For the last three days, several thousand kindred spirits have shared their love of exploration, wandering, camping outdoors – – and all the lovely paraphernalia that goes along with trying to be safe and (semi-) comfortable when far from home.

I have a difficult time putting into words the feeling of being surrounded by all this gear and camaraderie. For me, the nomadic life has always held a deep allure and fascination. Being immersed in not only the gadgetry, but the philosophies of these folks, has been a wonderful, pleasant time, even more than I anticipated.

Attendees ranged from nearly newborn to ancient. Here’s a younger one learning about leashes and (strong) dogs.

Vehicles went from this 1945 CJ2 Jeep….

….to this new half-million-dollar Unimog with 44-inch tires, ready for world-wandering.

Some things don’t photograph well or at all. We watched an absorbing film about a guy who rode a motorcycle around the world, literally working his way as he went. He was not funded by anything more than his own hands and brain. After two years and four continents, he “paused” for a while to work on his new relationship with a lovely gal he met while traveling. When we spoke with him (after the film), he told us that he and she were getting together in Ohio next week, and would go from there to Alaska to begin the final segment of his trip (to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America). This time, there will be two of them and two motorcycles.

We watched a seminar given by an expert on water treatment, with an emphasis on how to get safe water while traveling anywhere in the world. That one will influence a future change in Howie’s water systems.

We found and bought some absolutely fabulous camp chairs with superb lumbar support. Here’s another potential customer (and two close friends) trying them out.

There was other stuff too, but you get the idea. We had a fantastic time, and we’ll come back again.

As we rolled off down the highway to our next port of call, a lot of other trekkers were on the road as well. It’s not often you get to see a string of cross-continental vehicles humming down the highway. It’s a pretty image.