Michael Ladden’s Instructor Schedule For Overland Expo East 2026
SESS-147 – Q&A: The Art of Traveling Solo
Fri, Oct 23, 10:00am - 10:50am EDT | Roundtable Pavilion
Description:
Join this Q&A discussion to hear overlanders with experience traveling solo (and with others) discuss the highs and lows of going it alone and how to best navigate a solitary adventure.
SESS-145 – Regional Q&A: Baja
Fri, Oct 23, 11:00am - 11:50am EDT | Roundtable Pavilion
Description:
Baja's 1,000-mile peninsula is a playground for overlanders and adventure travelers, alike. This roundtable discussion features seasoned Baja explorers sharing its history, travel tips, and charms.
SESS-299 – Experts Panel: Top Chefs Tell All
Fri, Oct 23, 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT | Roundtable Pavilion
Description:
Hear the top tips and tricks of the trade from our favorite overland community chefs.
SESS-246 – The Truth About Baja: Beyond the Myths
Fri, Oct 23, 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT | Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires
Description:
Thinking about traveling to Baja California but not sure what’s real and what’s just noise? This class cuts through the myths and gives you a clear, experience-based roadmap to planning an unforgettable trip. Drawing from years of full-time life in Baja—plus crossing the peninsula by motorcycle, bicycle, and expedition truck, and competing in the Baja 1000—I’ll share trusted resources for trip planning, realistic travel times, and what to actually expect on the ground.
We’ll break down common fears around safety, food, and police encounters, separating fact from exaggeration, and walk through the practical essentials like tourist visas, vehicle insurance, and recent changes that travelers should know. Most importantly, I’ll highlight my top five must-see destinations across the peninsula—places that truly define the Baja experience.
Whether you're heading down for the first time or looking to go deeper, this class will give you the confidence and clarity to do Baja right.
SESS-249 – Creator or Consumer? The Real Road to Becoming a Full-Time Content Creator
Sat, Oct 24, 10:00am - 10:50am EDT | Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires
Description:
Thinking about becoming a content creator but not sure if it’s really for you? This class is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to build a sustainable content business — from someone who does it full time while living and traveling on the road. We’ll cover whether this path fits your personality and lifestyle, what you need to do before you ever hit “publish,” and whether you can realistically make money (yes — but not the way most people think). You’ll learn how to create compelling long-form YouTube videos and high-impact short clips, why building a loyal core audience on Patreon is the key to long-term sustainability, and how to decide between quantity and quality. We will break down the top five actions that actually move the needle so you can stop guessing and start building with clarity and purpose.
SESS-301 – Experts Panel: How to Prepare for Life on the Road
Sat, Oct 24, 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT | Roundtable Pavilion
SESS-247 – So, You Want to Be a Full-Time Nomad?
Sat, Oct 24, 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT | Bivvy @ Showcase & DIY
Description:
What does life on the road actually look like beyond the Instagram highlights? In this candid and experience-driven session, we’ll explore the realities of full-time nomadic living. Drawing from six years of continuous travel across America, Canada, and Mexico — along with extended adventures on five continents — this class dives into practical budgeting, managing expectations, navigating the toughest challenges, and embracing the most rewarding aspects of mobile life. We’ll discuss how to build community on the road, identify valuable resources, and break down the top five factors that determine whether your nomad journey thrives or fizzles out. Whether you're dreaming, planning, or already underway, this session offers grounded insight into creating a sustainable and fulfilling life on the move.
SESS-248 – Powering Your Adventure: Overland Electrical Systems, Made Simple
Sun, Oct 25, 10:00am - 10:50am EDT | Bivvy @ Showcase & DIY
Description:
Confused by solar, lithium batteries, inverter/chargers, and breaker panels? You’re not alone — and you don’t need an engineering degree to build a reliable power system for your overland rig. In this class, we will break down 12-volt and 120-volt AC systems in plain English, explaining what you actually need (and what you don’t), how to calculate your real-world power demands, and where to save money without cutting corners. From solar panels and charge controllers to lithium batteries, Bluetooth monitoring, WiFi connectivity, and system meters, you’ll gain the confidence to understand your setup, ask the right questions, and avoid costly mistakes — even if you’re starting from zero.
Instructor Bio
Growing up in rural New England, surrounded by Jeeps, trucks, and tractors, Michael Ladden developed an early fascination with vehicles and exploration. Watching his father work on Jeeps and Land Cruisers, it was only fitting that Michael’s first word was “Jeep,” marking the beginning of a lifelong passion for adventure and all things that “go.”
Throughout high school and college, Michael spent his free time camping, cycling, hiking, and exploring the United States. In the early 1990s, he made a decision that would shape his future: quitting a comfortable office job to spend a year traveling across North, East, and Central Africa. Journeying by train, bus, camel, and hitchhiking, he discovered both a love for remote travel and his first Land Rover.
Returning to the U.S., Michael found a 1965 Series IIA Land Rover, launching decades of building, restoring, and maintaining overland vehicles. In 1996, he co-founded Drive the Globe Overland Adventures with longtime friend Paul Shumway, organizing self-driven journeys and consulting on larger expeditions. Together, they explored every Canadian province, completed multiple Northern Canada expeditions, and traveled to the Arctic Circle.
In 2000, Michael helped lead the “Vintage Rovers Across Africa” Expedition, where four vintage Land Rovers crossed more than 8,000 miles through West Africa, visiting ten countries from Morocco to the Ivory Coast.
Balancing adventure with business, Michael later co-founded and became CEO of a Keller Williams franchise in Connecticut, helping grow it into one of New England’s largest real estate firms. During this time, he also founded McLadden Restaurant Group, opening four Irish pubs before selling the company in 2019.
