The North West Overland Rally (NWOR) is special. I knew that to be true the first time I attended back in 2015. Before then, and for the following 10 years, the event was run by Ray Hyland and his family—his wife, Marianne, and sons, Seamus, Declan, and Liam—who brought decades of intercontinental overland travel experience to the rally. Family is the keyword. Yes, the rally hosts a carefully selected group of vendors to help cover costs, but the attendees themselves remain the focus.
Held in a field in the town of Plain, Washington, since 2012, the rally is surrounded by forests and mountain views that remind me of Switzerland. A river flows nearby, and a handful of stores across the road provide convenient supplies and excellent coffee. With cool summer temperatures and clear blue skies, it is an ideal setting for explorers of all ages, with always something to do.
In 2025, ownership of the NWOR changed hands. Ray, wanting to find custodians who would preserve the spirit of the rally, entrusted it to the Mesdag family. Ray told me,
“Events need to evolve and grow, with new blood and new energy to keep them from getting stale. I’m happy that Owen is running with it and excited to come as an attendee for many years into the future.”
Owen, Jenny, and Tao have traveled extensively and have attended the NWOR since its earliest years. At just five years old, Tao was already presenting workshops for children on water filtration and, later, first aid. Owen, a product designer who has worked with MSR and Dometic, continues to deliver comprehensive workshops on water filtration and has passed much of that knowledge on to Tao, who has grown into a confident and engaging young man with great ideas and a bright future. Jenny is the heart of the family—always cheerful and organized, quietly ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes while the staff and volunteers manage the day-to-day operation of the event. Sarge, the Series Land Rover, is the fourth member of the crew.
There could be no better family to take over the rally. Attendees have come to cherish the NWOR for its authenticity and relaxed pace. This is where the overland tribe gathers to unwind, share stories, learn from experienced instructors, and experience the thrill of the evening raffle, which has become one of the rally’s defining traditions.
The raffle is no ordinary giveaway; many would argue it is the highlight of the entire weekend. Before sunset, following the vendor happy hour, attendees gather and arrange their chairs in a large semicircle in front of the stage. This year’s daytime MC was Josh Burke, who generously volunteered both time and equipment to keep the atmosphere lively with music and announcements. After a presentation by a world traveler, a fire is lit in a large steel fire drum, and an army of enthusiastic youngsters heads into the crowd carrying rolls of raffle tickets. One ticket per person is the rule—no exceptions.
Ray once handled the evening MC duties, but Owen has now taken over as both master of ceremonies and, in many ways, Santa Claus. A mountain of giveaway gear is stacked beside the stage. This year’s rally sponsors, Patrick and Amanda from Rugged Destinations, joined their team in distributing prizes donated largely by the rally’s vendors.
The anticipation builds as Owen makes a few announcements, and the fire grows brighter. Then the fun begins.
“Five-zero-one-three-five-three.”
The winning number echoes across the field. Attendees have only a few seconds to claim their prize before the crowd erupts into chants of “Burn it! Burn it!” The more valuable the prize, the louder and faster the chants become. Winning and losing tickets alike are tossed into the fire, and once a ticket is burned, any claim to the prize is gone forever.
The prizes range from T-shirts, hoodies, coffee, MaxTrax, and recovery gear to Resco Instruments dive watches, rooftop tents, winches, knives, and almost everything else an outdoor enthusiast could want. This year, however, the most anticipated prize was, bizarrely, packets of instant mashed potato. Every time Owen announced that mashed potatoes were included in a prize bundle, the crowd erupted, and someone blasted a bullhorn. There may or may not have been a drinking game associated with the mashed potato giveaways.
Parents happily let their children sprint to the stage to collect prizes, while adults often arrived whooping with excitement after hearing their number called. Occasionally, the army of youngsters are armed with T-shirts, stickers, and caps to throw into the audience, and anyone sitting near the front risks taking a T-shirt to the face courtesy of an overenthusiastic teenager.
It is a wholesome, energetic, and genuinely fun experience from beginning to end, and one of the traditions that binds this overland community together. After the excitement dies down, everyone drifts back to their campsites. Some carry armfuls of prizes, others return empty-handed, but everyone knows they will have another chance the following evening—or next year.
During the day, there is never a shortage of activities. Children can enjoy crafts, archaeology, survival skills, knot tying, radio communications, first aid kit building, and an RC off-road course. One little girl was heartbroken when her RC car stopped working before the morning’s event. That evening, the Mesdags quietly surprised her with a brand-new RC car, complete with a fully charged battery. It was a simple gesture, but an emotional one that perfectly captured the spirit of the rally.
The rally also offers an impressive range of hands-on activities for all experience levels, from complete beginners to seasoned off-road enthusiasts. Guided 4WD trail drives allow participants to explore scenic routes with experienced volunteer leaders, while certified instructors teach practical vehicle handling, technical driving, recovery techniques, and advanced off-road skills. Dedicated women’s classes and family spotting sessions ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate.
Beyond driving, attendees can join workshops covering trail repairs, solar power systems, medical emergency preparedness, navigation, winching, ham radio, fire-starting, and shelter building. Photography and cinematography classes, and demonstrations of the latest overlanding gear, ensure there is always something new to experience. I like to wander around the extended campsite, chatting to new and old friends and admiring the assortment of overland vehicles.
The Hyland family would undoubtedly be proud of what Owen, Jenny, and Tao have accomplished with the NWOR. The soul of the event remains completely intact and will keep this tribe returning year after year. The Mesdags have exciting ideas for the future, but it is obvious they see themselves not only as the new owners but also as custodians of an event that means a great deal to those of us fortunate enough to attend.
I reached out to Ray shortly after this year’s event, relaying what a bang-up job Owen and the family had done in preserving the event’s spirit. Ray replied,
“That’s fantastic! I knew Owen would be the right choice. He’s always had a passion for it. From the first year Owen made his ‘Dirty Martinis’ to demonstrate water filtration systems, I knew he understood the vibe of the rally. [NWOR] was built around the statement, Have Fun, Make Friends, Learn Stuff—in that order. It was a place where you could learn from some of the best in the world, but it always felt more like a backyard party than a classroom.”
Photo credits: Family Camp
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