I produced a long literary style comment on the function of the HUBB meeting but then scrapped it, deciding that a more direct version might be better. It was really about whether attending such a meeting is a good idea for someone looking to do their first serious trip (and to a certain extent what the function of meetings like the HUBB is).

Personally I think that MW2K8 would be better just getting on his bike and going. Head straight past Donnington and work out whatever problems you encounter in your own way. The only exception to that would be if you personally know people who will be at the meeting and want to see them. I think if he wants to go travelling he should go travelling and not spend his time somewhere talking about going travelling. Ok, you might argue that he'll get access to a wealth of knowledge that might save him from making expensive mistakes and he'll end up enthused by the plethora of hard core tales he'll hear when he's there, but he's equally likely to come away depressed by his lack of Touratech overhead underhangers and that his planned trip doesn't match up to the five year circumnavigation of Mars talks that litter meetings like this.

I'm sure MW will have his own opinion and I certainly don't want to talk for him but to paraphrase an old TV advert (can't remember the product), "don't talk, ride".

I'm sure other opinions are available and some of them will be along shortly.