The Dirt #002: DMOS x Rebelle Rally – Team Dirt Dweebs

Photo by Nicole Dreon

At DMOS, we live to explore and we exist to create powerful, packable gear that is always at hand and never in the way.  So, when the opportunity to compete in an 8-day women’s off-road navigation rally raid comes around, it’s not really all that surprising that we jump in with both feet. This is the second year that DMOS has sponsored the Rebelle Rally and also the second year that our Founder/CEO, Susan Pieper, has competed in it. 

Photo by Ashley Lee

If you’ve heard of the Rebelle Rally, you know. If you haven’t, let us break it down for you: off-roading vehicles, varying climates, no technology, compass & map navigation, more than 2,000 kilometers, 38 pairs of badass women, and you have a rough idea of what the Rebelle Rally entails. 

Photo by Richard Giordano

Created by former professional off-road racer, Emily Miller, the Rebelle Rally is designed for both off-roading pros and the novice driver/navigators. Is it a competition? Sure. Is winning an added bonus? Absolutely. But the Rebelle Rally was established for reasons much more profound than to create another race for the gold. Instead, as the website points out, its ultimate goal is “increased competence, confidence and skill.” So, though the event’s motto is, “The vehicle in your driveway is more capable than you know”, both founders, staff and participants understand that the Rebelle Rally truly is an opportunity for everyday women to develop and test new skills, navigate through stunning scenery, disconnect from technology, push their mental and physical limits, and grow as individuals. 

Photo by Richard Giordano

Furthermore, with DMOS being the official shovel of the Rebelle Rally for the second year in a row, there’s no doubt that competitors got good use of our tools, including some of our brand new Rebelle Blue Delta Shovels (get the name now? 😉).

Photo by Richard Giordano

Making up “Team Dirt Dweebs” were Laura Wanlass, a corporate governance consulting practice leader, and Renée Vento, a real estate developer who has a Masters Degree in commercial underwater photography. The two competed in the Rebelle Rally for their second time this year, racing in their 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, which they nicknamed the DMOS-con. Tattooed with the DMOS logo on its side, the Dirt Dweebs and the DMOS-con kicked ass, bravely staring each obstacle in the face and digging their way out of disaster with their DMOS shovels.

Photo by Richard Giordano

Laura says, “The Delta Shovel was incredibly helpful to us on day 7 of the Rally. The first opportunity we had to use it that day was on the way to checkpoint 6x. As I was cresting a dune, I noticed another team stuck at the bottom and had to press the brakes on my vehicle, causing it to sink and get stuck in the loose sand. I immediately ran to the back of the DMOS-con and grabbed my Delta Shovel, digging my way out in just a few minutes”. Later that same day, Team “Dirt Dweebs” was approached by another team, who had run up to let them know that some of their competitors were teetering on the edge of a steep dune. Laura and Renée knew right away that they needed to help. Laura describes, “We raced back to assist with the recovery. In a true team effort (made up of numerous Rebelle teams), and through the use of a snatch strap, lots of digging with the Delta Shovels, and some Maxtrax, we were able to help this team safely get off the dune”.

Photo by Nicole Dreon

Laura says that they would not have been able to accomplish what they did without help from the Delta Shovels. She explains, “Given its compact nature, we were able to store the Delta in the Jeep where we could easily access it in both situations. Once deployed, its light weight and utilitarian shape made it an effective tool for quickly getting out of the deep sand. I would never go back to using a stand off-road shovel”. There is no doubt that Team Dirt Dweebs had a successful Rebelle Rally this year. Making every effort to replace each of their frowns with laughter, Laura and Renée pursued their passion for working hard to play even harder. How could it not have been fun?

Photo by Nicole Dreon


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