Rugged Ridge Exo-Top for Jeep 2007-2015

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TAP went out to SEMA this November to check out the products being marketed and released for overlanders. One of the products that caught our eye, was the Exo-Top by Rugged Ridge. After a discussion and demonstration at their booth, we thought you’d in interested in seeing more. TAP disclaimer: We do not own and have not personally used an Exo-Top, but obtained product information to pass on to you. Check out this top’s duo function and TAP into Adventure!

The Exo-Top™ combines top-down driving with the utility of a roof rack, enabling Jeep owners to conveniently lower, raise or remove the Jeep’s soft top without having to unload any gear or cargo from the roof rack. It is currently available for four door JK Wranglers and will be available in summer 2016 for two door models. The Rugged Ridge Exo-Top™ features a patent pending design that is a direct bolt-on application with no drilling required for installation.

By combining the convenience of a soft top with the utility of a roof rack, the Exo-Top™ allows owners to experience a Jeep to its full potential for camping, off-roading, or as part of any outdoor lifestyle. The Exo-Top™ features an innovative Sun Slider® retractable function, which allows the top to slide back with the release of just two clips, creating an open-top experience for owners without the hassle of getting out of the driver’s seat.

Integrated into the 300-lb. capacity roof rack is an advanced externally suspended soft top design that fastens using a series of Velcro straps along the perimeter bars of the roof rack. The pulling force applied by the Velcro helps to tighten and shape the soft top and completely eliminates the need to unload any gear or cargo from the roof rack in order to conveniently lower, raise or remove the Jeep’s soft top. The Exo-Top™ is also compatible with most standard rack attachments and accessories in the industry, enabling Jeep owners to utilize the Exo-Top™ to safely haul any type of gear or equipment for outdoor adventures, including bicycles, skis, snowboards and kayaks.

“What’s great about the Exo-Top™ is the freedom and versatility it gives Jeep owners,” said Patrick Bennett, Product Development Manager at Omix-ADA. “By combining the soft top and roof rack, the Exo-Top™ allows Wrangler owners to spend more time enjoying their Jeep in any setting, rather than having to deal with a cumbersome soft top and roof rack that were not designed to work together.”

Rugged Ridge’s new Exo-Top™ is an industry-first design that combines the utility of a roof rack with the open-air freedom of a standard soft top in one bolt-on product. It is available on-line or through a designated dealer.

Part Number	Description	MSRP
13516.02	Exo-Top, 4-door, 2007-2015 Jeep Wrngler JK	$1,732.99
13516.01	Exo-Top, 2-door 2007-2015 Jeep Wrangler JK *Available Summer 2016	$1,599.99

Contact Info:
Rugged Ridge at 770-614-6101
visit www.RuggedRidge.com

The Exo-Top™ can be seen in action on a JK Wrangler on the Rugged Ridge YouTube Channel. Have a look at the Rugged Ridge Exo-Top in action.

Photo Credit: Omix-ADA

Editor: Lori Palmer

Barlow Adventures

By

Lori Palmer

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Nena Barlow, BARLOW ADVENTURES, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

TAP recently had the opportunity to speak with Nena Barlow of Barlow Adventures located in Sedona AZ, Moab UT and a seasonal operation on the Rubicon Trail in California. We asked her what inspired her to get into the business of renting Jeeps, guiding trips and providing 4WD trainings to people wanting to get out and explore. Here is what she had to say:

“With 4wd vehicles becoming more and more comfortable and capable, I saw the numbers of people on the trails exploding, and, with that, an even higher ratio of people who had no background in how to do “outdoors” at all, let alone conduct themselves safely and responsibly on unmaintained backroads. The initial concept was to be able to impart enough wisdom to recreational vehicle users to help them be safe as well as responsible in order to ensure that trails would stay open for us all to enjoy. That launched 4wd training, and we carried over that same concept to Jeep rentals—enabling people to enjoy the spectacular backcountry of the Southwest safely and responsibly.

