TREADの November/December 2017 の目次

Blink and you’ll miss it. Time flies when you let life pass you by, and it’s not slowing down for you to catch up. How many off-road adventures do you have under your belt this year? Is the answer, “not enough?” (Is it ever enough? Probably not!) That’s what Jack and Eileen Livezey, owners of the Jeep Rubicon on the cover, would probably answer. Their insatiable appetite for outdoor adventure and friendships that are forged on the trail drives their love affair for off-road life and the overland community as a whole. Building their JKU became a family bonding experience that you can experience first hand in, It’s A Jeep Thing. Dan Grec has been travelling throughout Africa for well over a year now and shares with us, a hidden…

O1. ADVENTURE MEDICAL KITS MOUNTAIN EXPLORER KIT Don’t let a minor boo-boo sideline you from exploring the trail up ahead. The Explorer medical kit is tailored to families or smaller groups on weeklong adventures. Suited for extended camping or long stretches on the trail, the kit is outfitted with first aid supplies to take care of a variety of injuries and ailments, from cuts and sprains to allergies and dehydration. Comprehensive yet compact, the Explorer can easily fit in your rig or even your daypack. MSRP: $59 adventuremedicalkits.com O2. RUKO RUK0061BZ Having an easy to spot, easy to grip knife within arms reach when you’re exploring the backwoods is always a good idea. Whether you need it for every day tasks or an emergency, this folding knife in…

You would think by the looks of this article’s title, it sounds like we’re about to dive right into some sort of weight reducing diet recipe. You wouldn’t be far off, except instead of food, we’re referring to camp kitchen equipment. You know how it is, cooking stuff can get heavy and bulky real quick. As we discovered, GCI Outdoor’s aptly named Slim-Fold Cook Station is as slim as camp kitchens come and pleasantly lightweight to boot. Food and food preparation are the cornerstones of any camping trip and the camp’s kitchen can be considered a campsite’s command center. Getting a kitchen’s worth of gear to a site often demands much space in your vehicle’s already space-limited stowage area, and that’s only part of the problem. When you finally get…

After an exhilarating day wheeling down the Shaffer Lake trail from the breathtaking vistas of Forest Falls, you realized you’ve spent a little too much time enjoying the splendid views that Mother Nature offers and won’t have enough time before nightfall to make it back to basecamp. To avoid traversing the last 14 miles with only the illumination of your headlights, you thought it best to circle the wagons, get a roaring campfire blazing, and settle in for the night under a speckled canopy of the stars. Since the dawn of time, the control of fire is one of mankind’s greatest achievements, and because of it, he was able to cook his meals, extend the day’s light, ward off predators, and keep warm. However, which kind of fire do you…

After a long drive nothing is more welcoming than cozying up by the fire in your favorite chair, preferably with an ice cold beer in hand. If you’ve ever packed your rig for a multiple day camping trip, or even just a single day at the beach, you have probably realized that there is rarely enough space for everything that you’d like to bring. The problem of finding enough storage space to fit bulky camp chairs in the limited cargo areas of most vehicles can be frustrating at best. Camp chairs have come a long way with innovation and technology helping to create compact, portable and easy to store chairs that can more easily fit into your ride. When camping, there are a host of activities where a chair can…

O1. WARN HIDDEN KIT (’17 FORD SUPER DUTY) Some vehicle owners want the functionality of a winch, but without the winch visible on the front of the vehicle. For these folks, WARN offers the Hidden Kit Mounting System. With this kit, you can mount a WARN winch using factory frame holes while retaining the factory bumper. Newly released for the ‘17 Ford Super Duty, it is also available for select Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge, and Ford full-size trucks as well. MSRP: $670 (Skirting Kit $280) warn.com O2. FAB FOURS JK TUBE DOORS The Fab Fours Front Full Tube Doors provide the ultimate in aggressive styling, functionality and durability for the Jeep JK Wrangler. Experience the trails and the road the way it was meant to be, with little to…

