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4 August 2019: #LONCON2019 wrapped up today with some closing ceremonies and plans for next year, and a group of participants stayed behind to help out in a “giveback” during the afternoon, lingering on into the early evening. Good-byes were mixed new initiatives and lots of renewed energy as participants split up and headed back home already talking about #LONCON2020 …
3 August 2019: #LONCON2019 visited the 4-Wheel Parts TruckFest event in the afternoon, for an outing that was part-shopping, part-learning, and part-photo-scavenger-hunt as teams of ladies spread out in search of specific vendors to learn more about their products and generally get a sense of what was on offer. Of course everyone was given some “spending money” in the form of gift cards to make a few purchases too …
3 August 2019: In the morning the entire #LONCON2019 group went off-site to the nearby warehouses of Omix-ADA, home of the Rugged Ridge brand and the world’s largest collection of original Jeeps. The “museum” is housed in the front-end of the actual warehouse complex and was opened specifically for our visit. We were guided through the complex by Dave Logan, the collection’s curator, who shared the history of the brand, as well as the story behind each Jeep — including some fun personal anecdotes about the complexities of moving them between the museum and various exhibitions around the country. This was an amazing opportunity to see Jeeps from the beginning of the brand’s existence with the early military vehicle prototypes to ultra-rare late model examples …
2 August 2019: Today was dedicated to training and in addition to the recovery course, participants were given the opportunity to select workshops covering a variety of subjects related to off-road and overland travel, including welding, trailer-back up, various mechanical skills, vehicle-specific knowledge and best-practices for things like overlanding and RV-life…
2 August 2019: Throughout the day groups of participants reviewed the basics of recovery techniques and equipment with Mike Morrison, of OEX, an I4WDTA-certified trainer who made sure the ladies got hands-on experience. Morrison took the groups through different scenarios and demonstrated the proper use of the most common recovery tools, including the winch and HiLift jack, pointing out some of the dangerous implications of improper usage as well…
1 August 2019: The first day of the 2019 Ladies Offroad Network Convention in Atlanta got underway this afternoon, led by Charlene Bower, with lots of fun and plenty of emotion this afternoon as women from all across the U.S. met up to begin the long weekend of learning and motivation. There were reunions and plenty of new faces as well, and everyone was energized by Barbara Rainey’s inspirational presentation…
THIS MONTH:
Attending the Ladies Offroad Network Convention in Atlanta, GA. The 3rd annual convention will be held August 1-4, 2019, with lots of hands-on opportunities to gain all types of offroading skills, learn and engage with other offroad ladies as they share their stories, and laugh the whole way. The convention is an action-packed, interactive 4-day weekend educating, motivating, and guiding offroad ladies…
Heading to a small village in Serbia to help out with the annual plum harvest and spend some time exploring the countryside with friends …
COMING UP SOON:
Back to Pennsylvania Coal Country to guide for the 2019 Women’s Wheeling Day at Rausch Creek Offroad Park hosted by Jeep Girls Rock. The day focuses on learning, enjoying the trails and meeting new friends, and is for all trail levels, from beginners to advanced. Female Guides will be assigned to each group and will encourage those who have never wheeled before as they build confidence out on the trails and learn what their vehicle is capable of (guys are welcomed to attend and ride along with women drivers at this family event) …
ABOUT THE JEEP COLLECTION
The Jeep Collection at Omix Ada was put together by
Al Azadi, founder and President of Omix-ADA, who wanted to preserve the Jeep heritage and also to have easy access to the many different vehicles for continued product development. The collection began when Azadi obtained a unique selection of historical vehicles — the three early prototypes — from Mark Smith, the founder of Jeep Jamboree USA. From that core, the collection grew with a focus on obtaining specific Jeeps that were significant for either the Jeep brand or the off-road hobby. Having these models onsite helps the company’s design team continue their development of products and replacement parts for the older classic Jeeps. The collection is on display at the company warehouse complex in Suwanee, GA, and visitors are welcome to come by appointment (contact: JeepCollection@Omix-ADA.com or 770-614-6101) during business hours on weekdays.
ABOUT OMIX-ADA
Omix-ADA, home of the Jeep Collection, is the world’s largest independent manufacturer and wholesale-only company with a full line of Jeep parts and accessories, including brands such as Omix, Rugged Ridge, and Alloy USA which are available from distributors like Quadratec, 4WD Hardware, JC Whitney, 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers, Morris 4×4, Keystone Automotive and Meyer Distributing as well as about 500 other Jeep® parts retailers, warehouse distributors, installers, and Internet merchandisers in the USA and around the globe.
ABOUT OVERLAND EXPERTS:
Overland Experts provides comprehensive training for the military, NGOs, aid organizations and industrial clients that need to operate across complex terrain in less than ideal conditions. Currently OEX has locations in Connecticut, Virginia and North Carolina, each with purpose designed courses to train for different scenarios. Training is conducted across a variety of vehicle configurations, so that teams become familiar with a wide range of engine, transmission, and wheelbase combinations typical in different regions of the world.
ABOUT THE NETWORK
The Ladies Offroad Network was created in 2016 by Charlene Bower after the overwhelming response to her initial “Ladies Co-Driver Challenge.” Through the “challenge,” Bower, a BFGoodrich Performance Team Member and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Industry Rising Star, used her industry “insider” status to provide exceptional opportunities to ordinary women. The contest was wildly successful with 91 women from across the country competing to be co-driver of the BFGoodrich Tires Jeep in one of three events. Bower saw the need to expand the opportunities for women wheelers and launched the Network building on the momentum of the Challenge events. The Ladies Offroad Network held its first Convention in 2017 with the idea of creating a space where like-minded women from around the country could learn more about offroad activities and share their experiences. The 2018 event grew to more than double in size and offered an action-packed, interactive 4-day weekend educating, motivating, and guiding for ladies involved in all aspects of the offroad world. Membership in Ladies Offroad Network is open to any woman who is interested in offroading. For more information: ladiesoffroadnetwork.com…
Nesconset | Paris | Belgrade | Atlanta
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
16-31 July – Roadtrip to Atlanta
1-15 July – Cape Cod
15-30 June – Eastern Long Island
1-14 June – Bantam Jeep Festival
May – PA Trail cleanup
22-30 April – Minnesota
16-21 April – PA Trails
1-15 April – New Jeep
15-31 March – Paris
1-14 March – Arizona
15-28 February – San Antonio
1-14 February – Sedona and Glamis
January – Iran
December – Holiday Road Trip
16-30 November – Senegal
1-15 November – Paris
October – New York
September – Southwestern Deserts
22-31 August – New York
8-21 August – Serbia
Archive
REFLECTIONS
A quick overview of impressions from a stop in Cairo during our recent scouting mission in Egypt and Sudan … [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
A look into south-eastern Algeria on the border with Libya and Niger: overlanding with the Tuareg in one of the most remote corners of the Sahara … [read]
