The Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally is an inclusive event open to anyone in the U.S. who is 18 or older and drives a street-legal vehicle. All driver skill levels are welcome and vehicles can be stock or modified, but must be street-legal to complete the overland stages which can include public roads and trails as well as OHV areas and offroad parks.

For the Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally a “team” consists of a single driver and vehicle registered for the competition. The same driver and vehicle must remain a “team” throughout the event, however drivers are welcome to include other individuals (friends, family members, co-drivers, navigators, spotters, etc.) in any of the stages or activities. Drivers must use the vehicle they registered with and cannot drive multiple vehicles for the Rally Stages or Activity Tasks (there may be an exception for a driver authorized by the Rally Organization to change vehicles due to exceptional circumstances). Note that any photo that requires the competitor or the rally vehicle to be included MUST show the official team driver/vehicle. If a participant would like to include a regular group of friends or family, it is possible to order additional T-shirts/hats for the group, and include them in photos and on the team’s page on the rally website, but technically the competition team remains the original registered driver and vehicle.

Vehicles can be stock or modified, but must be street-legal to complete the overland stages which can include public roads and trails as well as OHV areas and offroad parks. 4WD vehicles are recommended, but AWD vehicles can also participate as long as the driver selects appropriate routes.

Whatever your camping preferences are will work fine for the event, as you choose where and how you camp. If you have a purpose-built overland adventure vehicle, that’s great! But tent camping is fine, too. Just be sure to comply with local camping regulations where you are traveling.

You are free to pick and choose from the Activity Tasks — none of the tasks are “required,” but to earn more points you will want to complete as many as you can. The Activity Tasks fall under five categories: Route Planning and Navigation, Offroad Driving, Exploration and Interpretation, Land Stewardship and Outdoor Skills. Any of the activities can be adapted to your own physical fitness level and should be easily do-able by anyone who regularly recreates outdoors.

In addition to a vehicle that is capable of driving off-pavement and a basic camp set-up, there are a few things you will need to have to compete effectively.

1. A GPS or navigation app that can record your track (i.e., GAIA, OnX Offroad, BFG OnTrails, or something similar)
2. A phone or digital camera
3. Periodic access to the internet to upload your proof-points
4. Social media account(s) (if you want to earn the “Social Media” bonus points)
5. A simple base-plate compass

No. It is almost impossible for someone to get “every” point available. The rally format was designed to level the playing field and to encourage participants who want to maximize their chance of winning to make strategic decisions in their planning. There are a number of things on the Explorers Quest that are location dependent and spread across different regions of the United States; other things may happen only by chance or good luck; and the Weekly Challenges cover a very wide range of subject matter (i.e., the person who is an expert on vehicle recovery scenarios may not know much about reading animal tracks, etc.).

You are responsible for your vehicle and the routes you choose to drive. Remember that offroad driving has certain inherent risks so drive carefully and do not over-estimate your abilities or your vehicle’s capabilities. If you are unsure about your skill level, consider training with an I4WDTA-certified instructor (you can earn points for participating in a training event).

Your registration covers the entry into the 10-week online rally competition for one driver and one vehicle (note: any permits, park fees, or other costs associated with competition travel and activities are not included in the registration fee, and must be paid by individual competitors, as needed). You will also receive a physical package via post roughly one week prior to the event start date that includes:

1. An official 2023 Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally team t-shirt
2. A RALLY ID (this will need to be included in specific photos as a “proof” that the image was taken during the event timeframe)
3. Two official 2023 Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally team vehicle stickers
4. A spiral bound 2023 Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally course book (which outlines the requirements and points values for every component of the competition, and also includes some printed maps and other items that will be needed for the Weekly Challenges)
5. A tri-fold Explorers Quest checklist
6. A team page on the 2023 Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally competition website.

You don’t have to do all the Stages as part of a single trip. You can do them over a few separate weekend trips. And even if you can’t do all the Overland Stages, you can still make up points via the Activity Tasks, Explorers Quest and Weekly Challenges.