“UNDER THAT BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED SHEET METAL YOU’LL FIND THE NEW CUMMINS R2.8 TURBO DIESEL CRATE MOTOR.” Classic 4WD, like Defenders, Broncos, FJs and Scouts, are all the rage right now. Driving a boxy all-metal 4x4 mechanical beast, with little in the way of creature comforts, makes a statement amongst the plethora of plastic-clad computer controlled “soft-roaders” that have flooded the automotive market recently. The back-to-basics mechanical systems can be worked on in your home garage and you’re sure to turn heads no matter where you go. New Legend 4x4 is revitalizing classic 4WD vehicles, and taking them to all new heights of refinement, performance and capability, while still keeping the classic looks, mechanical driving experience and sprinkling in a few creature comforts, where appropriate. The company is passionate about preserving…

MAGNIFICATION Magnifying glass Flashlight reflector Bottle or bag of water Polished soda can bottom Convex piece of ice Fresnel lens Solar dish ELECTRICAL 9-volt battery and steel wool Car battery and jumper cables Battery and fishhook Automobile cigarette lighter Light bulb filament FRICTION Fire plow Spindle Crooked stick Bow drill Rope drill MECHANICAL SPARK Flint and steel Ferrocerium rod and steel…

The first thing you need to realize when you’re building an overland vehicle is that you don’t really need most of this stuff—but it’s okay if you want it. If you think you need that fancy suspension to explore backroads—there’s a biologist doing it every day for work in a bone-stock F150. If you think you need 35s because your dream journey across the (insert exotic name of a trail in a third world country here) requires it, there’s probably someone driving it in a Toyota Corolla; when they get stuck in the mud, they push. If you’re the kind of person who thinks you need everything because you saw it on Instagram, you might want to re-think your priorities. However, no one can ever criticize you for something you…

Let’s be honest with ourselves, over-landers have a bunch of stuff to carry with them, but that’s part of camping off-the-grid in remote spots. By the time you fill the back of your vehicle with a drawer system and an ubiquitous (and beer-chilling) fridge, there’s not much room left—especially if you have little ones filling up the back seat! A roof rack allows you to store some of the bulkier items outside of your vehicle in a place that would otherwise be wasted. With modern roof rack options offering dozens of accessory mounts, it’s easier than ever to get your vehicle outfitted for the trail. We take a look at a comprehensive list of the industry’s best roof rack options, giving you the details you need to make the right…

Over the past decade, adventure bikes have exploded onto the scene and with good reason. As people move into the concrete jungle, people of all age ranges are looking to reconnect with the natural world in new ways. Films like “The Long Way Round” have perpetuated this trend with both young and old catching the wanderlust bug. It’s no wonder sales in the adventure bike category have been increasing year after year. The real game changers in adventure bikes came with the introduction of the BMW GS line and KTM Adventure series. These bikes had all the creature comforts of a street bike but with some dirt capability, with the KTM’s being the more dirt oriented of the two. While these bikes are typically quite comfortable cruising for long distances…

The holidays are quickly sneaking up on us, and it’s got us craving eggnog, singing along to songs featuring reindeer and has put us in the gift-giving (and shopping) mood. Don't get caught doing the Christmas Eve rush, it’s never too early to start thinking of gifts that your fellow adventurists would enjoy. What do you give that special explorer, adventurer and/or outdoor fanatic? Our staff has come across some great outdoor gear throughout the year that would make fantastic presents and we’re here to share some of our favorites with you. Ever budget conscious, the featured items are divided by price with no item retailing at over $100. Hopefully you find a great gift or are inspired to find one by this guide. Gifts under $20 01 PACKTOWL ULTRALITE…

Nothing sets the visual tone of a vehicle more than its wheels. In the case of your Jeep, truck or SUV, a new set of rims can change its look up and add to its style quotient, as well as increase its trail presence. Whether you opt for a rugged and chunky design or prefer a refined, polished look, you can’t go wrong when you find the right wheel. Let’s take a look at the latest wheel designs on the market. MAMBA/M22 The M22 is a one-of-a-kind, mesh-inspired design featuring a sleek matte black finish with ball-cut machined spoke accents and drill holes. Available in 5-Lug and 6-Lug options, the M22 comes in 16x8, 17x9, 18x9, 18x10, and 20x9 sizes. mambawheels.com FUEL OFF-ROAD/D608 ENDURO The new Enduro from Fuel Off-Road…

