ATV Adventures: Annual Salt Lake Off-Road Expo – a partial cure for cabin fever
-
- I can usually find some pretty unusual machines at the Salt Lake Off-Road Expo.
-
- Somebody went to a lot of trouble to show what a modified RZR can do.
-
- Tracks on an ATV isn’t anything new, but it is always a head turner.
-
- The Salt Lake Off-Road Expo is a great place to find ideas to enhance your off-road experience.
-
- Lynn Blamires
The Eighth Annual Salt Lake Off-Road Expo is back and it is bigger and better than ever. It comes at a time when cabin fever is at its peak and while this event will not cure it, it will at least lower it to a manageable level, sort of.
I said bigger and better because it is 50,000 square feet bigger than last year, which makes it possible to squeeze that many more reasons for you to attend into this year’s expo. Scheduled for Feb. 24-25 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, this show is packed into 200,000 square feet of floor space, and vendor space is sold out.
The show saw over 26,000 visitors last year and more are expected to attend this year’s event. Entry fees are $12 for one day and $18 for both. Entries will include one ticket for prize drawings per day on over $40,000 in off-road-related products. You must be present to win.
Here is where to go to see the latest in off-road accessories. The number of vendors and the variety of their products is remarkable. I went to the webpage https://slorex.com and clicked on 2023 vendors. I thought I would open up each vendor logo to get an idea of the types of products that will be offered at the expo. I didn’t make it halfway through before I had to decide whether I was going to keeping clicking vendors or write this article. Time restraints pushed me back to writing.
This is the place to go to learn about all things off-roading in the backcountry. Dealers will be there with machines and accessories to answer all your questions about their products. There will be booths on outdoor wear, recovery products to get you out of tough spots, tents that mount on your vehicles, and trailers that are fully equipped for the trail. You will find booths representing ATV/UTV clubs, off-road advocates like the Blue Ribbon Coalition, Tread Lightly and the Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA). Government resource managers like the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) will be available to answer questions. Booths with information on places to ride like the San Rafael Swell, the Paiute ATV/UTV Trail System and San Juan County will be there. I counted 205 vendor booths at this year’s show, but that is just me; I love to count things.
Tracy Archuleta and her Screw-A-Flat-Easy (S.A.F.E.) people will be there to demonstrate their tire repair kit. I have written articles about this product before and I think it is a great one. You will see that by inserting a screw made of a composite material coated with an adhesive into a puncture in the tread of a tire that it will meld with the tire, forming a permanent seal that will last the life of the tread. If you have had a chance to look at this product online, this is an opportunity to ask them any questions about trail repairs on tires and to get a 20% discount.
Jim Jackson will have a booth for MotoRoof. They make custom side-by-side roofs that are strong, durable and offer needed shade, but due to their construction, they also allow for air circulation. I have a MotoRoof on my RZR and a rear window as well. The mesh construction is a bonus for the UTV rear windows because they keep out dust, but let in fresh air and they’re easy to see through. I like this alternative to hard-style roofs and the pricing is reasonable. Look for Jim at the MotoRoof booth — you will be able to see firsthand the value of this mesh design. You will also be able to take advantage of some deep show discounts he is offering.
I haven’t said anything about the stage shows that will be running throughout this event. Rory Irish and Casey Lofthouse will be talking about extreme recoveries they have done in Moab and Sand Hollow, and Wheelz will be demonstrating the amazing stunts that can be done in a wheelchair.
Concessions will be open serving all kinds of fun food, drinks and snacks. I will be there on Saturday wearing a blue Quadman T-shirt. If you see me, stop me and say hi. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and I will see you at the show.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.