Overland Expo East 2015 was a muddy wet affair, but it was also an incredible gathering of the overland tribe, where many stories were shared and friends made. The second annual event, held at Taylor Ranch just outside Asheville, NC, was full of hearty souls who didn’t let a “little” rain and mud get in the way of having fun, learning and sharing, all in preparation for the next adventure, wherever it might take them. Due to steep and deep muddy fields, better known as parking areas, many day pass attendees couldn’t join in on the fun, as there was just no where for them to park at the event. Those that found other ways, like taxis or hiking in from a nearby school parking lot, were rewarded with quality time with industry vendors, in-depth roundtable discussions, expert instructional classes and lots of great tales from the road less traveled. Those that got to the event early, camped out for the weekend and purchased experience passes got a weekend full of action and a lot of personal attention, as some of the crowds just couldn’t access the site. The biggest loss for the event this year, due to the weather, was the extremely low attendance by the motorcycle crowd, and justifiably so as some nearby roads were hazardous to travel and ground tents in this much mud isn’t a whole lot of fun. Check out the photos below for a deeper look into the weekend of adventure and also be sure to check out the Off-Road Adventuremobile and Overland Gear reports from the event.
Vendor area looking off across the pond towards the general camping area.
All the classes and seminars were generally located around the end of the pond.
Event organizer Roseanne Hanson took the weather in stride and even opened the event by coming out in a mask, snorkel and flippers. Good fun was had by all, and the organizers did a great job dealing with all that mother nature threw at them.
Just like Overland Expo West this year, there wasn’t a whole lot of dust to worry about 😉
BFG‘s tire test driving course put the new AT KO2s to the muddy test.
Always a top attraction at Overland Expo is the Camel Trophy skills area, where you can learn from the very best in the off-road adventure world.
Luminaries in the overland world, like Ted Simon, are common sites around Overland Expo.
Even getting to the Land Rover off-road demo area was a challenge, but the experts at Land Rover kept the driving expereince open for a large majority of the weekend. It was impressive how well the stock Land Rovers, on stock street tires at hwy pressures, did in the deep muddy quagmire.
The Land Rover Experience driving course was a bit beat up by the rain!
Most classes were very well attended, even if participants had to stand out in the rain.
Indoor classes drew huge crowds.
The nightly happy hours were a great opportunity to dry out and share knowledge and stories from the day.
You can always count on food to bring people together.
The general camping area was a spread out affair with campers searching for the elusive high and flat spots around Taylor Ranch.
Once camp was set, it was key not to move your vehicle, as the ruts just got deeper all weekend.
Shelter was vital to an enjoyable camping experience this weekend.
I feel bad for the ice cream vendor, who was open most of the weekend, as it was a bit chilly and wet to really crave a cold ice cream cone.
Coffee is taken serious by many in the overland tribe. Here Mario, from AT Overland Equipment, roasts his own Ethiopian beans to make that perfect morning brew.
The overland industry media were out in full force this year. Overland International showed up with a full booth and the North America Hema Map Patrol Land Cruiser.
Snow Peak tarps kept the Overland International crew dry.
Benjy, Cornwall to Capehorn, enjoying some time with a four legged friend.
OutdoorX4 Magazine had a great setup with a nice ARB awning/shelter off their 100 Series project truck and a well appointed Trutleback Trailer in tow.
The American Adventurist crew were well represented and now offer overland gatherings on both sides of the country.
A tradition at Overland Expo is the Sunday morning walkabout breakfast, where vendors cook up some grub for attendees. 7P International got my attention with this sign, BACON!
Mmmmm, bacon sandwich 🙂
The Sunday BBQ topped off a great weekend with the overland tribe. The sun even made an appearance for those that stayed till the bitter end.
A few hearty moto adventurers did make the trip, but far fewer than usual.
My Maxtrax came in VERY handy to help get some of the vehicles out of the general parking area.
The luge that was the exit from the main parking area.
Be sure to also check out:
OVERLAND EXPO EAST 2015: Off-Road Adventuremobile
OVERLAND EXPO EAST 2015: Overland Gear
