By Corrie #0000
Mud.
Lots of mud.
A TON of mud.
And it’s kinda epic.
The first half of the Overland Expo brought on some amazing classes, incredible vehicles and gnarly weather. You name it, we’ve experienced it in the last 48 hours.
Overland Expo Classes
Build Your Own Bridge
Michael took a class on how to build a manmade bridge with the Camel Trophy racing crew. He braved the snow/rain/sleet/wind and walked away from the class with a solid understanding of the basics; the knots, the tools, the techniques and more.
A highlight of the class was learning how to cut rope in the field. The short version is to take your rope and wrap it in tape (to prevent fraying). Take your knife and a mallet, and whack until you’ve cut it in half. Boom!
Michael was drenched and shivering afterwards, but he was smiling ear to ear over the experience.
Border Crossings
(This panel was full of people with WAY cooler accents than ours.)
We both attended a class on crossing borders, navigating the ins and outs of different cultures, and how to handle/avoid bribes. South America, Africa, Asia… We got a crash course in border crossing prep!
Key take aways for border crossing: Arrive in the morning. Dress nice. Shave. Clean up. Take off your hat/sunglasses/gloves. Make eye contact. Be polite. Be patient. Only answer the questions you are asked. Have hard candy and bottled water ready to share. Have your paper work ready. Don’t cut into your chassis to hide valuables, you’ll look like a drug smuggler and life will be painful. Don’t be in a rush. And most importantly… The border guard is the most important and most powerful person there. Do not forget that.
Native Fire: Starting a Fire the Old Fashioned Way
Michael will be doing a write up on this class when we’re back! A great reminder of the most basic of basic outdoor skills!
Welding in the Field & Wenchless Recovery
Michael is taking these classes today, and we’ll write up on them tomorrow!
Rigs, Rigs, Rigs
So many amazing vehicles. I’ll let the images do the talking!
Mormon Lake is insanely gorgeous, and it’s the perfect setting for the Expo; however, Mother Nature in all her glory is putting on a SHOW. Everything from hail, to rain, to snow, to sleet… And the mud pit of doom.
As the Expo staff said to me yesterday while I was driving around, “You might want to find another place to camp. It’s a sh*t show out there, and it’s only going to get worse.”
Alrighty then… We needed a Plan B. The RV spots were covered in gravel, and water seemed to drain out of the spaces. We decided to try and grab a 2 night spot there.
Our friend Jorge from Live.Work.Wander warned us that the spots were completely sold out, and nothing was available as of that morning.
Now, the thing about me is that I LOVE hearing information like that. Operation: Get the Rig Into an RV Camping Space was ON.
I walked into the RV camping spot office and treated the staff like I was approaching the border crossing into Ecuador. Hat off, gloves off, sunglasses off, lots of eye contact and a good attitude.
“I know you guys must be slammed, and I’m so sorry to be another person asking, but is it possible that anyone has canceled their reservation for an RV space in the last hour or so?”
It took about 5 minutes of humble banter and lots of flattery, and slowly I pried a few vague references to something possibly opening up from Mike and Judy, the clerks behind the desk.
Now, I’m a patient person. I politely waited about 30 minutes, and wouldn’t you know it… Judy and Mike came through. We locked in a 2 night spot on dry-ish ground with electricity. High five to the people who bailed on the Expo, and high five and hugs to Mike and Judy! Boom!
The guys at Rigid Industries LED Lighting putting on a show at night!
Hanging out in the Lodge helped fight off the cold! And we got to spend time with Overland Bound Founding Members Dom #0158 and Kevin #0103! Great meeting you guys in person!
We made it out of the mud field, and we’re launching into Day 2 with excitement!
Big Learning/Take Aways for the First Half of the Journey
DATA – POWER – FLEXIBILITY
1. We did NOT do a thorough check on internet/cell availability in AZ with AT&T. Our first night at the Lodge we realized that everyone who was on their phone was a Verizon user. Our CA AT&T phones were jank and useless.
We are social people and we love sharing our adventures (be sure to follow @overlandbound on Instagram!), and having access to Internet/Cellular Data is mission critical. I ended up driving back into Flagstaff yesterday and hunting down a Verizon pay-as-you-go Hotspot. We’ll be using this from here on out on our extended trips as backup to our AT&T phones, and we’re going to look into switching providers in the future.
