Adventure Days 2019 at RawHyde ZAKAR!

Each year, our friends at RawHyde Adventures throw a special event that brings together adventure riders and some of the leading companies in the adventure moto marketplace for a weekend of riding, learning, and fun. This is Adventure Days, and this year’s event was a landmark one for two reasons: it was the debut of RawHyde’s newest facility and it was the first time that the overlanding community was welcomed into the fold.

Dubbed ZAKAR (Zombie Apocalypse Kompound At RawHyde), this new purpose-built adventure compound is being built in the heart of the Mojave Desert. The location is easily accessible from all directions and yet feels completely isolated from civilization. Perhaps the best part of all is the immediate access to hundreds of miles of dirt roads and trails at RawHyde’s doorstep.

The event itself drew hundreds of adventure riders and overland enthusiasts, along with dozens of motorcycle and 4×4 vendors. Just walking through the compound you could get your bike setup with new luggage, straps, or hard parts, pick up a new helmet or riding gear, or get acquainted with our cousins in the 4×4 world.

In addition to browsing the booths, attendees were treated to many classroom type sessions led by RawHyde trainers and some of the sponsor companies. Jim Hyde himself led a session on getting the most out of your GPS device, our very own Owen B. taught a class on desert preparedness, and there were many others ranging from first aid and trailside bike diagnostics to knowing what to do in the event that a vehicle catches fire. The knowledge shared at this event was second to none, and reason enough to attend in 2020!

As an Official BMW Training Partner, RawHyde owns a fleet of all the new GS models and was letting people take them out for demo rides. This was a great opportunity for riders to get a feel for the new 750 GS, 850 GS and 1250 GS in an actual off-road environment.

RawHyde has also prepared some GPS tracks for a handful of outrides, and groups took full advantage by going out to visit the ghost town of Randsberg, visiting the X-15 crash site, and the Burro Schmidt tunnel.

If that wasn’t enough riding, the RawHyde coaches led a few hands-on clinics to give riders a taste of what their fully immersive weekend courses are like. Pictured above is a rider attacking the sand clinic. There was also an Intro to Dirt clinic that gave riders the basic tips and techniques to handle their bikes off the pavement.

At the end of each day, yours truly hosted a happy hour. This is our little way of giving back to the community and really helps solidify everything that this kind of event is meant for. In addition to the education and the riding, these events are aimed at bringing people together to share some experiences and make new friends. And our kegerator certainly helped accomplish both!

There was no shortage of non-riding entertainment, too! The E&O Medicine Show, featuring Owen, Evan, and Ron, put on a few shows, as did the always entertaining Mary White Band. Plus we were treated to a special performance by a local fire dance troupe!

That’s not something you see at every ADV event! Well we certainly had a blast at this year’s Adventure Days, and we already can’t wait for the next one in 2020. You can rest assured that we’ll let you all know as soon as RawHyde announces dates and tickets, because you definitely do not want to miss the next one. In the meantime, if adventure riding is something that has been intriguing to you, or if you’re interested in honing your off-road skills, then head over to RawHyde’s website and look into their Level 1 and Level 2 training course weekends. The BMW GS was built to take you wherever you want to go, and there’s no better way to prepare yourself for adventure than a RawHyde training course!