Nena Barlow began her career leading Jeep tours in Sedona AZ in 1993. She drove guests on off-road trails in tour Jeeps, pointing out the sights and giving them the history of the area. She did this for about 10 years. During that time, she began to train some of the other tour guide drivers on off-road driving techniques. At the time, there were very few training books focused on overlanding and rock crawling techniques, so Nena wrote her own training materials and quickly became the central trainer for tour guides. From there, Nena began getting requests for training by 4×4 owners who had heard that she trained the tour guides. As the requests increased, Nena decided to start her own 4WD training business on week-ends.

In 2004, due to an exponential growth in demand, Nena left the Jeep touring business and partnered up with Farabee, a local Jeep rental business in Sedona, opening “Sedona Jeep School”. When Richard Farabee decided to move his business to Death Valley, Nena scraped up all the money she could, with help from friends and family, and in 2009 Barlow Adventures was open for business.

Barlow Adventures caters to tourism visitors and recreational 4wd owners. They lead and coordinate professional and corporate events, train industrial and military operators, and provide location and production services for the movie/TV industry. Barlow Adventures ships Jeeps throughout the lower 48 states for special events.

I asked what makes Barlow Adventures stand out and here is what Nina had to say. “We have the best maintained and quality-built rental Jeeps in the U.S. No other rental company is as meticulous with preventative build and maintenance and cleaning. Our staff is known for their amazing knowledge of local trails and Jeep driving tips. I am one of only 60 trainers in the world certified by the International 4WD Trainers Association. I’m also the only woman to have done so.”

“Any anecdotal incidents/memories from the trail?”

NB: “Unfortunately, most of the statutes of limitations have not run out yet, but here are some highlights.”

-“The many times we have rented a Jeep to someone, then they come back the next month or the next year and tell us “That was a really expensive rental—It made me have to go out and buy my own Jeep!”

– “The bazillion times we have gently encouraged some first-time Jeep drivers to trust our Jeeps and do something adventurous and they have come back all smiles and telling us “I CAN’T BELIEVE the Jeep could do that! That was the best thing we have ever done in our lives!”

-” The time I was training military operatives, all outfitted in black fatigues, and we stopped to help pull some locals out of a mud pit along the trail. I could tell they weren’t sure if they should run for their lives or be grateful.”

-“Just last week: One of our Jeeps had a fender that was barely hanging on—we were in the process of settling with the renter who had done the damage, but in the meantime, were sending the Jeep out with a fender flare just “finagled” back on. We made sure to mention this to the next renters, that they would not be responsible if it fell off, but perhaps they didn’t hear us, because when they returned that Jeep a few days later, the fender had been replaced. Thanks!”

-“Even though this is the 21st century, most people assume that a Jeep business is owned by a man, and so whichever of our male staff is up front always gets asked “Are you Mr. Barlow?” That always gets a good guffaw. But, it does tell me that they are doing such a wonderful job that the guests think they must be the owners!”

Contact info/links to webpages/social media:

Barlow Adventures
Sedona: 3009 W State Route 89A, Sedona AZ 86336
Phone: (928) 282-8700

Moab: 1805 S Hwy 191, Moab UT 84532

Phone: (435) 259-3195

Website: barlows.us

Email: info@barlows.us

Facebook: facebook.com/barlowadventures

Instagram: instagram.com/barlow_adventures

Head to the Southwest and TAP into Adventure!

Video by Aaron Kupferman
Author/photos: Nena Barlow

Editor: Lori Palmer

The Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill

By

Lori Palmer

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Skottle, Tembo Tusk, Tembo Tusk Skottle, camp cooking, overlanding, overland, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

“What’s a Skottle Grill?” That was the question we got when we told our camping buddies that we were going to help with the evening’s feast using our Skottle Grill. It took approximately 5 minutes before the main chef took over our skottle. He loved it. TAP took Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill down on a four- day adventure with the guys from Agile Off-road, to the San Felipe area of Baja. We went with a crew of food lovers and shared some amazing meals. Here’s the lowdown on Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill, followed by a review done by TAP and our crew of fellow off-roading chefs.

