So a couple of weekends ago Roseann Hanson, director of the Overland Expo and I went to Amado Arizona to scout routes for the driving sections of the Overland Expo and to finalize plans for the classes and seminars.
This year the Overland Expo is going to be a very large event and is the only event of its kind in the world that caters specifically to overlanding. Experts and travel veterans will be converging on Amado, south of Tucson for the three days of the event. There will be a vendor area and classes offered by Overland Training, from driving to cooking to navigation.
 Scouting for the driving course The Overland Expo is shaping up to be a stunning event this year. The venue is much better than the fairground we had in Prescott for OX09, and the driving sections will all be out in the desert. That, of course, requires a lot planning from Overland Training. I am working very closely with Roseann to make sure that all of the courses on the schedule are top notch. The instructor list is very impressive this year with notable names like Duncan Barbour, Nick Taylor, Tom Collins, Ted Simon, Austin Vince, Lois Pryce, Bruce Elfstrom and many others.
If you would like a pdf list of all the courses and instructors, you can download one here. Once you’ve done that be sure to go to the website and sign up for your courses, or register if you have not yet done so. Courses are filling up fast. Also check out Expedition Portal where Roseann is posting updates on the Event.
Overland Expo Website
Overland Expo updates on Expedition Portal
Route Planning to get to Expo on Expedition Portal
 Beautiful location for a class Overland Training recently completed the February Comprehensive course in Arizona. Much to our surprise the area we do the initial driving and recovery training was completely changed due to massive water flow. In some ways it was very nice as traffic was minimized, we had a nice river crossing to tackle and even mud, which is not usually a component of our Arizona training.
 Marcos on the river crossing Just on the way to the campsite, we had three recovery situations which proved to be very valuable experience for the class.
 Recent rains gave us the opportunity for some mud instruction  Alex easing a path for the Sportsmobile extraction Despite the rain and the damp, we still got good use of the sand area to practice with the pull-pal and sand mats.
 Paul May hooking up the Pull-Pal  FJ Cruiser about to be recovered by sand mats We had a great group of people attend this course, and special thanks to Marcos Weskamp for the pictures used in this blog entry.
 Heading towards Prescott
Overland Training requires a Wilderness First Aid certification for our Overland Certification program, and to date we have (and still do) accept WFAs from various providers like NOLS and Wilderness Medical Associates. But, while great, these organizations cater to a large audience and one that is not specifically vehicle based. We saw that there is a need for a WFA program specifically for overlanders, one that includes international travel, vehicle situations and extractions, motorcycle helmet removal in a safe manner, telemed support as well as the regular WFA curriculum.
We teamed with Remote Medical International (RMI) to create just such a class and this past December offered the first one to the public. The class was well attended and our RMI instructors Janet and Kate were phenomenal trainers and put together a wonderful program of vehicle based scenarios. The class lasted three days and also included CPR certification.
For anyone who travels in the wilderness (defined in medical terms as one hour from medical support) having a WFA under your belt not only offers peace of mind, but sharpens your skills and allows a greater appreciation of remote travel. Now there is an option aimed specifically at expedition travelers that nicely complements the rest of the Overland Training certification program.
In the near future Overland Training will be offering a set of medical kits for the overlanding community developed in association with RMI, and recently tested on our alumni expedition to Baja.
 Graham with the very talented instructors Janet and Kate at the first WFA class  Graham crashes his motorcycle and awaits first aid. Links:
Remote Medical International
Ibuprofen: Hydrate before you medicate – some very practical info from Janet Peterson
Camels at Altitude – An adventure rescue blog entry from Kate Earle
I have always wanted to visit Coco’s corner. Not sure where I first heard of the place, but it was certainly related to the Baja 1000. So when we at Overland Training decided to run our first alumni expedition to Baja I knew this would be my chance. We are exceptionally lucky to have Al Walter as an Overland Training graduate and he was willing to come up with an excellent itinerary for the expedition. Of course it included Coco’s.
 Coco's Corner So on November 29th a group of 12 vehicles met just north of the Tecate border post and proceeded across the border into Baja. The range of vehicles was massive, from a Suzuki DR 200 to an Earthroamer XV-LT the convoy covered a significant range of the typical overland vehicle types. We had one Adventure Trailer on loan from Adventure Trailers who were (unfortunately) unable to make the Expedition and four (yes four) Sportsmobiles including one driven by the owner of Sportsmobile West, Alan Feld.
