The Overland Expo

The Overland Expo

After spending ten lovely days in Sedona, I drove an hour north to Flagstaff. As the crow flies, these two cities are only about 23 miles apart, but even in that short distance the change in climate and scenery is vast—they feel like different worlds. All-in-all I spent about five days in Flagstaff, hanging with friends, hiking, checking out the local attractions and enjoying a break from the desert heat. 

While in Flagstaff, I decided to attend my very first ‘Overland Expo,’ which is a huge event entirely focused on vehicle travel and living on the road. The term ‘overlanding’ often implies an off-roading, 4x4 type rig, but technically includes all forms of vehicle travel such as RV’s, trailers, vans, cars and even motorcycles. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the expo had on-display some of the highest-end vehicles, equipment and products that money can buy. There were hundreds of vendors selling just about every piece of overlanding gear you could imagine, and there were a whole bunch of brand new, road-ready vehicles for sale—a handful of which were priced at nearly half a million dollars. 

While I enjoyed checking out all the different products and touring the incredible rigs, my favorite part of the expo were the seminars, in which different speakers would present on their particular area of overlanding expertise. There were presentations on pretty much any aspect of life on the road you could think of: first aid, self-defense, food-prep, staying fit, electrical systems, DIY repairs, winch recovery, sanitation… you get the gist. And while many of these were intriguing, there were two, in particular, that drew me in. 

The first seminar I attended was led by a man who overlanded through Baja California and liked it so much that he decided to buy property and make Baja his primary home. He discussed the good, the bad and the ugly of traveling through Baja, and there were even Baja residents and experienced travelers in the crowd that contributed their own opinions and perspectives as well. There was no sugar-coating or trying to sell anyone on the idea of doing it themselves—it was a take-it-or-leave-it approach. Which I appreciated. Since overlanding Baja is something I had already been considering, hearing so much transparent information directly from the source felt invaluable.

The second session I attended was led by a married couple sharing their experience overlanding the entirety of the Pan-American Highway, a route which leads from northern Alaska all the way down to southern Argentina. I couldn’t possibly begin to describe everything they shared in their presentation, but wow, what an adventure! To say the least.

The overwhelming takeaway from both seminars was that, even though there are stressful travel scenarios that will absolutely arise, and there are definitely safety precautions to obey and consider, both trips can be done safely, were completely life-changing and are absolutely worth considering, at the very least. 

At this point I’m not feeling anywhere close to committing myself to the Pan-American highway, particularly in a two-wheel drive van. But the thought of spending my winter months in the Baja sunshine, photographing various landscapes, exploring the different beaches, snorkeling, boating, enjoying the local cuisine and ice-cold cervezas is sounding pretty darn good. 

“You belong among the wildflowers, you belong in a boat out at sea… You belong with your love on your arm, you belong somewhere you feel free.” ~ Tom Petty