Regional Industry & News

GO NEW MEXICO | BUCKET LIST TRIP The next Big Thing XOverland’s gathering in Montana attracts New Mexicans, people from across the nation with hands-on off-road training, trail rides and community connection Ready for a summer camp for all ages?The Big Thing wants you.Aaron Ridley of Belen took his young family on a bucket list adventure to The Big Thing in 2025, with his wife Taylor and son Nathan as part of a 21-day camping trek.“I bought tickets early on without an idea of how we were going to pull off such a trip,” he said in an email.“My son was 5 months old at the time, and with such a big lifestyle change with him being our first kid, we were trying to find a way to get back into our traveling lifestyle,” he said.“While my wife was pregnant, most people told us to say goodbye to our adventure lifestyle, but neither of us were willing to let it go.Instead, we found ways to adjust and adapt to the new changes to allow our son to be part of what we love doing.“Our trip turned into a 21-day journey from our home here, all the way to Montana and back, and we made the most of it everywhere we went.” The Big Thing 2026 is an outdoor overlanding and adventure gathering in July at the remote XOverland Ranch in Three Forks, Montana.This year’s XOverland event still has spots open.Though Three Forks is more than 15 hours from Albuquerque, the Ridleys and other adventurers from New Mexico attended the inaugural event put on by the group which publishes the quarterly, glossy Overland Journal magazine.XOverland started as a family traveling the world, posting their adventures on YouTube.“Our goal with The Big Thing is to focus squarely on the community by inspiring, educating and equipping folks at our 500-acre Montana Ranch that was built specifically for this purpose,” Jake Perucca, brand manager for Overland Collective in an email to GO New Mexico, said.The end goal of this event?“Learning, connecting and being absolutely stoked,” he said.XOverland was started in 2010 by Clay and Rachelle Croft, out of the sudden economic hardship during the recession, they said on The Big Thing website, thebigthing.overlandcollective.com.“Looking at his personal vehicles in the garage, Clay pitched the idea of a high-quality, documentary-style YouTube series tracking raw, family-friendly and authentic overland expeditions across the globe,” the website said.“Over the next decade and a half, XOverland grew into an award-winning production company and lifestyle brand, documenting grueling journeys across Alaska, Central America, South America, Scandinavia and Africa.” Now you can visit their adventure ranch and celebrate overland education in style.“Set against a scenic backdrop featuring a local lake and wild terrain, the event brings together the off-roading and adventure community for a weekend of camping, community campfires at the Inspiration Hub, and trail rides,” the website said.“We're crafting this event to help the weekend hand-me-down ground tent campers take the next step and the seven-continent explorers level up, all while creating meaningful connection,” Perucca said.“From learning how to navigate our test track with AEV, to community night rides with RIGID, to planning and logistics with OnX, it's impactful (and a blast) for all skill levels,” he said.“This gathering should break down barriers, not reinforce them.” The ranch is near Bozeman, Montana, so it is a great jumping-off point for trips into the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park and even north to Glacier National Park.According to the website, some of last year’s highlights, include: Hands-on training: The inaugural year emphasized active, approachable education.Attendees took part in winching courses, recovery training, and technical trail drives on the ranch’s custom test track.Storytelling and connection: The event featured a speaker series at the “Inspiration Hub,” with legendary global travelers (like Patty Upton, who crossed the notorious Darién Gap between Central and South America).It also featured a women’s-only technical off-road driving course.The name "The Big Thing" was chosen to challenge attendees to step out of their comfort zones and ask themselves: "What is the next big step or dream I've been putting off?” The inaugural event was designed to feel less like a trade show and more like a "summer camp for all ages," The Big Thing website said.“As a filmmaker and photographer Clay Croft and XO has been an inspiration to me for years and it was a bucket list item to meet him and get a photo with him,” Ridley, who lives in Belen, said.“It was an inspiring experience that also was a great way to make memories with my family worth looking back on.We would go back this year if not for some calendar conflicts.” It was an epic adventure, he said.In true overland adventure style and being a bit ahead of schedule after leaving Belen, the family diverted from a straight New Mexico to Montana route, traveling through Moab, Utah, Twin Falls, Idaho, the Sawtooth Mountains, The Big Thing and Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.Share your bucket list adventures, channel, rigs and panorama photos with us at go@abqjournal.com.It could appear in an edition of the Sunday Journal in the GO!New Mexico weekly outdoors section.MORE ADVENTURE CHANNELS - Essential Overland Gear: Washing up on the road Water-activated bathing wipes put to the test at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff proved to be a practical solution for campers and overlanders without access to a shower - ESSENTIAL GEAR: InstaPrivy says it’s No.1 for No.2 This all-in-one portable toilet kit aims to make your next camping trip more comfortable - ESSENTIAL GEAR: Shoulder-season trip tests camping gear limits A New Mexico overlander shares how a shoulder-season sprint to Sequoia and Joshua Tree led to broken equipment, improvised repairs and lessons for safer desert and mountain travel.- With fuel prices soaring, overlanders are turning to reward apps, slower speeds 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