The history of the Skottle comes from South African farmers who created a secondary use for old harrow discs by turning them into outdoor cooking utensils that could be used while out in the fields. The Skottle caught on with the public in the 1940’s and 50’s and is now synonymous with grilling in South Africa. Anything that can be cooked in a pan, skillet or on a grill can be cooked on a Skottle.

The Tembo Tusk Skottle comes pre-seasoned and can be used immediately. The easiest way to recondition the Skottle is with olive oil or any cooking oil and heat on a gas or charcoal barbeque to 450 degrees or until the oil on the metal stops smoking. Like a Dutch oven or cast iron pan, the more the Skottle is used the better the non-stick cooking surface becomes.

The Tembo Tusk Skottle is designed to be used with an inexpensive Coleman Style single burner and a gas bottle. The burner simply hangs in the frame welded to the bottom of the Skottle pan. Typically a Coleman burner uses a disposable 16 oz gas bottle for fuel. This is sold separately.

The Tembo Tusk Skottle comes with a frame to hold the burner and three legs to support the pan. The legs are removable and can be stored separately. The Skottle is 18″ across and stands 28″ tall with the legs installed.

We found the Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill really easy to assemble and use, clean and put away. The surface has a hot area in the center and a ring around the outside that is perfect for keeping items warm once cooked. Tembo Tusk sells a cover for the Skottle and protective sleeve for the easily removable legs that makes storage a cinch. We would like to see a bigger version in the future with two burners….can’t get too much of a good thing. All in all the Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill makes a wonderful addition to your camping experience and frankly is our new favorite piece of camping gear!

Check out Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill at www.tembotusk.com and

TAP into Adventure!

Tell us about your favorite piece of camping gear below in the comment section.

Roof Top Tent Accessories

By

Lori Palmer

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Attention Roof Top Tent overlanders!

Christmas/Hanukkah is coming soon and it’s time to tell your loved ones what’s on your holiday wish list. Check out these two pieces of roof top tent accessories that we think are a great idea. The Shoe Hammock keeps your shoes outside the tent, but within reach and the Gear Loft is just that, an attachable “loft” that holds all of your “in-tent” necessities. Put these goodies on your list and then go….. TAP into Adventure!

The Roof Top Tent Shoe Hammock
A great way to keep dirty shoes out of the tent and convenient to grab. Could be used to hold a wide range of items. Made in the USA!
– Made from polyester mesh fabric
– Has a 34″ x 14″ footprint
– Attaches to slide-in hangers via end straps and bar slides. Can also be attached to footmen loops on plywood platform tent units.

shoe-ham-Ayer — No muddy/sandy shoes in the tent

shoe-ham2 — Located right behind the top of your ladder.

The roof top tent Gear Loft
Provides quick to grab, off-the-floor storage space while camping. Keeps a wide range of lightweight gear organized and easy to find. Made in the USA!
– Made from polyester mesh fabric
– Has a 21″ x 28″ footprint
– Attaches to bows via end straps and bar slides.

To order visit www.top-tent.com/accessories

What’s your favorite camping/overlanding accessories? Let us know in the comment section below.

Sand Canyon Trail – eastern Sierra

By

Lori Palmer

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Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,

GPS	N 37 30.891 W118 38.295
Elevation gain	7,675-10,131 ft
Season	mid July-late Sept
Terrain	rocky and steep in places
Difficulty	moderate
Required Vehicle	Stock 4×4 with high clearance.
Time	3 to 4 hours round trip
Length	9.2 miles one way

Directions to Sand Canyon: From highway 395, between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, take Lower Rock Creek Road south 4.3 miles or Gorge Road/Old Sherwin Grade Road north 6.8 miles to Swall Meadow Road. Go west on Swall Meadow Road .7 miles and turn right on Sky Meadows Road. Follow Sky Meadows Road northwest .5 miles to a one-lane dirt road on the right soon after the pavement ends.

