in Double Springs in the forest. Great for wind protection, not so great for solar.
 

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
Not to be outdone by last year's shit show of requiring 4wd to camp, this year offers up this gem:

CAMPING VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS NOW IN FORCE 4-25: SMALL OVERLAND VEHICLES (less than 30 feet) AND SMALL OVERLAND TRAILERS ONLY. No RVs, no standing-headroom travel trailers or toy haulers. Vehicles over 10 feet in height or with more than four wheels can no longer be accommodated, we are out of space for oversized rigs. We recommend finding a place in the surrounding Coconino National Forest to camp
https://www.overlandexpo.com/weekend-pass-west
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
Isn't there a fundamental contradiction in the concept of an "overland expo"?

What's the purpose of an expo? To get a large group of people interested in a common topic assembled in one place to share ideas, check out what's new, meet people, learn something, drink beer, etc.

What's the purpose of overlanding? To travel, to be mobile, to cover ground, to be constantly on the move - as a small group.

So here you have an event that, by definition, requires a large group being stationary, whose basic theme is movement in small groups.

Am I the only person who thinks this is weird?
 

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,899
450
Darien Gap
Expo - exposition - when pataguchi wearing snow peak collectors pay to join a glamping contest and drool over the latest expensive bullshit to go outside.
 

garrett

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2004
10,931
5
53
Middleburg, VA
www.blackdogmobility.com
Wait, so SnowPeak isn't the most awesome "camping" gear available? But their $700 down jackets and $400 stoves must be amazing. They should sell that overpriced crap at the LR dealers. You could justify buying it there for sure.
 

stu454

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2004
5,407
61
Atlanta, GA
Isn't there a fundamental contradiction in the concept of an "overland expo"?

What's the purpose of an expo? To get a large group of people interested in a common topic assembled in one place to share ideas, check out what's new, meet people, learn something, drink beer, etc.

What's the purpose of overlanding? To travel, to be mobile, to cover ground, to be constantly on the move - as a small group.

So here you have an event that, by definition, requires a large group being stationary, whose basic theme is movement in small groups.

Am I the only person who thinks this is weird?

No.

I live in a metropolitan area with almost six million people. I work with almost thirty of them five days a week. When I travel I tend to go to where the people aren't. I have very little desire to compare pecker size and midlife crisis mobiles with some random dentist from Topeka.
 

jymmiejamz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2004
6,008
361
35
Los Angeles, Ca
Wait, so SnowPeak isn't the most awesome "camping" gear available? But their $700 down jackets and $400 stoves must be amazing. They should sell that overpriced crap at the LR dealers. You could justify buying it there for sure.

It doesn't get more Overland Chic than a Partner stove and a giant propane tank attached to your tire carrier...
 

garrett

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2004
10,931
5
53
Middleburg, VA
www.blackdogmobility.com
It doesn't get more Overland Chic than a Partner stove and a giant propane tank attached to your tire carrier...

Hey I never attached my tank to a tire carrier. And my sweet tank from West Marine is the bomb. I like that tank when I do trips/trainings for larger groups of 8 or more. It's not pretending to be something it's not. They actually get used - not making salmon on cedar planks with douch canoes taking pics of their Rolex watches in the shot. Then only to opine about the quality of both.

I just find it funny that people pop for those average "gourmet" stoves over something far better quality (and less $) than a Partner. I mean who is buying those $700 SnowPeak jackets and $100 tent lights that you can get at IKEA for 1/4 that? I'm guessing the same "men" buying Evoques.
 

jwest

Well-known member
May 28, 2006
899
7
WA & NC
Hey I never attached my tank to a tire carrier. And my sweet tank from West Marine is the bomb. I like that tank when I do trips/trainings for larger groups of 8 or more. It's not pretending to be something it's not. They actually get used - not making salmon on cedar planks with douch canoes taking pics of their Rolex watches in the shot. Then only to opine about the quality of both.

