This year at the PA Jeeps All Breeds Jeep Show in Carlisle, PA we took the Overland Demo area to a whole new level. In years prior I was only ever responsible for my own booth space. Some years were more humble (like in 2016) than others, but over the years I’ve slowly grown my influence and impact at the show. Last year I split a booth with Pine Grove Premium Outfitters. This way we could share a much larger booth for the same money than if we had gotten individual booths. This year however it was a whole new ballgame.
Located in Carlisle they are one of the not only Made in the US companies I like but one of the few Made in PA!
Check out this article for the skid-plates from them that I run
For the 2022 show the organizers of the show agreed with me that a much larger presence for the overland lifestyle was needed. Since the PA Jeep Show is now in Carlisle at a much larger venue than in years prior when it was in York this means the show can spread out more. It also means more room for new things like the Overland Demo Area.
My goal for the area was to have classes, overland specific vendors, as well as show vehicles all collected in one area. I’d say it was a rousing success with over a half dozen overland-specific vendors as well as representatives from PA DNCR joining us for the weekend.
They provided information about responsible recreation on public lands here in Pennsylvania
Looking forward to working more closely with them in the future!
Classes offered by ECOA in conjunction with some of the vendors were Radio Communications with Midland Radios, Tire Pressure Management with Powertank, and Navigation Resources. There were also countless one-on-one conversations throughout the weekend ranging from “what is overlanding?” to “how do I outfit my Jeep for overland travel.”
Checkout the “Communications” topic for more Information on radio usage and radio installation
It’s been fun watching interest in the overland lifestyle grow at Jeep shows over the last few years. While I have bene attending the PA Jeep Show for decades in one capacity or another, it’s been interesting how things have shifted from 2015 when I did my first No Highways Tour to now. Each year more and more overland equipped Jeeps and overland themed vendors have shown up at the Jeep shows. I hope to continue my part in helping bring attention to the overland lifestyle at Jeep shows like this one, Toledo, Smokey Mountain, and more in the future. This has been a great opportunity for ECOA to fulfill its mission to Educate, Encourage, and Inspire in an atmosphere outside the usual overland themed events.
I would like to thank Pine Grove Premium Outfitters, Midland USA, PowerTank, Tentrax, and the PA DCNR for all coming to be a part of the Overland Demo Area. I would also like to think Walt and Scott for assisting with teaching duties and for showing off their rigs as part of the programming.
Hopefully the next group shot will be out on the trail!
Check us out at the following shows coming up this fall:
- Toledo Jeep Festival in Ohio
- Adventure X-Fest in Covington, Virginia
- Overland Expo East in Arrington, Virginia (tentative)
- Rooftop Tent Rally at James River State Part in Virginia