2. For all of our lists and planning… We did not have an extension cord in our gear. I have no idea how we missed this piece of equipment. We now have a 10′ cord with 3 outlets, and we’re adding this to the permanent kit.
And again, because we are social and we like to share our journey, access to power outlets became a logistical concern out here. I am currently huddled in the corner of the Mormon Lake Saloon by the popcorn machine using one of the only outlets accessible in the joint. (And I had to unplug the Bud Light neon sign to get it.) We’re going to review our ability to charge our gear when we’re NOT near civilization, and do it without using Rig battery. (Note: We have the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Solar pack, but this weather hasn’t been conducive to charging up much with the sun.)
3. FLEXIBILITY
This is a little bit more in my wheel house than Michael’s. Michael is amazing at getting from point A to point B, and executing on the prime directive. I’m a little more flexy-bendy about how we get between the two points, and that’s why we make a great team. Michael did not want to move into the RV spaces at first, but by Friday morning, we were in agreement that staying some place dryer with power was the best solution for us.
And if this weather in AZ has taught us anything.. It’s be flexible and work together as a team!!
More about the Expo tomorrow. We’re off to take some classes and see more amazing rigs!
Cheers!
-Corrie @msoverlanbound
An anti gravity battery would be helpful to keep in your rig. Not only will it charge your electronics but will also jump start your rig, all this and it fits easily in the glove box and for some even your pocket (sorry, no skinny jeans).
Well, nice story. I love it. Good team work as well.
And Iam very jealous about your adventures.
Get yourself a second big semi traction battery. Which is great for using it for household stuff. And a solar panel that can charge it.
When you use it right, it will last for “ever”.
Greetings from Robert
The mud was overwhelming! The further you were out into the lake bed the worse it was; and I was way out. You couldn’t walk anywhere without five pounds of the stickiest, gooiest mud I’ve ever experienced stuck to both boots. I took one look at the weather report for the rest of the weekend and bailed Friday night. Folks were clearing out all around me. I had mixed emotions about leaving but I just wasn’t prepared to remain somewhat clean and comfortable in that environment. I’ll try again next year and try and stay off of the lake bed…..
Thanks for the update guys!!! Can’t wait to see more of the adventure!
You turned off the Bud Light sign?!!
Hahahaha! I know, I know. But trust me… The good folks at the Expo didn’t need a neon sign to remind them to drink their Bud Light. 😀
Thanks for sharing the pictures and the stories. You guys did a great job under the circumstances and congratulations on the lesson learned for future events. At the same time I was safely “camped” at a fancy hotel in San Antonio Tx attending a cool speakers Conference – No mud, here but lots of rain!
It was awesome meeting both Michael and Corrie! I’m stoked about the new emblem! Thanks!
I was right next to them when they were out on the lakebed, and they nor Richard weren’t kidding about the total mudfest… it was insane Saturday morning; We watched as half the people leaving were getting stuck!
@freerifleman It was really great to meet you and love what you are doing with your custom adventure-trailer build. You have built that thing to be bulletproof! Look us up any time. Look forward to hearing more about your build and adventures!
Likewise, Michael. So far the trailer has been great… I have lots more I want to do with it… I’m already sketching plans for a safari rack for both the landcruiser and the trailer… must. get. a tubing bender…
Adventure travel at its best. Leaving southern California in the rain and driving for 7.5 hours through it was experience all in itself. Driving for me has always been a great way to decompress from my business and the day to day routine. It’s always great to see other overlanders traveling in the same direction for the same mission. There nothing like feeling your apart of something unique and different, where few people dare to explore. I enjoyed every moment being at the Overland Expo…the snow, rain, sleet, sunshine and lots of mud and mean a lots of mud just added to the experience. Overland Expo was great…yet being on the road and meeting new friends even better. Michael, Corrie and Steve it was cool meeting you all.
@19854runner It was really great to meet you! One of our favorite parts was meeting you, and other fellow overlanders, and the journey back was AWESOME! Looking forward to more adventures!