Overland East - Mud Mud and More Mud

Bubtoofat

Bubtoofat

Adventurist
Our friends are camping there and said they are turning people away because even the 4X4s are getting stuck. People are getting some of their money back. She is even having difficulty walking with her mud boots. Yikes.

Mike
 
java230 said:
There were some entertaining pics of a stuck Earthroamer on IG last night :D
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I missed those! Proving again that GVW cancels out 4wd traction. Maybe they should make them on an 8x8 chassis? For all none of them that are actually used off paved or gravel roads that a Prius can negotiate. #status-symbol
 
Ahhh...overlanders in their native habit of farm fields and muddy lanes. One would think that after a few of these soggy mudfests the organizers would just settle on a well established county fair ground with their proven surface substrates instead of fields.
 
Haggis said:
Ahhh...overlanders in their native habit of farm fields and muddy lanes. One would think that after a few of these soggy mudfests the organizers would just settle on a well established county fair ground with their proven surface substrates instead of fields.
Click to expand...

Yea... why they don't just do it in Raleigh on the fairgrounds boggles the mind.. the carnies camp there for weeks when they run the state fair. I guess its no where near as pretty or overland hip, but a lot of people attend these things, and regardless of what anyone says, it's a overland trade show, and that's not a bad thing, not sure why the fight?
 
I thought about this in my sleep last night... Fletcher is only about 20 or 30 minutes north of where they are now, it's where the NC mountain state fair is held... that seems like the perfect place.. even if it was only a "plan B".. such as... ok, there's a hurricane, or 2 days of rain.. location will be moved to Fletcher. Of course it's easy for me to second guess sitting here at home, no way in hell would I ever try to pull off an event this large, you'll never make everyone happy.
 
Based on the vendor and participant complaints about recent Overland Expo’s regardless of location (logistics, weather, crowds, and cost), it’s time to recognize that “overlanding” as a thing is now to big to be held in a “Woodstock” like venue. Hold it inside like any other big trade show - the European shows are significantly bigger and held inside and no one seems to mind.
 
(From an admitted perspective of relative ignorance)
I suspect that moving the venues to a fairgrounds ramps up several (perhaps even exponential) levels of logistics and cost.
Frequently that type of venue is a government or quasi-government operation.
 
This video is from OVX West 2015 when the "dry" lake bed was anything but. I remember there was all sorts of criticism of "overlanders" not being able to handle weather. The point I kept trying to make was that many of these people wouldn't have camped/stopped on a silty dry lake bed with rain forecast. However, for the record, I didn't have any problem driving out in my heavy XP Camper. This poor Earth Roamer is on street tires and it took three vehicles from the local 4wd club to get him to dry land.
:rafting :waterski

 
It's not even that imo.. in that 1st video that guy could have hammered down, kept his treads cleaned out and went where he pleased... but he would have also covered everyone within 100 yards with mud and if 1000 more people came thru there right after him, it would be totally destroyed.. at least they're not trying to make it worse. That many people in one place causes trouble even if it was only slightly wet. Put it in a parking lot and be done with it.. or if they wish to retain the "feel".. make the event smaller.. their call really.. but it would seem things need to change.
 
Weather has sure wreaked havoc on the Expo events the last few years. No idea what the answer is but what they are doing sure doesn't seem to be working.
 
Rumor mill was Charlotte Motor Speedway was on the list. Would be a great spot for inclement weather. However, observations of muddy fields are not the same thing as a problem with it. I haven't seen anyone actually at the site complain.

I have no sympathy for the visitors, and don't think will be wanting it anyway, but I hope the landowner was preparred. This was predominantly bicycle oriented venue.
 
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