Adventure eventually called again. After more than a decade in corporate life, Michael sold his home, moved into a 1979 Mercedes Unimog, and set out on a global expedition. Though the pandemic reshaped those plans, his journey continued. He transitioned through multiple expedition truck builds, including Stewart & Stevenson platforms, and now explores North and Central America by both truck and KTM adventure motorcycle.
Beyond overlanding, Michael is a private pilot, avid cyclist, and author currently writing about his African adventures.
Training At Expo East
Since its inception, the robust education and training available to attendees at Overland Expo has been at the heart of the event. That tradition continues at Overland Expo East this year, which is just a few short weeks away. Join us in Arrington, Virginia, from October 23 – 25, where you can learn from a vast group of industry experts and community members on just about every overlanding subject under the sun. We have nine different areas set up for overlanding education, and each will have classes going all weekend long. Here’s what we have planned and where to find it, along with a preview of some of the classes being offered:
Overland Essentials Area
Whether you are new to overlanding or need to brush up or expand on your knowledge of the fundamentals, the Overland Essentials Area is the place to be. All weekend long, we’ll have classes like Mindie Kniss’ Business from Anywhere: What it Actually Takes, Bill Elwell and Pam Standley teaching Overlanding for Couples – Traveling as a Team, and Walt Middleton’s Winch Rigging and Demonstration, as well as Winch Line Splicing and Care.
Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion Sponsored by Storyteller Overland
As the name implies, the Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion sponsored by Storyteller Overland is the hub of all education related to skills in the backcountry and leveling up your cooking skills while out there. We are excited to share that Lee “Natty” Trebotich teaching Medicinal and Edible Plants of the Smoky Mountains, Mindie Kniss will present Clean Living, Dirty Roads, Simple Swaps for You and the Planet, and Trail to Recovery will be on hand with Rally Point: Mud, Campfires, Veterans and Functional Human Connection.
Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires
The Storytelling Pavilion, sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires, is the place to hear firsthand about some epic overland adventures and to hear how many overlanders went about exploring their passions through the medium of travel. There you’ll be able to attend sessions such as 50 Years (and Counting) On and Off the Road and Prepping a US Overland Camper for Travel in Europe by Fred and Denise Cook, Michael Ladden’s Creator or Consumer? The Real Road to Becoming a Full-Time Content Creator and the immensely popular (and moving) The Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery with Guinness World Record holder Patty Upton. In addition, Patty will be selling signed copies of her new travel memoir Road’s End to Road’s End: The Epic Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery.
Roundtable Pavilion
The Roundtable Pavilion offers a place where we’ll have a group of experts on a wide variety of topics sharing their experiences overlanding and taking questions from the audience. We’ll cover a very broad range of topics over the course of the weekend, along with a couple fun new topics – Top Chefs Tell All and Experts Q&A: Top Gear.
Women Who Wander Pavilion
The fastest-growing demographic in the overland community is female. The Women Who Wander Pavilion is the place to find women-oriented programming all weekend long. Open to all, you can attend classes such as Clear Head, Calm Heart: Why Intuition is Your Best Survival Tool with Mindie Kniss, Directing a Driver: Marshaling and Spotting by Connie Rodman, and No Sink. No Problem. How to Maintain Your Self-Care with Little Water – A Self-Care Junkie Shares Her Secrets with Cyndee Schneidau. Additionally, join us for the Women Who Wander Community Conversations and Networking Event at the Oasis Bar and Food Court sponsored by Nexen Tire America on Saturday from 10:00 am to noon.
Showcase & DIY Vehicle Area
This area showcases a diverse set of overlanding vehicles that span several generations of vehicles and reflect builds from mild to outrageous. Their owners will be hosting vehicle tours for those who want a deeper dive and would like to talk to their owner/builders. Check the schedule for these unique vehicle tours.
Bivvy in Showcase & DIY Vehicle Area
The Bivvy in the Showcase & DIY Area offers a comfortable place to get out of the sun, recharge your electronics, and attend some great, more informal class sessions. Start your morning right with Restore and Recover Yoga, attend a session on bridge building, and up your sleep score with How to Sleep Warm, among a variety of other classes offered all weekend long.
ADV Skills Area
For all things moto, come to the ADV Skills Area, where there will be moto-oriented education all weekend long. Come see instructors like JP Prins, Michael Leyden, and Patty Upton cover classes such as Sit When You Can Stand When You Have To, BDR-Proof Your Motorcycle, Motorcycle First Aid, and Through the Darien Gap on Two Wheels.
Kids Adventure Area
The Overland Expo Foundation will be a Kids Adventure Area all weekend long, where kids and their parents can attend classes and activities aimed at the young and the young at heart. Please note that you need to attend the Kids Adventure Area with your children, so please plan accordingly. The Kids Adventure Area will host the enormously popular Kids’ RC Driving Course, which has been redesigned with new obstacles that will make it more challenging than ever. Sunday afternoon will see the return of Leave it Better Than You Found It: A Clean-Up Scavenger Hunt that teaches Tread Lightly! principles through a fun scavenger hunt.
Exhibitor Area Demos
In addition to all the classes programmed across our twelve educational areas, there will also be in-booth vendor demonstrations going on throughout the weekend. With far too many exhibitor demos to list here (there were more than forty two by last count), be sure to check out the event schedule for a full list of the many offerings throughout the vendor area.
With so many educational options, you are sure to find a long list of classes to keep you occupied all weekend long. Check out the full schedule at the link below.
Join us in Arrington, Virginia at the Oak Ridge Estate, October 23 – 25.