 Nick and Andrew showcase two classic overland trucks  Jeremy with his DR and the XV-LT At our first overnight at Meling Ranch we met up with two additional vehicles bringing us to 14 vehicles and 17 people. For some it was their first time in Mexico, for some this was just a relaxing trip to old stomping grounds with a few new places thrown in. In all cases the people who came to this event were graduates of the Overland Training comprehensive course and were Overland Certified. Traveling with people who know what they are doing and are confident to make their own way is far more relaxing than running a traditional convoy tour, and the itinerary that Al put together gave great variety in both terrain, historical features, remote camps, beaches, mountains, and taco stands. Of note were the seven different mission sites all of which I personally planned to visit, and none of which I managed to visit. But that just leaves a goal for the next Baja adventure. One of the freedoms of overlanding is to be able to pick and choose where you go.
 Checking navigation on the second day  Al watching birds and seals at a lunch stop The group got smaller as people fractioned off to explore on their own or to head back north. Lance of Disabled Explorers had to get back to work in Phoenix so he and three other Sportsmobiles turned north early as the rest of us continued south.
 Defender 110 close to our southernmost point  Camping after a long day in the Baja dust Our expedition got as far south as Bahia de Los Angeles and in nine days saw some fantastic features of Baja including dry lake beds, deserted beaches, seal rookeries, ancient rock art, inspiring roads and wonderful food. But it was the people who made the memories of this expedition great and I have to thank every single one of them for coming along and for trusting in a new and as yet small organization called Overland Training.
 Troy in photography mode We did make it to Coco’s Corner, and I finally got to log in in Coco’s famous guest book while enjoying a Pacifico with the man himself. We gave him an Overland Journal sticker for his quad and I spotted stickers left behind by other overland travelers from around the world. Coco is a great personality and his corner should be on every Baja expedition.
 Coco talkes to Connie For the first Overland Training Alumni Expedition, I have to say I was very happy. Incredible people and a wonderful place to explore; what more could you want?
Adventure Trailers, becomes an “Overland Certified Company”.
For Immediate Release
Martyn Davies, Vice President Adventure Trailers
877-661-8097
martyn@adventuretrailers.com
Adventure Trailers, manufacturer of Expedition Trailers and Overland Equipment has become a member of the elite group of “Overland Certified Companies”. By completing the certification process, Adventure Trailers has reaffirmed its commitment to the Overland Community and its core values of embracing responsible practices while prioritizing customer service. To celebrate this achievement, Adventure Trailers is extending a free one hour “Solutions” consultation to all Overland Certified Students.
In addition to their ruggedly built Expedition Trailers and accessories, Adventure Trailers has expanded their vehicle accessories options and customization of the inside of vehicles for long distance remote travel. AT’s commitment to provide the Overland community with high quality reliable gear is first and foremost. AT is dedicated to staying on the innovative edge of clean functional design. Mario Donovan, VP of AT, said “We’ve been helping people modify their vehicles with a myriad of solutions such as truck shells, RTTs, showers, water tanks, heaters, composite storage units and 12 volt power systems. The demand for our expertise in this arena has grown and lead to development of new products for release in 2010. Stay tuned!”
Mario Donovan is a seasoned explorer, growing up in Ethiopia and Kenya, exploring East Africa by motorcycle, 4×4 and on foot. He is an avid outdoorsman and the original owner a Jeep Comanche highly modified for Overlanding with over 350,000 hard use miles on it.
Adventure Trailers was started in 2002 by Mario Donovan and Martyn Davies with the intent of expanding the possibilities of Overland Travel in North America.
“Back then we saw an underserved group of Overland enthusiasts and the opportunity to fulfill their needs. Initially we imported a lot of product, and then found some good sources in the USA. What we couldn’t import or get here in the US we made ourselves”, said Mario, “Our trailers are a good example of a purpose built product we ended up manufacturing ourselves as nothing we looked at met our standards”.
“We’ve had a lot of fun growing our company over the past eight years. We have watched the Overland community grow along side us. The access to information about Overlanding through venues such as the Expedition Portal has created greater access to remote locations. With that access comes the responsibility of stewardship and we feel that our involvement in the Overland Training Program is part of accepting that responsibility.” said Mario.
 Mario Donovan of Adventure Trailers Adventure Trailers
Overland Training
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is an age-old institution that has seen members of legend pass through its doors. Names like Livingstone and Shackleton and Stanley have walked the halls and added their work to the volumes in the library. In more recent times membership and fellowship have included legends like Duncan Barbour, Tom Sheppard and Nick Taylor.
