ATV Adventures: The Ninth Annual Salt Lake Off-Road Expo – Summer hype at its best
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- This Polaris RZR has 49-inch tires. That is a full 10 inches bigger than the biggest tire I saw on a UTV at last year’s Salt Lake Off-Road Expo.
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- All I can say about this picture is that boys will be boys.
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- Lynn Blamires
The Ninth Annual Salt Lake Off-Road Expo ended on Saturday night. The mild February weather we had leading up to opening day made it appear as though Mother Nature was caught off guard. However, she made up for it Saturday afternoon with a huge snowstorm as a reminder that it is not spring yet. I was glad to be inside the expo instead of in the stands at the Real Salt Lake Stadium at the Snow Bowl across the street.
It sounds cliché to say, “This show was bigger and better than ever,” but it was. If you can, imagine 260,000 square feet of floor space full of wall-to-wall off-road excitement. The stage was running continually with educational and promotional programs. Over $60,000 in prizes were given away.
In one way, the show was bigger this year because last year I was surprised to see 39-inch tires on a Polaris RZR. This year, a RZR had 49-inch tires. Over 4 feet high — now that is ground clearance!
Last year, the number of people drawn to this event grew from 26,000 to 32,000. This year, that number was 36,000. Vendor space sold out in December of last year.
The number of vendors and the variety of their products were remarkable. As I strolled through the hall, I came across these booths that caught my eye:
Trail Mator Off-Road Recovery
Off-road recovery has interested me since I wrote an article on Casey’s Off-Road Recovery business in Hurricane. Trail Mator had a good-looking recovery truck that reminded me of Tow Mater in the “Cars” movie. Casey showed me the value of a kinetic rope in vehicle recovery, so I added one to my emergency kit.
Grizzly Joes Seasonings
Trail cuisine is a hobby topic, so seasonings caught my attention. The booth reminded me that I have a bottle of Butt Rub at home. You are supposed to use it on pork in the process of smoking meat. I know that now.
Big Mountain Lodge
This Ferron resort has been developing over the past five years into a delightful place to stay. The owners, Brad and Julie Benson, were at their booth. I have planned an event there in April, and the headquarters for the Swell Jamboree in April also will be hosted at this resort.
Jumping Jack Trailers
A most versatile trailer. It is an ATV trailer, a tent trailer and a utility trailer all in one. After you unload your machines, a pop-up tent stored underneath will serve your need for camping. I learned that camping is where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.
Rhino Hitches
If you haul a trailer, you learn about hitches. I wrote an article about the Rhino Hitch that I tested in 2019 (Standard-Examiner, March 14, 2019). It adjusts easily to the right height without having to change out hitches. I met a friendly guy with a beard who went by the name of Peaches.
Barbudo Beard Products
Speaking of beards, I saw a lot of people with beards at the show. Well, just guys. You don’t have to have a beard to drive off-road — I don’t have one — but a lot of people do, so this booth fits right in.
Mile Marker Winches
Mile Marker had a booth in the show last year, where I met Bennett Jackson. They have developed a winch that pulls fewer amps than other winches. With all of the accessories pulling amps on OHVs, this is an important feature. Look for an article on a test I will be doing with a Mile Marker winch.
Rocky Mountain Sherp
I am familiar with the Sherp. It is about as ultimate as you can get when it comes to OHVs. I wrote an article in 2019 about an adventure on Pineview Reservoir in 2019 (Standard-Examiner, Aug. 22, 2019) in this OHV. It is amphibious with big tires.
Another booth offered the InstaPrivy — a complete and lightweight solution to going in the backcountry. It consists of a cover that balances on your head with an Army-green nylon cover that drops down around you while you sit peacefully in a private moment. With the right coloring, you might pass for a large tree stump.
It was a great show. If you missed it and you love the backcountry, plan to go next spring. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and catch vendors you missed at https://slorex.com/vendors.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.