Site Location and Description: Sand Canyon is a fun and beautiful overland trail that follows the John Muir Wilderness and climbs up giving you great mountain views. This trail is rated moderate and has some sandy areas and several steep rocky climbs and descents. In the spring, the wildflowers are abundant and in the fall, the landscape is filled with beautifully colored leaves. You can spend the day and fish at a small lake at the end of the trail, although the lake level varies. (Summer 2015: lake level-extremely low). You’ll find a primitive overland camp area here as well.

Current Road Conditions: 760-873-2500

Click here for more CA off-road, Overlanding trails…..and TAP into Adventure!

American Adventurist

By

Lori Palmer

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American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Dave Bennett, I4WDTA certified trainer and Senior Enlisted Leader,1st Marine Division, founded American Adventurist in 2010 with the aim of hosting a community forum as well as many community events and trainings. American Adventurist organizes multiple events every year. Each one has a regional flavor and is geared toward the vehicle-supported adventure travel enthusiast, with an emphasis placed on friends, family and an active outdoor lifestyle. TAP has attended the Mountain Rendezvous in Big Bear, CA the past two years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, cameraderie of like minded individuals and exposure to new gear and overlanding inspired companies. These are not commercial events, but are attended by small overlanding companies as well as outdoor, overlanding enthusiasts.

TAP wanted to know how American Adventurist came into being and how it has evolved. This is what Dave Bennett had to say:

What was your Motivation for starting American Adventurist? As a lifelong outdoorsman and enthusiast, I grew tired of the overtly mercantile and mercenary tendencies of the outdoor and off-road industry and the pay to play events. I saw an opportunity to create a community that was about something more than money and what we could squeeze from people. I’m also a proponent of traditional American cultural values and saw the wholesome outdoor activities that I’d enjoyed with my Grandfather being replaced by video games, closures, gates and regulations. I wanted a community that could be a positive force not only for my own family to be a part of but also to draw other like minded Americans together in order to pass on positive ethics, values, and interests to our children. Perhaps if we led by example through exemplifying responsible recreation, we could leverage positive outcomes within the off-road and outdoor segments so that our children could still hike and drive and hunt and fish in the same ways that I had done as a child.

What makes American Adventurist Unique? American Adventurist is an adventure travel enthusiast community dedicated to exploration, self-sufficiency, and preserving our American cultural values and heritage. We are also a proud Tread Lightly Alliance Member. As such, our focus is on the community of interest and in giving back to that community. One of the ways we do this is through our nationwide Rendezvous events. Each year since 2010, we’ve presented free regional events where we pick a charity or community service project. At the yearly SoCal Desert Rendezvous, we partner with the BLM and perform trail cleanup efforts in “at risk” areas – 2015 saw over 1.5 tons of trash removed from public lands by our members. At the yearly SoCal Mountain Rendezvous, we promote Scouting and raise money for the Boy Scouts of America. In North Carolina at our annual Appalachian Rendezvous, we partner with the local community to raise money for much needed renovations at community center in Uwharrie. Lastly, in 2014 our members helped collect over 1,100 toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Over the last five years, the American Adventurist community has blossomed into something that we’re very proud of. Currently, American Adventurist is the official Forum Sponsor for Overland Expo and 2016 will include Rendezvous events on both coasts. There’s even rumors of adding a 4th Rendezvous event in 2016 with locations in Texas, Oregon and Alabama being discussed.

Check out American Adventurist.com for upcoming events and TAP into Adventure!

Social Media Information:
Facebook: facebook.com/AmericanAdventurist/
InstaGram: instagram.com/americanadventurist
Twitter: twitter.com/usaadventurist
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/usaadventurist/american-adventurist-home

Author: Dave Bennet
Editor: Lori Palmer
Photos obtained from American Adventurist’s social media sites and by TAP’s Publisher and Co-Founder, Andy Palmer