Índex per May/June 2018 a TREAD

Spring is in the air, and summer is tailgating close behind it. Which trails and campsites have you visited so far this year? If you’re like us, we like to mix our experiences up between favorite spots that we’ve been going to for years and places that are unfamiliar and completely new to us. If your tires haven’t seen dirt yet, get to it! While we love everything about exploring the outdoors, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the adventure of it all, we do tend to gravitate to the vehicles that take us there and bring us back. In this issue, we check out not one, but two diesel-powered off-road trucks, which for us in the States is not as common as it should be. Chevrolet’s new for 2018…

01. UCO GEAR/STORMPROOF SWEETFIRE This is a new Stormproof version of UCO Gear’s popular and award winning Sweetfire Strikeable Fire Starter. Stormproof means that it will relight after being submerged in water. The advantage of the Sweetfire over a normal waterproof or stormproof match is that it includes tinder in the point. Light the point just like a match, and it will burn for 7 minutes to help you start a fire like the boss that you are. Always be prepared, especially when drenched! MSRP: $10 (for 20 pack) ucogear.com 02. MORAKNIV/MORA FISHING KNIFE MULTIPACK This Mora fishing knife set includes a 6.1-inch Fishing Comfort Fillet 155 knife, Fishing Comfort Scaler 098, and a fine (600) diamond sharpener from Morakniv. All Mora knives are made in Sweden and…

As vehicle-borne explorers, what attributes do we look for in our outdoor cooking appliances that may differ from those who adventure by other means? Weight? Size? Fuel type? It seems that no matter how you choose to venture through the unknown (or known for that matter), the needs of one who cruises through the outdoors, whether it's by truck, foot or pack mule, is pretty much the same. We each seek a reliable means of cooking our food in the most weight and space savings package possible. Now of course, weight and size are relative to your conveyance. If you’re climbing Half Dome, you’ll probably count your gear’s weight down to tenths of an ounce, since it’ll mostly be stored on your back. In our case, we are talking travel…

There’s nothing more beautiful than a summer sunset deep in the Sonoran desert or up on the mesa’s of the American Southwest. An artist’s palette of reds, oranges, and yellows smear across the horizon, and you’re so swept up in the majestic marvel of God’s creation that you fail to notice another one of His masterpieces: a tightly coiled rattlesnake, on His small spit of territory you are about to tread. A flick of his rattles and a steamy hiss are fleeting warnings before razor-sharp fangs sink into your skin. But don’t worry too much. You’re more than likely to stumble upon D.B. Cooper’s bags of cash or an undiscovered vein of silver from the Comstock Load in Nevada than you are to be killed by a snake bite in…

Only a few years ago, the sight of a roof top tent (RTT) usually elicited puzzled glances and questions from neighbors and passersby about what the heck nested itself on your rig’s roof or bed. It seems that with each passing day, those questions have become less frequent. It’s a testament to the popularity of off roading, camping and overlanding that roof top tents are now easily recognized today. Although many campers still prefer to set up their tents on the ground, there’s a growing movement amongst casual car campers and die-hard overlanders alike that living the high life, literally, is the way to go. The pros going for a roof-mounted tent are obvious. Getting off the cold, damp ground takes you away from, well, the cold damp ground—as well…

If captured on film, it might have looked much like a scene out of the ‘92 classic A River Runs Through It—minus Brad Pitt and Emily Lloyd, of course. While the setting may appear similar, these events took place a decade before the Great Depression in the quaint town of Lovells, Michigan. The rumble of a locomotive interrupts the serene setting as it crawls to a stop in front of the small train depot. Two well-dressed gentlemen, known to be automotive industry leaders, exit a private rail car and make their way toward The Douglas House. After they check in to the lodge, they sign the registry and date it: Sunday, June 10, 1917. The date is noteworthy considering it coincides with what is often called the “Hex hatch,” the…

