April 2009

{tab=OR 101: Recovery Demo Run}

One of the most important aspects of being in the wilderness is recovery. What I mean by that is having the proper gear and know-how to get yourself (or a companion) out of a ‘stuck’ situation.  Many times this knowledge goes unused, but it is crucial to being self-sufficient in case of an emergency.  Having the right equipment is essential and learning how to properly use it is the next step.

We took the opportunity to brush up on these skills during a “Recovery Run” with the Colorado FJ's.  We practiced a few recovery techniques that some of us had heard of but have never done.  It’s highly recommended that you make yourself familiar with these recovery techniques prior to actually having to use them on the trail.  A demonstration run is the best way to get people together to pool ideas and techniques that you may use down the road.

{tab=TRD White Out}
Many FJ Owners have painted the silver on the outside of their FJ. The most common mod of this type is to rattle can the mirrors, door handles, bezel, and bumper wings in flat or matte black. TRD’s that are ‘blacked’ out are very popular, so we thought we’d try something different. When we started discussing doing this mod to our TRD, Angie reminded me of an awesome FJ we saw on the trail. Early in 2008 we did a couple of runs with Jock (RockyMtnHigh), who has an awesome ‘whited out’ Brick FJ. Instead of the traditional black, he painted most of his silver trim pieces bright white. What Angie & I both loved about this mod is that it not only makes the truck stand out more, but it also really enhances the ‘retro’ FJ-40 look. Which we feel is commemorated in the “white out” of our TRD.

{tab=Wheelers for the Wounded}

Wheelers for the Wounded is part of a non-profit organization that will provide weekends of off-road driving, camping, and in some cases fishing, to our country’s wounded military members (past and present) all over the United States.  They will experience much deserved fun and excitement as they traverse the most extreme terrain our great country has to offer in a variety of the best off-road capable vehicles ever built.

Upon the completion of Jason Havlik’s tour in Iraq, he will return to the United States and begin a 6-month off-road driving and camping adventure across our great land.  This portion of the program will start in April 2009.  The wounded servicemen and women will get to experience the beautiful country they have unselfishly given up so much of their lives for.

{tab=AirLand Roof Top Tent}
My intentions with my FJ are setting it up for daily driver, off roading, overlanding, and expeditions. In this article I’m going to discuss the the Maggiolina AirLand medium tent, which was purchased in March of 2008. Most of the mods I have done to the rig are to make it self sufficient when away from home, so the AirLand is a very necessary item. This roof top tent allows me to camp on a whim so to speak, since it only takes a few minutes to set it up once you are parked.

I did an extensive amount of research online and in various outdoor forums, and came to the conclusion that this tent was the right one for me. Since it will pretty much be on the rig full time, a hard shell model was the best choice. I decided that other options that have canvas tops may not hold up quite as well  to the elements. This style is also easier to setup than most others on the market, and it is a well proven model used by many overland/expedition teams around the globe. Setting it up is as simple as inserting a hand crank in the side and turning it to lift the lid up and raise the canvas. Storing the tent is also very simple, just reverse the crank and stuff the canvas inside of the unit. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. (Video Demonstration)