LENGTH 23.07 inches FRONT & REAR TRACK 9.78 inches WHEELBASE 12.75 inches GROUND CLEARANCE 3.14 inches BATTERIES NiMH (4-7 cell) or LiPo (2s-3s) URL traxxas.com O1 DRIVELINE PORTAL AXELS Portal axels lift the differential pumpkin to provide outstanding ground clearance while reducing strain on the driveshafts. Steel gears are employed to assure trouble-free performance, even on technical trails. LOCKING DIFFERENTIALS T-Lock Remote Locking Differentials give you the freedom to lock or unlock the front and rear diffs. New sleeved micro cables control the differential action for scale appearance without limiting suspension articulation. TRANSMISSION The TRX-4 is equipped with high and low gears that are engaged at the flip of a switch. Select high-speed gear on the road and switch to low range for extra torque on rough terrain. O2 SCALE…

Traversing the West Coast of Africa requires visiting a minimum of twelve countries, and optionally up to twenty-four. There are many reasons to skip certain countries—safety, weather, visa issues and even Ebola outbreaks closing borders. More simply, sometimes a country is skipped simply due to a lack of interest. On the coast and straddling the Equator lies the small and often overlooked country of Gabon. Gabon seems to be one of those countries that is skipped due to a lack of interest. Virtually no one explores the remote corners, and there is almost no information about what can be found when venturing deep into the dense jungles the country has in spades. The mighty rainy season is forecast to start during my visit, and my now battered and torn Michelin…

Getting to work on, modify and drive a trail-capable vehicle is only half the appeal of getting into the off-road hobby. The other is the camaraderie and bond one feels for other enthusiasts who choose to venture off the pavement to seek out the breath taking backdrops that nature often provides. It’s even better when you have someone to share the experience with, as well. Jack Livezey grew up in the cemetery business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From a young age he was exposed to all kinds of machinery, and has always been fascinated with four-wheel-drive vehicles, especially Jeeps. Now 60 years old, Livezey was looking for outdoor adventure activities that he could enjoy with the love of his life, Eileen. During the course of that search, the two attended a…

“OFF-ROADING TAKES ITS TOLL ON PARTS AND EVERY BREAKAGE OR WEAR OUT IS A REASON TO UPGRADE.” Ron Harrington II has been off-roading since he was barely big enough to reach the pedals in his father’s old C10 pickup. This, as well as riding in his dad’s CJ5 and grandfather’s white topped, faded orange Bronco II, cultivated an interest in 4x4s at an early age. Four wheeling has been a major part of his life ever since. As a matter of fact, one can say that Harrington and his wife met because of 4x4s. His future wife owned a Jeep YJ when she was a teller at the bank he went to. He drove to her work every chance he got in his CJ7. Off-roading and 4x4 trucks have always…

There are impressive off-road vehicles, and then there is Adam Wood’s ‘08 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Not only has this vehicle been upgraded in nearly every way possible, it is also one of the cleanest and most refined off-road vehicles you’ll likely ever come across, even after over 114,000 miles of use all over the American Southwest. Wood was getting his last vehicle serviced, a Tundra, at the local Toyota dealer and stumbled across a Sandstorm colored FJ in the showroom. He was instantly smitten and managed to sell his Tundra within a week, which wasn’t hard as it was only two years old and in perfect condition. The FJ had been out for a few years and on Wood’s radar for some time, but the Sandstorm color is what really…

There’s a seemingly endless supply of “off-road” aftermarket accessories for the Ford Super Duty. But as I learned shortly after the purchase of my ‘16 F-250, a good portion of those accessories are absolute garbage for people who actually intend to use their vehicle off the road. This left me looking to ARB, my old Australian standby, as they were the only ones who I trusted to get what I needed for my American-as-apple-pie Ford truck. Generally, I’m from the school of thought that for what we as overlanders do, you really don’t need to modify your vehicle all that much. Upgrades should be functional and not impede upon the vehicle’s durability, functionality, or reliability. I guess that’s why as I go on, I seem to have more and more…