01. ARB/LINX VEHICLE ACCESSORY INTERFACE Linx is a unique and revolutionary modern controller that declutters the dashboard and centralizes the command of a range of accessories such as driving lights, Air Lockers, dual batteries and air compressors. Built on an expandable platform, Linx will continue to evolve your on and off-road driving experience via its user friendly, Bluetooth enabled, touchscreen display. Find out more at whatislinx.com. MSRP: $695 arbusa.com 02. BDS SUSPENSION/HEAVY DUTY UPPER CONTROL ARMS BDS expands its listings of heavy duty upper control arms kits for popular IFS vehicles designed for improved strength, great looks and increased suspension travel on leveled and lifted trucks and SUVs. The arms are built from 1.5-inch OD x .120-wall tubing with an indexed ball joint cup to correct operating angle.…

“EACH MODIFICATION WAS CAREFULLY CHOSEN TO IMPROVE OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY, WHILE HAVING THE LEAST NEGATIVE IMPACT ON STREET AND OFF-ROAD COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE.” Seth Kovanic is a passionate Toyota enthusiast, even helping run the annual Toyota off-road enthusiast gathering known as the FJ Summit. He got a sneak peak of the '15 TRD Pro 4Runner at the 2014 FJ Summit, and instantly had to have one. He quickly put in an order at his local dealership in Pennsylvania and was one of the first in the country to get one of the new trucks in December of 2014. Since taking delivery, Kovanic has used this Inferno '15 TRD Pro 4Runner as his daily driver, road trip vehicle and trail rig, putting in about 93,000 miles of seat time so far. Toyota…

Years ago the options for a travel backpack were few and far between with a handful of brands offering very similar designs. They did their job, but lacked the innovation, features, and style of today’s abundant options. Today’s travel packs have come a long way. They come in all shapes and sizes and are built to suit your many needs, whether its a simple weekend getaway via plane, train, or automobile or even an excursion by foot. The problem with having too many options is finding the right pack to suit your unique needs. There’s a few things to look for, while searching for the “perfect” pack for traveling. The length of your trip will determine how much cargo space you may need. The way you travel to your destination…

Are you a whiner like me? That is, do you constantly compare the 4x4 models foreign manufacturers ship here with the serious expedition vehicles they sell in Africa, South America, or Australia—regions they obviously view as being worthy of tougher machines than we need in the soft, paved country club of the world? Toyota sends us the sybaritic 200-series Land Cruiser loaded with leather and touch-screen entertainment; everyone else gets the legendary 70-series Troop Carrier and its ute (pickup) derivative—the indestructible choice of safari guides, NGOs, and numerous insurgent groups. (Online legends claiming the pickup can be ordered directly from Toyota with a pedestal-mounted 12.7mm machine gun are probably untrue.) The mighty Mercedes G-Wagen? Same thing—here it’s rarely seen far from gated communities, in the developing world it’s got cloth…

Whether you’ve got yourself a new ride or are looking to refresh old reliable, the most dynamic way to do it is with some new shoes. New rims certainly add to the look of your truck, Jeep or SUV, but can also increase your vehicle’s on and off-road performance as well. Shod them with a quality set of tires and you’ll be conquering trails well past next season and beyond. We’ve gathered some of the newest wheels on the market to display here. Which design would you choose? FUEL OFF-ROAD/ VECTOR – D600 Fuel Off-Road prides themselves in their ability to provide off-road enthusiasts with the aesthetics and function they desire in a variety of fitments. The newly released Vector is an aggressive concave off-road wheel with a simulated beadlock…