I just find it funny that people pop for those average "gourmet" stoves over something far better quality (and less $) than a Partner. I mean who is buying those $700 SnowPeak jackets and $100 tent lights that you can get at IKEA for 1/4 that? I'm guessing the same "men" buying Evoques.

LOL. what exactly is a "douche canoe"?

I have never been to any of these "expo" events but would enjoy poking around inside a $300k Earthroamer for ideas I'd like to use in building out a van myself.

Funny you all mention Snowpeak. We were just in the Portland store first time this weekend. I have a couple superlight backpacking pots for my super simple hanging stove kit but my gf found a cool down jacket thing for big discount and tax free Oregon so she went for it. I've been winter mountaineering solo and backpacked for weeks along the AT and not until recently had any idea Snowpeak had all this crazy vehicle camping gear. It's pretty but hard to see the true value except in a couple items designed well and uniquely.

Many years ago I spent less than $100 on a Coleman dual fuel and it's worked as well ever since. My guess is there are much more robust choices out of Australia or similar that are also more functionally useful over the Snowpeak table top camp stoves.

For seemingly overpriced stuff though, I prefer perusing the local Filson store in Seattle. Most of the Filson USA made stuff looks very well constructed but dang the price tags are nuts!

Is it general opinion the "expo" East is similar to the bigger west version? There's a local/regional one here in WA in June that appears to be a little more "down to earth" but maybe that's simply a factor of how they start before growing in popularity and then price tags of vendors.
 

garrett

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2004
10,931
5
53
Middleburg, VA
www.blackdogmobility.com
LOL. what exactly is a "douche canoe"?

I have never been to any of these "expo" events but would enjoy poking around inside a $300k Earthroamer for ideas I'd like to use in building out a van myself.

Funny you all mention Snowpeak. We were just in the Portland store first time this weekend. I have a couple superlight backpacking pots for my super simple hanging stove kit but my gf found a cool down jacket thing for big discount and tax free Oregon so she went for it. I've been winter mountaineering solo and backpacked for weeks along the AT and not until recently had any idea Snowpeak had all this crazy vehicle camping gear. It's pretty but hard to see the true value except in a couple items designed well and uniquely.

Many years ago I spent less than $100 on a Coleman dual fuel and it's worked as well ever since. My guess is there are much more robust choices out of Australia or similar that are also more functionally useful over the Snowpeak table top camp stoves.

For seemingly overpriced stuff though, I prefer perusing the local Filson store in Seattle. Most of the Filson USA made stuff looks very well constructed but dang the price tags are nuts!

Is it general opinion the "expo" East is similar to the bigger west version? There's a local/regional one here in WA in June that appears to be a little more "down to earth" but maybe that's simply a factor of how they start before growing in popularity and then price tags of vendors.

Personally I don't mind the events. But then again I have been to many of them for work - instructing, etc. It's a neat show and tell of sorts. Not nearly on par with the craziness of SEMA, etc where it's always a battle to see who can put on the most light bars, "extreme" lifts and pair them with $200 winches.

The expos aren't really my thing. I prefer the smaller events and get togethers like the one Peter Vollers runs up in VT. Nice size, good folks, great food, great scenery and some good trails. I've been going to his event since it started and now I trailer up my KTM and make a week of it.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Douch+Canoe
 

emmodg

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2006
4,273
1
Ahhh yes - The Great Western Khaki Convention! Where overspenders, excuse me, "overLANDERS" spend their day watching informative roll-over recovery techniques taught by the latest jack ass wading in the shallow yet large ego-pool that is the overland-driving "expert" community! There will be enough velccro, zippers, and coyote brown there to make JSOC jealous! "Expeditions" to far away places that man has seldom seen like Anza Borego, White Rim, and Topanga Canyon will be talked about in the finest detail:

"So yeah, there we were leaving the Starbucks on Wilshire when I notice my battery isolation system was giving me questionable data....",

Or:

"That last trip on 68 outside of Laughlin sold me on the BFG KO2's!"

Godspeed you brave men and women of the overspend community. Godspeed.