+2
Barrows
sourek
6 posters
VOT 15
sourek- Posts : 68
Points : 59
Reputation : 5
Join date : 2013-10-20
Age : 37
Location : North Jersey
- Post n°1
VOT 15
Anyone registering? Price hike is pretty steep for Non Vets, I'm willing to pay the VOT vet price though, had a blast this past August. Anyone from the forum planning on registering?
Barrows- Posts : 1085
Points : 924
Reputation : 31
Join date : 2012-12-22
Age : 45
Location : Union Maine
- Post n°2
Re: VOT 15
The price has knocked most of us out of the game. I think it is a great event and I wish Peter well, I just can't swing that ride plus have other adventures.
sourek- Posts : 68
Points : 59
Reputation : 5
Join date : 2013-10-20
Age : 37
Location : North Jersey
- Post n°3
Re: VOT 15
Barrows wrote:The price has knocked most of us out of the game. I think it is a great event and I wish Peter well, I just can't swing that ride plus have other adventures.
Yea he jumped up a crazy amount.
MtnClimber- Admin
- Posts : 3918
Points : 4000
Reputation : 156
Join date : 2012-12-20
- Post n°4
Re: VOT 15
Can I afford it? Yes. Is the $895 per rig price redonkulous? Yes. Therefore I will not be attending primarily due to the astronomical price increase. Even with the $200 discounted "Vet pricing" it's still way too much. And the fact that there are no teams, only singles. That latter doesn't make any sense at all as it is never wise to go adventuring by yourself in case unforeseen circumstances should arise. I was able to attend the first VOT and it the event was great.
Even with the fact of having two very capable and ready-to-go rigs for the sake of Northeast Overland, (one of which is for sale ), it still seems too bad to miss something like this. However, as I have been doing right along since the get-go, I will be putting all of my available spare time into making/creating/attending more and more Northeast Overland adventures and activities!!
Even with the fact of having two very capable and ready-to-go rigs for the sake of Northeast Overland, (one of which is for sale ), it still seems too bad to miss something like this. However, as I have been doing right along since the get-go, I will be putting all of my available spare time into making/creating/attending more and more Northeast Overland adventures and activities!!
WLFFGreg- Posts : 207
Points : 217
Reputation : 24
Join date : 2014-01-10
Age : 41
Location : Northern NH
- Post n°5
Re: VOT 15
No go here. I really wanted to do it, until I read about the changes (no set teams) and price increase. I'll gladly do something with Northeast Overland that week/weekend and have no problems giving you guys my money for all your hard work. It seems to me that Vermont Overland and Peter got greedy, perhaps if there was transparency in the costs of such an event and the price could be justified. As it stands, VOT 2014 raised $25,000 from just the fees. VOT 2015 is anywhere from $24,325-31,325.
I don't need to pay someone $900 to damage my vehicle in the long run. And that $900 could pay for my winch, rear bumper or most of my front bumper.
Greg
I don't need to pay someone $900 to damage my vehicle in the long run. And that $900 could pay for my winch, rear bumper or most of my front bumper.
Greg
sourek- Posts : 68
Points : 59
Reputation : 5
Join date : 2013-10-20
Age : 37
Location : North Jersey
- Post n°6
Re: VOT 15
I had a credit with Peter for the past VOR that I didn't attend. Needing to use that plus the discount made it acceptable. I'll be there next year sporting NEO badges again.
MtnClimber- Admin
- Posts : 3918
Points : 4000
Reputation : 156
Join date : 2012-12-20
- Post n°7
Re: VOT 15
Thanks Danny!!!
Guest- Guest
- Post n°8
Re: VOT 15
Glad to see we will be represented.
I'm happy that the scene is blowing up and people are taking a good hold of this venture we call Overlanding. Peter has a good hand in increasing awareness but unfortunately I think its going in a different direction then what the majority of us do it for. His statement that he charges so much to cover his time that's dealt with landowners and law enforcement is off putting to me, but I may be partial. We never seem to have a problem with either of those and we cover a ton of terrain in a usually short period of time.
Although I would love NEO to be my full time job, I also think it takes away from the AFFORDABLE aspect of true adventuring when you are forced to charge to cover your bills. I would hope we would never be in an area where this would be the case. But we've set an infer-structure in place that prevents such happenings so I don't foresee it to be an issue.
I had a lot of fun at the VOT both 13 & 14 but feel that it's turned into more of a wheeling challenge (which has rightfully been expressed) than a great adventure. Following a blue dot on a map isn't what I myself consider getting out and interacting with nature and challenging your Overlanding skills. To me it's just as much about the comrodery through the run as it is the evening events as well. Providing respect for all adventurers all while giving them a great time is a win win situation. This is what we hope to provide our "customers" and know that their return business because of our effort to keep things reasonable will help sustain the organization.
I'm happy that the scene is blowing up and people are taking a good hold of this venture we call Overlanding. Peter has a good hand in increasing awareness but unfortunately I think its going in a different direction then what the majority of us do it for. His statement that he charges so much to cover his time that's dealt with landowners and law enforcement is off putting to me, but I may be partial. We never seem to have a problem with either of those and we cover a ton of terrain in a usually short period of time.