BASED ON 2018 Yamaha XSR700 ENGINE Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 689cc Parallel Twin DRIVETRAIN Constant mesh 6-speed SUSPENSION Race Tech SEAT Custom vintage Yamaha Enduro -inspired leather seat TECH Facial recognition / Drone Mount 01 PERFORMANCE 01 Advics Monoblocks clamping 282mm front discs 02 Nissin rear breaks 03 Custom 25mm Compression / HFR Rebound Front Fork by Race Tech 04 G3-S Custom Rear Shocks by Race Tech 05 Custom Italian wheels with patented tubeless construction 02 ACCESSORIES 01 Custom leather 3/4 seat with under storage 02 Carbon fiber tank shroud 03 Modular rear carry rack 04 Aluminum bash guard 03 POWER 01 Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 689cc Parallel Twin Engine by Yamaha 02 Customized exhaust with carbon fiber by Yoshimura R&D 03 Constant mesh 6-speed; multiplate wet clutch 04 TECHNOLOGY 01 Facial recognition ignition…

Overlanding is all about vehicle based self-reliant adventure travel, where the journey is the primary goal. It many times involves crossing international boarders and traveling to remote destinations for extended periods of time, but doesn’t require either of these things. The key to overland travel is to take the vehicle you have and enjoy taking it down the road, or lack there of, less traveled. A wide variety of factors play into the gear choices you make and the tools you should have with you. The following is an overview of some of the key choices you need to make, pieces of gear you should have and resources you should bring with you on an overland excursion. “THE KEY TO OVERLAND TRAVEL IS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE YOU HAVE AND…

“SURE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS SET UP TO GO TO REMOTE DESTINATIONS, BUT IT’S THE ‘17 TEXTRON WILDCAT X UTV MOUNTED ON THE BACK THAT IS DESIGNED TO TRUELY GET THE ADRENALINE PUMPING.” Hellwig knows how to create impressive vehicles that highlight their full line of products. Their latest build, the Operator, debuted to great acclaim in the Ford booth at the SEMA Show 2017, winning the Ford Outstanding Achievement in Design Award. The vehicle is all about adventure and fun, while being a great marketing tool for the company’s load control products. It’s based on a ‘17 Ford F-350 Lariat, and features a Textron Wildcat X UTV mounted on the back. Payload Management Few vehicles demanded as much attention at the SEMA Show as the Operator, and while the…

No campsite is complete without some form of cooking. Snow Peak takes outdoor cooking to another level with their customizable and portable camp kitchen system. The Iron Grill Table (IGT) is the main building block for the modular outdoor camp kitchen. The IGT comes in various frame sizes and leg heights to fully customize to your needs. From here the system allows for additional inserts and extensions to be added. Options include stove tops, work surfaces, storage units, extendable tables and even more accessories. Check out snowpeak.com for more on this incredible outdoor kitchen system.…

The Chevy Colorado ZR2 is a very capable off-road truck from the factory, but Titan Tanks have taken that impressive DNA and given it super powers. Somehow they managed to get this ZR2 rolling on 37-inch MT tires while retaining the truck’s independent front suspension. Of course, a solid-axel swap probably would have been easier, but then it wouldn’t have the great diversity of capabilities that the ZR2 is known for. With the help of Rockstar Garage, Titan was able to debut this showstopper at SEMA Show 2017. “BEING TRULY CAPABLE OFF ROAD REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST BIG TIRES AND QUALITY SUSPENSION. IT REQUIRES A THOUGHTFUL SELECTION OF DURABILITY AND PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING MODIFICATIONS AND ACCESSORIES.” Titan Tank In order to showcase the company’s latest products and greatly improve the range of…

Whether you’re hiking through brush, walking in the rain, or slushing in the snow, traditional boots are a functional necessity for your wardrobe. However, outdoor boots are big, bulky, heavy and designed mainly to offer protection while out in the wild. Enter the sneakerboot—a hybrid that bridges the gap between a traditional sneaker and a serious outdoor boot. Sneakerboots offer much of the performance of a traditional hiking boot, but with street style making them great to wear daily. They are often much lighter in weight and have more cushioning providing the comfort of an athletic shoe. The sneakerboot is a great solution for those looking for footwear for the city, the drive, and trails alike. When searching for a sneakerboot there’s a few things to look for: Weight Every…