For Explore 2009 Scott Brady, Nick Taylor and I made the long trip to walk the same hallowed halls the greats had seen. The goal was not to sell Overland Journal, which already well known in the UK, but to offer what support we could as Overland Journal, Overland Training and Sagen Media to the young students and adventurers just preparing for expeditions all over the world. No one should have to re-invent the wheel and we tried to help in any way that we could. The RGS provides some of the only institutional support in the world to adventurers and scientists mounting vehicle dependant expeditions. This service is one we see as crucial not only to our industry as a whole, but also to the preservation and research on far flung areas where access is only accomplished by vehicle. Some of these budding explorers and scientists are planning expeditions of exceptional scope and bravery and come to explore to learn from those who have done this before. It really is an inspiration to interact with people of like mind both young and old.
We feel that this will be a mainstay of the Overland Journal and Overland Training schedule in years to come and are working with the RGS to promote what they do more in North America.
Our Fall 2009 class was full with 10 students and an impressive range of vehicle including: FJ Cruiser, 4Runner (2), EarthRoamer LT, Sportsmobile, Tacoma (2), Jeep Unlimited (2), Jeep Comanche and two trailers (AT and KK). As always the range of experience was expansive but we managed to accommodate everyone and the responses were uniformly positive.
Mario from Adventure Trailers attended and made an impressive showing with his Commanche and Teardrop. Adventure Trailers are now an Overland Certified Vendor. We are extremely happy to have them on board.
Boyd recovering a stuck Sportsmobile in a recovery demonstration.
Mike returning the favor.
Cam from Nemo Equipment graduated to make Nemo an Overland Certified Vendor.
We are very excited to have Nemo on board as they provide some of the best habitat solutions in the industry. Here Cam is showing off one of the Nemo tents.
Here Mike in the Sportsmobile shows its ability on the sand driving course.
Cam in the Overland JK attacking the sand course.
Boyd had the largest vehicle in the class and the EarthRoamer proved very capable in the varied terrain.
Jason in his mostly stock JK showing impressive form. This platform really is an ideal overlander.
James directing Stacey through the rock section demonstrating both driving and marshaling techniques.
Cam in the Tacoma made short work of this rocky descent.
James in his very well appointed 4Runner and Kimberly Kamper showing that trailers can go anywhere.
Barry came all the way from New York for his first overlanding experience and enjoyed every second of it. Here he makes things look easy in the Overland JK.
Alan proved to be extremely capable in his FJ.
cheers
Every year the Royal Geographic Society hosts an Expedition and Fieldwork planning weekend at their headquarters in London. The event is Called Explore, and brings experts together with researchers and explorers to plan and learn about global expeditions, usually the scientifically based ones. I first attended Explore 2003 which hosted seminars on overlanding chaired by Jack Jackson and Ian Chapman. It was a wonderful and informative event and one I came away from with contacts I still utilize today. This year, for Explore 2009, Scott Brady and myself have been invited to attend on behalf of Overland Training and Overland Journal. The event is the 13th, 14th and 15th of November and includes an impressive program of lectures and seminars from how to raise funds to GIS and field mapping. Have a look at the event program, and if you are in the London area, stop by and have a chat.
Cheers
Graham
July 15th to the 18th was the annual FJ Cruiser Summit in Ouray Colorado, and Overland Training was on hand to provide assistance to the organizers and trail leaders.
 Seth's FJ on Black Bear during pre-scouting The event was very well run by Seth, Tim and Ty and ended with a photoshoot that closed down main street Ouray.
 Registration Graham spent three days atop Black Bear pass guiding participants over the tricky section. On Thursday with Bill Burke, on Friday with Paul May of Equipt and Todd Pope of Expeditioneers and on Saturday with Justin Lilly of Stay the Trail. A big thanks to those guys for their invaluable help.
 Graham's 'office' for three days  Jeep going down Black Bear during scouting Also on hand were the guys from TRDParts4U and TRD USA who brought along one of the concept FJs with V8 power and a supercharger.
 FJ concept car  TRDParts4u  The Overland Training Banner If you have ever considered going to this event, it is well worth it. The town of Ouray is small, friendly and surrounded by some of the best vistas the Rocky Mountains have to offer.
 FJs in Ouray  View of Telluride from Black Bear
The Overland Training Range Rover needs a few additional items for training purposes. So this weekend they were installed:
 The Ramsey ready to go First was a Ramsey Patriot 9500 winch. Installing the winch was pretty straight forward except for the slight clearance modifications that had to be made to the Safari Gard bumper. Clearance problems also disallowed the use of the second Safari Gard recovery point. RoverTracks supplied us with a hawse fairlead for this install. The second modification was a set of Lightforce 140 Lance lights, also for the front bumper.
 Winch, fairlead and lights fitted And finally Viking Offroad supplied us with a synthetic winch line with a safety thimble. I got it in orange for training purposes.
 Viking winch line The final product looks pretty good:
 Winch, winch line and lights mounted Now the Range Rover is just about ready to go. Final additions will be an awning and a packing system.
 Ready for training
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