Overland Expo 2009 pics and opinon

I just returned from the expo, I did enjoy myself and I met some very nice people and I saw some very interesting rigs but I was also disappointed about a couple things such as the vendors did not offer any really good deals on anything and the the level of training Overland provided was very basic and structured for someone that has little or no experiance offroad, the driving course was kinda a joke, I did the entire course in 2 wheel drive.I guess I expected it to be more technical maybe some log bridges, harder hill climbs and soft sand. I know several folks felt the same way in fact we grew so bored with the classes we took Sunday off to do some local exploring. Next year I would maybe go for the day pass but unless they offer a more advanced training class or something to keep my attention I can find better things to spend $250 on.


Ok now all that is said here are some pics from the show.



My truck

more pics









My little Toyota in a sea of Sportmobiles:drool:

and more pics:sombrero:

Did I mention it was windy....


driving blind was cool






This guy has so much gear he has a list in a spiral binder of what container holds what, very cool:drool:

Honesty is a good thing.

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

Blind driving sounds cool....

thanks for posting up your pictures!

great pictures, thanks. I really like that unimog.

roamingaz said:

I just returned from the expo, I did enjoy myself and I met some very nice people and I saw some very interesting rigs but I was also disappointed about a couple things such as the vendors did not offer any really good deals on anything and the the level of training Overland provided was very basic and structured for someone that has little or no experiance offroad, the driving course was kinda a joke, I did the entire course in 2 wheel drive.I guess I expected it to be more technical maybe some log bridges, harder hill climbs and soft sand. I know several folks felt the same way in fact we grew so bored with the classes we took Sunday off to do some local exploring. Next year I would maybe go for the day pass but unless they offer a more advanced training class or something to keep my attention I can find better things to spend $250 on.

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Bummer that you were so bored... did you get a copy of the schedule? You know, the one that outlined all of the other courses available to participants that were not "driving" courses?

Sounds like you missed out on many of the great classes/demonstrations on topics such as tire repair, adventure motorcycle riding, recovery techniques, loading and lashing, navigation, first aid, security, food storage and prep, documentation for international travel, photography, communications, etc...

...and then there were the keynote speeches by a variety of renowned world travelers and guest lecturers which covered all sorts of information about overlanding.

The driving courses were great too. I'm not a rock crawler nor an 'extreme off-roader', but I do my fair share of 4WD, and found the classes to be quite informative. On top of the info and the fun of them, I got to try out a couple of new vehicles (to me that is- a Discovery and an FJ Cruiser) in a controlled environment that I may not have otherwise been able to test out.

So I guess I have a different perspective about the weekend- but then again, I wasn't just there for the driving or the 'sweet deals'. I had a great time, learned a lot, and wish that I could have made it to even more classes and lectures. I'll certainly be attending again next year.

-J

Thank you for the pics. Driving blind does sound like fun.:smiley_drive:

Great pics and thank you for sharing your opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs. That's what this board is all about. Sorry you didn't dig the courses all that well. I didn't go, so i can't speak about them myself.

Thanks for your honest opinion. I know everyone who went had a their own experience and opinion of the event and a bit of constructive advice is always a good thing.

If you considered the course from the perspective of international adventure travel with a vehicle, and not a recreational 4wd perspective, does that change your opinion of the course?

The reality is that international travel with a vehicle rapidly reduces the amount of risk you are willing to take with your "house", and in reality, there are just not very many "recreational" 4wd roads outside of North America. Roads can get difficult, muddy or washed out, but not much beyond that.

Something to consider...

I just posted this elsewhere and wanted to post here also.

"I've got to say that the Expo was everything and more for which it was advertised. Had a great time and my only regret is that I couldn't attend everything in the 3 days. The seminars and presentations I attended were fantastic.

As a complete noob on world overland travel and wanting to learn more, this was the place to be. No where else could one acquire this information.

THANKS, Roseanne, and everyone from the Journal, Experience and Training. What a great time."

I thought the driving course was great for an event like this. And personal instruction from Tom Collins. What more can you ask for? Graham even had me cross-axle my vehicle for the camera. Something I wouldn't have tried on my own. The short class gave me more confidence in my vehicle and the course covered as much terrain as I would expect to encounter on my overlanding adventures. I can use the local 4wd clubs for more of the hard-core driving if I wanted.

I had a full load of courses/seminars and still missed some of the ones I wanted. Sure, there is only so much you can do in a 50 minute time slot so it has to remain somewhat basic. The nightly presentations were also a great way to cap a full day.

I also got to meet and talk to a lot of people that I otherwise would only read about (or read their books).

For me, the $250 was a total bargain. I'll be back next year and with my family this time.

Hoping to go next year.:smiley_drive:

I only attended a few of the training classes, and I can see where you are coming from roamingaz.

The [driving] classes were not highly technical in nature. But, to be completely honest, I don't think they could be, or should be, giving the constraints that the instructors were under. The biggest of these is the time allotted for each. In a one or two hour course, you just can't fit much into it unless the group size is extremely small, or you skip the practical (actual driving) part of the class. The basics are the absolute most important skill set, IMO. If you don't have the basics down, everything you build on top of that flawed skill set will also be flawed, and that can cause problems.

Maybe there is room for some more advanced classes in the future events. I would encourage you (and any one else) to send Roseann an e-mail with your thoughts. Explain the position you are coming from, and the types of things you would like to see in next years event. Honest and well thought out feedback from participants is extremely valuable information when it comes to planning for this type of event. That doesn't mean that every suggestion will be implimented...but by putting a suggestion out there, you greatly increase the chances of it seeing the light of day.


Personally, I think that most of us who have spent considerable time driving our vehicles through semi-technical terrain had more to gain from the 'non-driving' classes, than from the 'driving' classes...even though the 'driving' classes tend to be more fun than sitting in a classroom.

My $0.02