A New Headlamp – the Petzl Swift RL

I think headlamps are a wonderful and useful tool and I find myself using them a lot. Being able to see in dark conditions, aiming the light where you need it by looking in that direction and having both your hands free to work on whatever project or task you are doing in the darkness …

MSR MiniWorks Microfilter

I bought this filter in the late 1990’s to be used mostly for backpacking. A close friend of mine had (and still has) the precursor to this from the early 90’s called the WaterWorks Total Filtration System. It worked well, he liked it and still uses it occasionally. My MiniWorks was the new, improved, smaller version …

Iceco Dual Zone Portable Refrigerator

After 5+ years of service and while still working perfectly I decided that our ARB Refrigerator was not completely meeting our needs. Not because of anything it was doing wrong but mostly because I wanted to carry more food with us and have a separate freezer section for longer-term storage…especially after stocking up at a …

Joolca Hottap Portable Hot Water System

For years I have relied on a simple, old-school solar shower for my warm or hot water needs. They work fine as long as you have sun and it is warm and calm enough outside to heat the bag’s contents. Those variable conditions mean you might end up, at best, with barely warm water even …

My Favorite Morning Coffee Tools

After waking up, if at all possible, I like to start my day with a large cup of coffee. Frankly I am not a huge fan of the taste of coffee and use it more as a drug delivery system for caffeine. That being said I do notice the flavor difference between instant (“Now with …

Sherpa Roof Rack

Sherpa Roof Rack

I started this mobile adventure with a base Yakima roof rack and eventually added the Load Warrior Basket and it’s extension. It has worked well but there were a few issues that slightly annoyed me. First, it is made of steel which is heavy. That added weight causes a couple of less-than-desirable traits, namely lessened …

Alu-Cab 270 Shadow Awning

Alu-Cab 270 Shadow Awning

My old ARB awning worked well for what it was for many years and I am glad I had it. I finally decided to upgrade to something bigger and better and to that end decided on the Alu-Cab 270 Shadow Awning. Numerous companies make 270 degree awnings at various price points but only two that …

ARB Awning

My old tried and true ARB awning has worked and held up fairly well over the six years I’ve owned it. Apparently I’ve never taken a ground level picture of mine deployed so grabbed this one off it’s page at Amazon to give you an idea of what it looks like in action. When I …

A Snorkel For Useless Internet And Street Cred

A Snorkel For Useless Internet And Street Cred

Just kidding. A snorkel (a.k.a. a “Dorkel” by some with a sense of humor) is actually a useful addition to a vehicle when used like we use our Tacoma. Granted, if you are (or know someone who is) a “Mall Crawler” than this addition is truly a waste of time, effort and money…unless all you …

ARB Twin High Performance Portable Compressor

ARB Twin High Performance Portable Compressor

I don’t remember exactly when I first realized I was regularly heading into and back out of situations when a substantially lower tire pressure greatly improved either traction or comfort (or both). I assume that newsflash hit me during one of those excursions where I ended up deflating and then reinflating my tires at least …