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Vehicle recovery, tire repair, 4 Wheel Drive training, big tires, roof tents, cross-country motorcycles, campers, trailers, winches, tools... YEAH!
This is the place to be if you're into getting off the beaten path and into the unknown. And, if you think my vehicles are cool, they have NOTHING on the beasts that occupy these fairgrounds. The vehicles here range from brand-new 4Wheel Drive Toyota FJ Cruisers to 40-year-old 6Wheel Drive Swiss Military issue Pinzgauers. And, they're all decked out with gadgets, GPS, and enough camping and survival gear to make you want to sell the house and hit the road (the dirt road, that is!)
For a first-time event, I'm blown away. Roseann and Jonathan Hanson put together an AMAZING expo. There is so much cool equipment on display by vendors, an incredible amount of information to be learned in classes and field training, and so many interesting people dedicated to overland travel that I feel overwhelmed. I want to see it all, talk with everyone, drive everything... I'm like the proverbial "kid in a candy store".
The images I'm posting here simply do not do it justice. It must be experienced first-hand. Fortunately, there are enough video cameras, media photographers, and journalists to paint a comprehensive picture of what Overland Expo is all about... which means I don't have to work as hard at telling the story. I get to actually enjoy the event. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/overlandexpo
But... since I can't resist a good tale or two, I'll give you my best impersonation of a "show and tell" presentation. For starters, today I was able to get The Greasy Beast out into the dirt (after spending the past two years on blacktop). It was only a vehicle recovery class (winches, tow ropes, snatch blocks, and shackles), but it was nice to get out into the brown. (She seems a lot more comfortable there.)
Tomorrow: Motorcycles and The Greasy Beast on the Overland Driving Course!
If you're good, I might even include some video...
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