About this episode
Broadcaster and guest Ben from the Dirt Soobies podcast connect live from Overland Expo PNW to recap the excitement of Subaru Basecamp. They share stories of meeting community legends like Rhiannon and Sam from Wandering Fawzi, while highlighting innovative gear from vendors like Rumpl. The conversation dives into the challenges of video content creation and reflects on a favorite past interview with Mitch from Melee Design Firm, who risked his retirement to pursue his automotive passion. It is a warm, community-focused look at the overland lifestyle.
In this edition of the Subie Scoop I give a recap of the weekend at Overland EXPO PNW in Redmond, Oregon with my buddy Ben on the mic too. He hosts the Dirt Subies Podcast!
Overland Expo PNW
"I'm still at Overland Expo PNW 2026, I'm sitting in the Forester, and I don't usually have guests on the Soobie Scoop..."
A massive outdoor festival and trade show where people show off their custom camping rigs, buy gear, and learn how to travel off-road.
Overland Expo Pacific Northwest is a premier event for adventure travel enthusiasts, featuring classes, gear vendors, and camping. It serves as a major gathering point for the overlanding community to showcase custom vehicle builds.
Subaru Forester
"I'm still at Overland Expo PNW 2026, I'm sitting in the Forester, and I don't usually have guests on the Soobie Scoop..."
A popular, boxy family SUV made by Subaru that is great for driving in snow or dirt because it powers all four wheels at the same time.
The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV equipped with standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and a boxer engine. It is highly popular in the outdoor and overlanding communities for its practical boxy shape, good ground clearance, and reliable traction.
2021 Subaru Ascent
"I got to meet BMC Adventures, Ben, I got to meet him, who else did I get to, I got to meet Joe 21 Ascent, I got to meet him for the first time..."
Subaru's biggest SUV, which has three rows of seats to fit up to eight people and uses a turbocharged engine to help carry heavy loads.
The Subaru Ascent is a mid-size, three-row crossover utility vehicle powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine. Introduced for the 2019 model year, it is Subaru's largest passenger vehicle.
Subaru Basecamp
"...because you've got Subaru Basecamp right at the venue, so people can just walk right over to the expo."
A special camping area set up by Subaru at outdoor events where Subaru owners can park together, hang out, and share stories.
Subaru Basecamp is an exclusive, invite-only camping experience organized by Subaru of America at major overland events. It brings together brand enthusiasts, influencers, and custom builders to camp together and build community.
Subaru Forester Wilderness
"And he's got a pretty nice setup too. He's got it all set up for camping, he's got a bed in their drawer system. So refrigerator, and yeah, it's pretty nice. And it's got the forest or wilderness."
A special version of the Forester designed specifically for camping and trail driving, coming straight from the factory with tougher tires, extra height, and rugged plastic cladding.
The Wilderness is an off-road-focused trim of the Subaru Forester, featuring increased ground clearance, all-terrain tires, water-resistant upholstery, and unique styling accents. It also includes a revised CVT transmission tuned for low-speed climbing.
Mitch
"Yeah, well, and we got to hang out with Mitch this weekend. He was here today on Sunday. Yeah, Mitch and Ryan. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And you designed firm and melee media. You did an interview with Mitch."
A former nurse who loved rally racing so much he started his own company to make better parts for race cars.
Mitch is the founder of Melee Design Firm and Melee Media. He famously transitioned from a career as an ER trauma nurse to starting his own business after being frustrated by the lack of high-quality battery tie-downs for his rally car.
Melee Design Firm
"But you know, Mitch, he started melee design firm, because he was doing rally and he wanted to find a way to tie down his battery..."
A company that makes high-quality metal brackets and mounts to keep car batteries secure during rough off-road driving or racing.
Melee Design Firm is an automotive aftermarket company specializing in heavy-duty battery mounts, mounting solutions, and accessories designed for rally racing and off-road vehicles.
battery tie-down
"...because he was doing rally and he wanted to find a way to tie down his battery, build a better system for, you know, keeping the battery secure."
A metal bracket that holds the car's battery tightly in place so it doesn't bounce around and cause electrical issues when driving on bumpy roads.
A battery tie-down is a bracket or strap assembly designed to secure the vehicle's battery firmly within the engine bay. In racing or off-roading, heavy-duty aftermarket tie-downs are crucial to prevent the battery from shifting under extreme vibrations or impacts.
Subaru WRX
"I mean, one of my favorites was Gustavo. He had that lifted WRX with the Topo on it and lighting a ton of the IOD lights on it."
A sporty, high-performance version of the Subaru Impreza that is famous for its loud turbo engine and rally racing heritage.
The Subaru WRX is a compact sport compact car inspired by World Rally Championship racing, famous for its turbocharged flat-four engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. It has a massive enthusiast following for both street performance and dirt-trail builds.
2026 Subaru Outback
"If I had to pick like a second favorite or run it up, it was Jon's 2026 Outback at the Subaru booth. That thing is like super nice. He's got it lifted. You know, he's showing what a 2026 Outback could look like..."
A rugged, lifted station wagon that is incredibly popular for camping and road trips because it drives like a comfortable car but can handle rough dirt roads.
The Subaru Outback is a mid-size crossover wagon that blends passenger-car comfort with SUV-like utility and ground clearance. The 2026 model represents the latest generation, continuing the tradition of standard all-wheel drive and rugged styling.
rock sliders
"And then he also did the, what is it, the rails that along? Rock sliders. Yeah, rock sliders. He did those too."
Strong metal bars attached to the bottom sides of an off-road vehicle to protect the doors and body from getting crushed by rocks.
Rock sliders are heavy-duty steel bars bolted or welded to a vehicle's chassis frame or rocker panels. They protect the vulnerable lower bodywork from damage when sliding over large rocks or obstacles off-road.
Ryker Wheels
"So, you know, just seeing a lifted 2026 Outback with Riker wheels, which was super cool. I'm not biased at all towards Riker."
A company that makes tough, cool-looking wheels designed specifically for adventure vehicles and off-road driving.
Ryker Wheels (often stylized as Reika or Ryker) is an aftermarket wheel brand specializing in rugged, lightweight wheels designed for crossovers and off-road vehicles, particularly popular among Subaru overlanders.
Subaru Crosstrek
"But I did see a guy, it's guy Ollie. He has a second gen cross trick and he was running black satin T-tons just like mine."
A small, lifted hatchback that is perfect for city driving but has enough ground clearance to go camping on weekends.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover based on the Impreza hatchback, featuring a lifted suspension, rugged body cladding, and standard all-wheel drive. The second generation (2018-2023) introduced the global platform architecture, improving chassis rigidity and ride quality.
Subaru Loyale
"And so he eventually told me like, yeah, it's for an old loyal or whatever. And so I actually got to see that car and they turned it in to, they were serving coffee out of it, right?"
An older, classic Subaru wagon from the 1980s and 90s that was famous for being simple, boxy, and incredibly tough in bad weather.
The Subaru Loyale (originally sold as the Leone) was a compact car offered in sedan, coupe, and station wagon body styles during the 1980s and early 1990s. It helped establish Subaru's reputation for rugged, affordable four-wheel-drive passenger cars.
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