We are parked in an amazing “camp site”. It’s a cow pasture, next to a dried-up lake. The ground is uneven, lumpy, difficult to roll across. There are no directors or guides, so the hundreds of campers are chaotically roaming about looking for the right place to roost.

All of us are different, ages from 20 to 80. We camp in everything from self-contained motorhomes to bare tents. And all of us are the same; we come here to explore the universe of expedition travel. Off-roading, trekking, or whatever you care to term it, the call of the unknown and unexplored is what draws us all to this place.

The rigs here range from fire-breathing 4X4 expedition rigs suitable for trekking across Mongolia, to our sedate Howie, to stock Jeeps and Toyotas, massively modified Rubicon predators, even expedition motorcycles – – – and all in-between.

Tomorrow, we’ll roam the stalls of the vendors and exhibitors, and see what new ideas and products are available.