Overland NTH The Gathering – Albion Hills 2022
If you like camping, overland rigs, and meeting other overlanders, you need to attend The Gathering put on by Overland NTH.
A couple weeks ago we attended The Gathering at Albion Hills Conservation Park in Caledon. The event was held from June 3rd to June 5th and if you had a Weekend Pass, like we did, it meant two nights of camping, a delicious dinner on the Saturday, and the chance to participate in the guided drive. Daily passes were also available and everyone had the chance to attend clinics and check out the exhibitors.
We arrived Friday afternoon under overcast skies. The forecast wasn’t calling for rain but a bit of drizzle hinted otherwise. Not that the weather could dampen our excitement. Since getting into overlanding Darrell and I had yet to meet other overlanders and we were looking forward to an event that would host hundreds of them!
Registration was a breeze and we headed for the Field camping area to pick out a spot. There were three camping areas arranged by Overland NTH and after walking around all three of them later on, the field had definitely been the right choice of us. Tucked away from the main area of event, the field was a grassy hill bordered by trees, and proved to be a quiet spot to spend the weekend.
Albion Hills is a gem of a park. After setting up camp we walked from the Field, down past the music stage, through the exhibitor area, and then through the other two camping areas. It was impressive to see just how much area the event took up, but it didn’t feel crowded at all.
As any good angler does, we followed along the creek as much as possible and stopped at the creek crossings to watch the water and look for fish. There is an extensive trail network at the park and although it seemed like we walked along a lot of it, we barely made it through the many kilometers of trails. It’s definitely a good place to spot wildlife such as deer and skunks.
That evening we met up with some of our fellow campers and they absolutely made the weekend for me. These three people were some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet and spend time with. I so look forward to seeing them again.
The weekend was very much about camaraderie. Everywhere you went there was some awesome overland rig to check out and everyone was eager to share about their build. Striking up conversations was easy and although it felt weird, you could walk right up to someone’s campsite to ask a question about their setup. Overlanders are awesome.
As expected, we had a little too much fun checking out the exhibitors and walked away spending more money than we had budgeted. Meh, you only live once! We love our new Flatpack Firepit from Overland Racks Ontario and will post a review later this summer when we’ve used it a few more times. Judging by the number of boxes I saw others walking around with, we weren’t the only ones picking up a firepit.
Whether you wanted to check out the latest rooftop tents, some camper options, camping gear, recovery gear, or lighting solutions, it was there. I loved seeing Overland Ontario’s booth and the rigs you can rent from them to go on your own overlanding adventure. If you’re wanting to try overlanding without using your daily driver or building a rig of your own, this is an awesome option.
If you enjoy learning from others by attending clinics, Overland NTH had this covered. From vehicle recovery to wilderness first aid and more, there were lots of great options. Some even made it onto YouTube. If you want to learn about Crown Land Camping check out this presentation from Ontario Overland. OVERLNDHER also put out a great video showing Joel Trembley’s The Chuck Box.
My favourite part of the weekend, and the thing I had been looking forward to the most, was the Guided Trail Run. Being solo overlanders (yes, everyone says you shouldn’t travel alone but it defeats the purpose for us otherwise), we hadn’t had the opportunity yet to join a group trail ride. Heading out with a convoy and seeing all those overland rigs lined up down the road was pretty awesome. There were the expected struggles with organizing several groups of vehicles and although departure times were staggered we all ended up crossing paths. It was great!
There’s not much better than an afternoon on the trails. We captured much of the drive our new dashcam that freed up the GoPro for other viewpoints, though I admit that I was having too much fun to think about filming at times. You can watch our video from the event at the bottom of this post.
Live music, a whole pile of giveaways, and a delicious pig roast rounded out the experience.
Thank you so much to the volunteers at Overland NTH for putting on such an incredible event! They did an amazing job and I can only imagine how much time it takes to put together an event like this.
The next Overland NTH The Gathering will be held in September and tickets go on sale July 1st. Join the Facebook group or follow them on Instagram for all the latest information.
argosgirl
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