We’re back! After nearly a week on the road at Overland Expo West, we’re back in the shop and are excited to bring you a recap with tons of great photos from the event. Me, Mike, Eric and Kelly traveled over 1,900 miles with my FJ Cruiser and a 4Runner packed full of awesome, to showcase what ITS is all about to those attending OEX.
We had a blast camping during the expo, but I still can’t wrap my head around why the sun comes up at 0500 there. While I haven’t dug into depths of the Internet to learn more yet, maybe one of our readers can help with that answer.
ITS Field Headquarters
This was our first year as an exhibitor at the Overland Expo and their 6th year putting on the event. It’s also their third year at the beautiful Mormon Lake Lodge, just south of Flagstaff in Arizona. The area is perfect for OEX, which is held on a large dried up lake bed. There wasn’t any rain to contend with, but the wind gusts can get pretty crazy. We lucked out on Friday and Saturday not being too bad, but Sunday the wind definitely came through.
In our booth we had product to sell, some goodies to give away and a lock picking demonstration where we taught attendees the “delusion” of security. We were excited to see many pick their first lock and learn more about how to better protect themselves and their families against these techniques, as well as ways they could employ them in their daily lives.
ITS / Overland Expo Classes
I was proud to teach a few classes this year, such as “Escape from Illegal Restraint,” where I dispelled the nefarious connotation that lock picking and breaking out of zip ties can carry. Being held against your will illegally happens and it’s a scenario that those in the overland community need to be prepared for, especially those traveling overseas. The techniques I demonstrated revolved around defeating commonly available tools used by criminals and those that wish to do us harm.
Another class I taught was “5 Knots You Need to Know when Overlanding,” where I went over knots for buddy rescue, self-rescue, tying down equipment, setting up a shelter and even how to ensure your tent stays up better. This was particularly applicable to the Overland Expo and the crazy wind that’s always present at Mormon Lake.
OEX ’14 West Day One
OEX ’14 West Day Two
OEX ’14 West Day Three
Overland Expo West Road Trip – By The Numbers
We had a great time getting to meet our readers at OEX and also getting to engage with many who hadn’t heard of us before. Overlanding is a fantastic community that we’re proud to be a part of and we’re looking forward to our involvement in the future.
- 1,961 miles driven
- 28 Camp Coffees
- 20 Gas Station Coffees
- 11 Hotel Coffees
- 11 Beers (not on the road)
- 8 Sugar-Free Red Bulls
- 7 Dehydrated Meals
- 4 Margaritas (again, not on the road)
- 4 Cadillacs Tagged
- 3 States Passed Through
- 1 Boo Boo Kit Used
- 1 Broken Camp Chair