Although I would love NEO to be my full time job, I also think it takes away from the AFFORDABLE aspect of true adventuring when you are forced to charge to cover your bills. I would hope we would never be in an area where this would be the case. But we've set an infer-structure in place that prevents such happenings so I don't foresee it to be an issue.
I had a lot of fun at the VOT both 13 & 14 but feel that it's turned into more of a wheeling challenge (which has rightfully been expressed) than a great adventure. Following a blue dot on a map isn't what I myself consider getting out and interacting with nature and challenging your Overlanding skills. To me it's just as much about the comrodery through the run as it is the evening events as well. Providing respect for all adventurers all while giving them a great time is a win win situation. This is what we hope to provide our "customers" and know that their return business because of our effort to keep things reasonable will help sustain the organization.
Guest- Guest
- Post n°9
Re: VOT 15
In my experience, trucks that start at a common point, go out for awhile through a tough trail, and then return to that same point at the end of the day are participating in 4-wheeling. Overlanding (to me) is the movement of yourself, your belongings, and your vehicle through sometimes-difficult terrain with the goal of travel, experiencing the world around you, and expanding your horizons. VOT has always seemed like a 4-wheeling event, and as it matures it has taken on even more of this feel than it ever had before. I think the entry price is insane and couldn't possibly be justified by anybody operating with any sort of travel/adventure budget. I have wished there was a way to attend as a spectator because for me, this is the only way I'd want to participate. Even then, if spectators were encouraged and accommodated for, VOT would turn into some version of a redneck mud-run event almost instantaneously.
SG
SG
Barrows- Posts : 1085
Points : 924
Reputation : 31
Join date : 2012-12-22
Age : 45
Location : Union Maine
- Post n°10
Re: VOT 15
Spence, it was great the first year and I loved the over landing sections of the adventure. On the days when we had to return to a base camp and wheel up a nasty mountain side to our camp site, not as much....sure it was fun wheeling however it was as much traveling as I believe we all wanted. The partying at night seems like it is getting more intense and after a long day of adventure is the last thing I want. This event is still a wonderful event, I just wish it would morph into a longer cross state journey, maybe VT/NH/ME......that would be more of an overlanding event to warrant the high entry cost.
muffinman- Posts : 464
Points : 474
Reputation : 66
Join date : 2013-04-05
Age : 47
Location : unity
- Post n°11
Re: VOT 15
I very much wanted to do vot this year and was not able to go from bad timing when they started taken reg. to not being able to get the time off when i had a chance to buy somebody's spot. it is alot of money and know for 2015 it is even more do i think its worst it yes it is if u want to do some insane wheeling and be part of a group that loves to go wheeling as for me i want to go overlanding and see the world throw my truck windshield so i am going to save my money that
i have for vot 2015 and go to colorado maybe utah in 2016 and truly do some overlanding
Happy trails from the Muffinman
i have for vot 2015 and go to colorado maybe utah in 2016 and truly do some overlanding
Happy trails from the Muffinman
sourek- Posts : 68
Points : 59
Reputation : 5
Join date : 2013-10-20
Age : 37
Location : North Jersey
- Post n°12
Re: VOT 15
I think FJ Boozah summed it up perfectly and for the reasons he stated, I think this forum is so great.
REDrum- Posts : 181
Points : 214
Reputation : 29
Join date : 2013-01-17
Location : People's Republik of Cambridge
- Post n°13
Re: VOT 15
We're not doing VOT 15 either, and for most of the same reasons noted above. It is a good event, and supplies a niche, its just not for us. I can go wheel hard any weekend up in VT or NH with a much smaller and more skilled group pretty much for free. The full long week element is also a deal breaker for us. When I can grab a week off I'm going somewhere a lot more remote and adventure packed. Also, like others have noted, I think Peter is pushing the definition of Overland with the event so based in southern VT. Having a Tractor Supply or Walmart with 15 miles of pretty much any part of the route kind of takes away from the adventure/overland factor. MOTL had 500% more Overland content than VOT. Peter does put a lot of work into the event so I don't deny him making a profit, but the new fees do limit a lot people. Looking forward to more NEO events. Quebec is northeast right?
Barrows- Posts : 1085
Points : 924
Reputation : 31
Join date : 2012-12-22
Age : 45
Location : Union Maine
- Post n°14
Re: VOT 15
Yes.... Yes.... It is......hmmmm, that would be a FUN adventure!
REDrum- Posts : 181
Points : 214
Reputation : 29
Join date : 2013-01-17
Location : People's Republik of Cambridge
- Post n°15
Re: VOT 15
For this who have not heard, VOT is no long an open to the public event, Peter has turn his entire VO business into a private membership only off road country club. So if you want to run VOT you have to join it.
Rumor has it, to date, he has sold 40 memberships at $2,500 each; which include annual VOT run and camping on Peters private property. One of the big elements my wife and I enjoy so much about off-roading and the overland community is how inclusive everyone is. Country clubs, by design, are exclusive. Cost aside, not our scene...
What this does do is provide opportunity to develop new and strengthen existing northeast overland adventure trips!
Rumor has it, to date, he has sold 40 memberships at $2,500 each; which include annual VOT run and camping on Peters private property. One of the big elements my wife and I enjoy so much about off-roading and the overland community is how inclusive everyone is. Country clubs, by design, are exclusive. Cost aside, not our scene...
What this does do is provide opportunity to develop new and strengthen existing northeast overland adventure trips!
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