On the eve of May’s new moon, I turn my Tacoma down the roughly paved road that leads into Fort Tuthill County Park, a 600-acre fairground south of Flagstaff, and find myself in a Mad Max-like convoy of drivers who all seem to be rocking Marmot or Patagonia. There are Jeep Wranglers and Rubicons, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, Mercedes Sprinters and G Wagons, a good number of which are towing trailers, some towing trailers towing bikes. There are sleep shelters—canopied and hard-shelled and freestanding. An astounding number of rooftop tents, some approached by little ladders. Standing mesh tents—four-doors flanked by ground tents and freestanding awnings. There are side pull-out awnings, those double-sided wraparound awnings mounted directly onto rigs. I see hammocks. Folks in safari hats and cutting-edge outerwear sitting on fold-out seats sipping from eco-friendly vessels. A smattering of propane campfires—no real fires allowed. It’s check-in day at the 2023 Overland Expo West—Burning Man for dudes with trucks—and, after a week-long cross-country trek, I’ve arrived.
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