TREAD -julkaisun January/February 2024 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

If you would have told Kyle Delfel that he would own a shop (Del Fab), build a badass SEMA award-winning Bronco, take home the top Ford Design award, and be shot for the cover of Tread all in a single year—he would have just laughed at you. You see, Kyle is about as humble as it comes, surprising from someone oozing with such talent. He had never set out to do any of this—at least not right out of the gate. Let’s rewind back to 2005; Kyle had just turned 16 and was cruising a 1975 Bronco. Like most of us gearheads, from that point forward he went through vehicles kind of like underwear. When he was just 18 years old, Kyle built his first solid-axle swap in the way…

The best word to describe Jennie Symons? Epic. The Utah native, only 21 years old at the time of this writing, has already built an impressive resume, flexing all kinds of uniquely dangerous and incredibly fun extreme sports. She’s not just an off roader; she’s a skier (and former pro ski racer) whose new passion is off-road racing and rock crawling. Following the adrenaline and doing what she loves, Symons started a business, built a social following, and designed some really, really awesome vehicles. Her 1993 Toyota Pickup is the perfect storm of off-road power and race mechanics. It stands proud on 33-inch tires at a whopping 88 inches wide with bright VooDoo blue paint – you seriously can’t miss it when she and her crew roll up. “The truck…

In the December 2022 issue of Knives Illustrated, we journeyed together through the Philippines in search of bolo knives. That was only the beginning of my quest to find authentic, hand-forged blades of Southeast Asia. More countries and more adventures were ahead of me. It was a work in progress, but until then I hadn’t seen many forges in working operation up close and personal. AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND My first trip to Thailand was behind a camera in awe of what I consider to be the greatest subjects for a photographer. Strolling through the marketplaces in Thailand, I couldn’t help but notice the many different blades being used to process chicken, fruit, and food in the many street restaurants. After a few days, I soon learned of a village about a…

Overlanding often involves going off the beaten path to places less traveled. As such, reliability is a primary concern. And while most overlanders don’t employ a fully race-prepped 4x4 that’s ready for the Baja 1000, there are several key areas where offroading expertise comes into play. Most everyone interested in any form of racing has heard of ARP, the company that has developed superior quality fasteners for virtually any applications, and manufactures them totally in-house at their California facilities to assure total quality control. While many race cars and trucks are assembled almost totally with ARP chrome moly steel fasteners, there are a number of areas where they make sense for normal off-road use. Let’s start with wheel studs, which are subject to constant abuse. In addition to ARP’s wheel…

01. DUROBUMPS/DBF212 FRONT OFF-ROAD BUMP STOPS Upgrade your Toyota or Lexus truck’s off-road experience with DuroBumps DBF212 Front Off-Road Bump Stops. Expertly crafted in the USA, these bump stops offer smooth, progressive dampening, eliminating hard bottom-outs and the “shell-shock” effect. Designed for off-road enthusiasts and daily drivers, they enhance ride quality, reduce wear on suspension components, and ensure improved off-road control. Experience the DuroBumps difference and elevate your off-road adventures today! MSRP: $214.99 durobumps.com 02. AUTO METER/JEEP JK OVERHEAD SWITCH PANEL Looking for a handy place to mount your accessory switches that doesn’t require cutting or other modifications? The new AutoMeter Jeep JK Overhead Switch Panel with 6 switch cutouts allows you to mount your auxiliary switches up and out of the way. This switch panel puts access right at…

It’s a crawler, it’s a prerunner, it’s… an overlander? At first glance this wild Chevy Colorado looks like some sort of race truck or maybe some sort of rock crawler. Then you realize this truck has a long bed, a roof top tent, gear cases on the cab roof and is packed with enough gear to go off grid for months—this thing is an overlanding rig. One might think the builder of this creation is confused or just can’t make up his mind, but in fact, Matthew Girgis knew exactly what direction he was going when he went full tilt with this build. Girgis wanted a rock crawling, desert running, overlanding rig that can still act as a reliable daily driver. So what does Matt consider himself? To answer that,…

“SINCE SOFFE IS NO STRANGER TO A WRENCH, HAVING COMPLETED SEVERAL PRIOR BUILDS, WORK BEGAN IMMEDIATELY AND BY HIMSELF. IT TOOK ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, AND ALL OF THE WORK WAS DONE IN YOUR STANDARD THREE-CAR GARAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF SUBURBIA.” Building something that screams “different” and “unique” was on the forefront of Pat Soffe’s mind when he conceived of this rig. His 2001 Jeep XJ had seen better days, and the decision of building a newer Jeep—and expensive proposal—became out of the question. Pat says: “The first deterrent of building a new JL was the price of a new JL. Purchasing a brand-new stock-condition vehicle that would need so much additional money invested to match the capabilities of our old Jeep was just too cost prohibitive.” Instead,…

Set against the sprawling vistas of Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah, Trail Hero 2023 was a truly awesome experience. We witnessed passion for the environment, off-roading camaraderie, and advocacy come together to symbolize a shared dedication to preserving trail access for all. At its core, Trail Hero is an event that champions accessibility to nature’s wonders. The event spans five days of trail exploration. But it’s not just about conquering challenging terrains; it’s about creating an environment where everyone, irrespective of skill levels, can revel in the thrill of outdoor adventure. The goal of Trail Hero extends beyond just trail runs. It hosts signature events like the Supercrawl World Championships, The Trail Breaker, and Rock Races. These high-octane competitions kick off later in the day, ensuring participants can…

Back in September, the Tread editorial staff had the opportunity to head out to Holcomb Valley Ranch in Big Bear, California to spend a few days playing in the woods with our friends at Tread Agency and Kahn Media as well as some awesome overlanding brands. The second event in Tread Agency’s Traction Series for 2023, the aim for the trip was to give media representatives, like the Tread Mag team, and brands you’ve seen on these pages quite a few times, the chance to get to know each other, form relationships, and test new products ourselves. We also spent time watching and taking part in demonstrations from each brand as well as subject matter experts who gave talks on topics like fire safety, remote first aid, and vehicle recovery.…