The Overland Expo is returning to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds this weekend, with 400 unique exhibitors for adventure travel enthusiasts.
For the first time, the Expedition Skills Driving Course experience is available as an add-on to the weekend pass. $75 provides overlanders two hours on the course.
Training Instructors Sarah Batten and Jim West take drivers through the course, which prepares overlanders for obstacles they could encounter on their own explorations.
“We’ve created a lot of elements that the average folk might come into when they’re out actually doing an adventure,” West said. “It gives us those training opportunities to essentially show them how to react in and the skills to get over those obstacles in their particular car.”
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Participants even get to take their vehicle through the terrain.
“The instructor can talk to you about the features that’s on your vehicle and look at real specific drill down into what they have,” Batten said.
All types of overland vehicles can run through the course, testing the limits of pitch and roll on the unique features.
“We can tailor the instruction specifically to your needs and what the car will do and show you the pluses and the minuses and the goods in the bad,” West said.
Attendees also learn critical safety skills, to stay on the road and make the most of their future overlanding adventures.
“I really love offroading and coming here to work with this group of people that’s so fun to learn,” Batten said. “The environment here is great. The atmosphere is great.”
The expo runs tomorrow through Sunday, you can sign up for the course through the Overland Expo App.
