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Adventure overland 2023
- Thread starter GeekOKent
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Nope, TBH I've pretty much given up on AOS as it seems to be getting further and further away from what it was intended to be... be interested to hear what this one's like though
Likewise.
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I've not heard anyone talking about going this year. Hopefully it will be a wakeup call for the organisers and a return to a thriving grassroots 4x4 gathering with open camping fields, sensible admission fees, useful stalls and interesting demos and displays and a range of quality food and drink vendors instead of fairground shysters and monster truck rides. One can but hope.
When it started it seemed to be genuinely aimed at people travelling/overlanding - so many like-minded people with a focus on discussions about vehicles, routes, etc. The show was smaller, once a year, and people that had a genuine interest made an effort to attend. Lots of good memories of chatting to people around the camp fires in the evenings after the day visitors left. Its been heavily diluted by VW camper vans and van lifers, TBH - I have no issue with those guys, but the nature of the show has definitely changed. I also suspect trying to run two a year was a mistake. Just my 2p of course.... 
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Last time we went, apart from meeting up with a very few that went, we went with a shopping list and came back with a washing up bowl.
Says it all really.
Says it all really.
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How many farmers with fields are there that support overlanding & exploration?
Anyone know of any?
Anyone know of any?
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Just got back, it is a very basic setup this year. A few people, mostly groups and clubs, not many vendors and other than a coffee hut I didn't see any food (?/?). Maybe just time of day.
We were in and out in 2hrs. Half of that was handing over kit and collecting a few bits pre ordered from someone.
It really is just what we made it for the Club, a social weekend for ourselves. But I feel better value in doing what @Trevor pull together at his local pub.
We were in and out in 2hrs. Half of that was handing over kit and collecting a few bits pre ordered from someone.
It really is just what we made it for the Club, a social weekend for ourselves. But I feel better value in doing what @Trevor pull together at his local pub.
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Unsure how you mean, the alt.travel industry is massive and growing all around the world. More people Overland more today, than ever before, across the world.
Some places make it harder to get off the road, but wild camping need not be central to travel.
Not hugely surprised by the 2 hour thing GOK - as you say, a big part of the event is camping with your mates - without that element I'm not sure how much "show" there is to see really. What were they charging for day visitors this time BTW?
As Jacob says, hopefully a wake up call for the organisers (or maybe an opportunity for someone to do a more grass roots event).
As Jacob says, hopefully a wake up call for the organisers (or maybe an opportunity for someone to do a more grass roots event).
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@GeekOKent as @Dave_S is saying - from what i can read above, a grassroots event would be better, and all that’s really needed for that is a willing farmer with a field and fondness for overland travel, and a large central tarp/tent for stories/chats. And a place for evening fires of course. That’s grassroots. When you add big venues & costs to run then you need to commercialise more, which does the above.
A simpler event like that is easier to organise and easier to get off the ground - but the table stakes are a farmer with enough ground to let people camp… once you pay for the ground, you have to charge fees/add ‘exhibitors’, which kills the spirit.
It may be possible to do a bulk booking at a campsite, but that’s a lot harder to get off the ground because they will want numbers confirmed to allocate the space.
Just thinking aloud here - i was planning on going this weekend but now I'm glad i didn't, but the hunger for campfires and tales of faraway places is still there.
A simpler event like that is easier to organise and easier to get off the ground - but the table stakes are a farmer with enough ground to let people camp… once you pay for the ground, you have to charge fees/add ‘exhibitors’, which kills the spirit.
It may be possible to do a bulk booking at a campsite, but that’s a lot harder to get off the ground because they will want numbers confirmed to allocate the space.
Just thinking aloud here - i was planning on going this weekend but now I'm glad i didn't, but the hunger for campfires and tales of faraway places is still there.
Come on then - own up - who was in the white 80 series with the roof tent?!
Quote from the AO FB page: "The guy in the white Landcruiser is a classic example. Drive in a straight line parallel to the fence and you build up speed and take a wide sweeping turn to the right. Drive over the white rope like he did, hard lock right and he instantly lost momentum. Result was that he chewed up the already muddy ground even more. Thanks for that, great bit of skillful driving ... NOT!"
Whoops...
Quote from the AO FB page: "The guy in the white Landcruiser is a classic example. Drive in a straight line parallel to the fence and you build up speed and take a wide sweeping turn to the right. Drive over the white rope like he did, hard lock right and he instantly lost momentum. Result was that he chewed up the already muddy ground even more. Thanks for that, great bit of skillful driving ... NOT!"
Whoops...
Howmanygoes
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HMG - true, but in this case it was comment on a video.
Tom getting grumpy that the site was being carved up.
That said, the LC80 wasn't acting badly particularly, TBH, so not sure why he was picked out... looks like lots of people just churning up the mud, especially camper vans and such.
Tom getting grumpy that the site was being carved up.
That said, the LC80 wasn't acting badly particularly, TBH, so not sure why he was picked out... looks like lots of people just churning up the mud, especially camper vans and such.
