Blue Ridge Overland Gear Overlander Flea Market

Anyone that has visited Bedford, Virginia agrees it is a great little town. Recently, a national television broadcast even featured Bedford and highlighted a few of the things that make it so charming. The nearby Blue Ridge Mountains, downtown coffee shops, family-owned diners, historical sites, and the small town America feel were all noted. However, in our humble and slightly biased opinion they missed one very important factor: This is where Blue Ridge Overland Gear calls home. While everyone that reads OutdoorX4 Magazine probably knows that Blue Ridge Overland Gear makes a host of quality overland related gear, what our readers may not know is that BROG also strives to make their storefront in Bedford a center point for drawing overlanders to the area.

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The BROG headquarters moved from the Thread Shed in 2016 to a 120-year old hardware store in downtown Bedford. With design, production, and retail all under one roof the shop truly has become a great stop for fans of the company. However, it’s not BROG’s style to sit back and wait for people to stop in. Since the store has opened they’ve hosted, or co-hosted, a score of events ranging from roof top tent rallies, to navigation classes, to good old-fashioned hang outs. One of their most popular series of events has been the Overlander Flea Markets. The second Flea Market was held on November 25th and it drew a tremendous crowd. Overlanders from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and of course Virginia where in attendance. It’s no secret that people who enjoy overlanding also enjoy gear.

Whether they’re buying and selling it, or just chatting about the next best thing versus the undeniable classics. This was more than apparent at the Flea Market with approximately 30 overlanders either set up to sell gear or items they had crafted. The event saw over 160 visitors and a number of them opted to camp overnight and check out more of the area over the weekend.

Overlander Flea Market

Adam from BROG Marketing and Sales says, “The BROG Overlander Flea Market is a great time for friends and family of the overland and outdoor communities to get together at the end of the warm weather season and buy, sell, or trade their outdoor gear. Not only is it a family and dog friendly event, but we also offer camping off-site to anyone that would like to stay for a night or two. We love that people come from surrounding states to these events, and feel right at home camping around the bonfire at night.”

Roof Top Tents, vehicle-based adventure gear and other products were available throughout the event and as the event continues to be a success, the folks at Blue Ridge Overland Gear will continue to host it, along with others, throughout 2018.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, laid back town to visit while on your overland adventures and your travels take you through Virginia, be sure to stop by the BROG store in Bedford. You’ll not only get the chance to see how they build their products but you’ll also have the opportunity to experience the best of what overlanding is all about: People sharing stories and making memories along the way.

Editor’s Note: Bedford definitely isn’t the only smalltown that makes a great overlanding destination. In the future be on the lookout for a survey that will poll our readers, and give you a chance to tell us about your favorite small town or lesser known destination. Also, special thanks to CT Bell for the images.

* OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible 4×4 adventure travel and outdoor recreation