Overland Expo is the place to expand your mental toolkit with classes and sessions on every topic imaginable. From in-the-field repairs to the ins and outs of content creation, there’s something for everybody. And we couldn’t do it without the hundreds of awesome instructors from all across the globe who gather at each event. Our group of instructors is just as diverse as the topics covered in the classes, and you can expect to learn from seasoned world travelers to professional chefs. Overland Expo Mountain West will be here in four short weeks, and here’s your chance to check out the education schedule so that you can start planning what classes are on your “can’t miss” list.
New Education at Overland Expo Mountain West 2024
In case you haven’t heard by now, in response to the overwhelming popularity of the 2023 Creator Area and the associated Content Creator Panel discussions we held last year, Overland Expo has added a new multi-purpose area called the Storytelling Pavillion sponsored by CVT. This space includes a teaching area that hosts education on topics related to content creation, such as videography clinics with incredibly talented video creators, “how to” classes on everything from starting a podcast to the legal implications of capturing content on public lands, and stories from folks who are traveling around the country and around the world. In addition, a select group of content creators will be camped with their rigs around this space, so if you’re looking to chat with or get an in-person tour of the rig of an overlander you’ve been following for a while, this will be your chance. Head to this area to meet Mike Ladden of @DriveTheGlobe, Zach Horvath of @LiveAGreatStory, and Amanda Zito of @AsTheMagpieFlies, just to name a few. To read more about the classes and folks you’ll find in this area, stay tuned for more information coming soon!
Overland Expo – particularly its female director of programming – was thrilled to launch “Women Who Wander” at Overland Expo PNW, and we can’t wait to share this space with our attendees at Overland Expo Mountain West. Honoring and catering to one of the fastest growing communities in the overland space, “Women Who Wander” will feature female-specific education during the days throughout the weekend (hosted by Lady Overlander Radio) and a fun, engaging fireside chat on Saturday night from 5 pm-7 pm. Be sure to stop by the Women Who Wonder Pavillion, sponsored by Bushwakka Adventure Gear, to check out all this awesome addition to Overland Expo has to offer. These are the faces you can expect to see in this exciting new area:
Misti Tokarsky
Misti Tokarsky with Lady Overland Radio will teach:
- Overlanding 101: The Basics for Women
- Hygiene for Lady Overlanders
- Safety Hacks for Female Travelers
- Basic “Trail Rules of the Road” for Women
Jess Caldwell
Jess Caldwell with Wildkind Academy will teach:
- The Survival Rule of 3’s: Leadership Mindset, Situational Awareness & Intuition Training
- Way of the Wildkind: A Holistic Approach to Thriving in a Modern World
- Go Bag or Go Home: Be the Boss Preparedness
Avis Cook, Candi Skehan, Amy Wong, and Deb Lee will be teaching additional classes on topics ranging from pooping for overlanders to navigation to planning stays as a solo female overlander. Check out the full schedule below for more details, and make sure to join the various daytime and nighttime networking sessions for women.
Fresh Cooks in the Overland Expo “Kitchen”
Make sure to check out our new feature chefs in the Backcountry & Culinary Pavilion Sponsored by Tacoma Lifestyle:
Lee “Natty” Trebotich
Lee (a.k.a. “Natty”) is a seasoned biologist and world traveler with a master’s degree in botany, specializing in medicinal and edible plants. He has been cooking for 20 years and founded “Food for Adventures,” which focuses on feeding, educating, and providing outdoor communities with the resources and knowledge about eating well while exploring. They do so by offering services such as private cheffing, outdoor catering, expedition cooking, and outdoor education. Natty will be joining us at Overland Expo Mountain West to lead a clinic on backcountry foraging, cooking, and medicinal plants, and he’ll also teach a cooking demo based on backcountry-appropriate recipes.
Amanda Zito
Amanda is an adventure rider, artist, and full-time content creator (you can find her videos on YouTube Channel “As the Magpie Flies.”) Amanda has visited every U.S. state in the lower 48 on a motorcycle and her goal is to encourage more people to get outside and enjoy the world on two wheels. She has taught (and will continue to teach) Motorcycle Camping Basics 101 and 102 and Motorcycle Camp Cooking in our ADV Skills Area, but having just released her first cookbook, Amanda will be leading cooking demos at Overland Expo Mountain West 2024. Join her on Friday afternoon for her class: “One Skillet, One Burner: Tasty Tomato Orzo.”
Connie Rodman
Connie is a familiar face at Overland Expo, having attended every single Overland Expo EVER. Little known fact: until two years ago, Connie was responsible for feeding the entire Overland Expo staff three meals per day. We’ve been waiting to tap into Connie’s wealth of culinary experience, which includes cooking for multiple overland expeditions, and are thrilled to have her join us to teach “Making Your Own Dehydrated Meals” on Friday and “Food Storage, Preparation, and Provisioning” on Saturday.
Chef Chad White of Trail Feast
While Chef Chad White is somewhat new to the overland community, he has been renowned in the culinary community for years. White is a two-times James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in the Northwest and Pacific Northwest region in 2020 and 2022. He is also an alum of BRAVO TV’s Top Chef from Season 13. When Chef Chad White isn’t delighting and amazing guests at his Zona Blanca restaurant in Spokane, WA, he offers custom-curated Trail Feast culinary experiences in the backcountry. Chef Chad White will be joining us in the Creator Area and teaching a cooking demo on Saturday afternoon in the Tacoma Lifestyle Backcountry & Culinary Pavilion.
In addition to all of these new teaching areas and instructors, storied overland travelers, and accomplished chefs, you can count on Overland Expo’s programming to provide the quality, core, essential education that we know is necessary for every traveler, such as:
- Water Logistics for Overlanding
- Break Up with Duct Tape: Better Ways to Fix Holes, Tears, and Burns in Your Gear
- Top Tips for Overlanding as a Family
- 82 Days in Baja
- Campsite Safety & Security
- Traveling to Alaska
- In addition to some advanced and niche subject matters, like:
- How to 3D Print Your Own Customized Overland Gear
- Aerial Cinematography While Overlanding
- So You Want to be a YouTuber with Matt McClellan
Check out the full schedule to see all of the other dynamic offerings our educational programming has to offer at Overland Expo Mountain West 2024. And if you haven’t secured your tickets for Overland Expo Mountain West, now is the time!
