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With our expanded focus onto general travel and 4WD topics, we will be providing reviews on camping and travel products.

First up is our review of Reliance Products' Fold-To-Go camp toilet.


Fold-To-Go in Valley of the Gods, UT

We are strong believers in the 'Pack it in Pack it out' philosophy of back country travel and for several years we toted around the Reliance Products Luggable Loo and their Double Doodie Waste Bags with Bio-Gel. The system is simple and effective but the size of the Luggable Loo took up a fair amount of space in our 4Runner and after the sleeping platform was installed we decided look for a new setup. After contacting Reliance Products, they were kind enough to send out their Fold-To-Go toilet for review.

Specification
Length: 14.50 Width: 4.50 Height: 14.50
Weight: 4.50lbs
Price: $42.99

Our Thoughts:
We have been using Reliance products for several years we were excited to try out their folding toilet on our trips. The toilet uses their standard Double Doodie Waste Bags and the system can be setup, ready for use in less than a minute. The three legs easily fold out and click into place, providing a sturdy and stable platform for sitting. At 260 pounds, I never felt like the toilet would collapse beneath me, even when placed in an off-camber position. The size of the toilet worked well for storage behind the driver's seat and below the sleeping platform.

For the rest of our review, visit our blog at www.LivingOverland.com, or click here.

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Review of Stanley NINETEEN 13 Water Bottle



Specifications:
Materials: Stainless Steel and BPA Free plastic
Capacity: 24floz
Price: $15.00

Our Thoughts:
It can be tough finding a water bottle that fits the small cup holders on the 4Runner. It is even harder to find one that is easy to open while driving. Past experience has seen me placing a water bottle between my knees, unscrewing the cap, placing the cap in the hand holding the steering wheel, and then taking a drink of water. You can see how this can be dangerous, taking your attention from the road can lead to an accident.



We were excited when we were able to pick up a pair of their NINETEEN 13 1-Handed Water Bottles at the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. The pair have traveled with us for 4 months now and they have become our go-to water bottles. The one-handed push-button lid is easy to operate and the bottle's fit securely in the cup holder. The only complaint I have with the water bottle is the stated capacity. I think they could have hit one out of the park if they had listed the capacity as 26floz/750ml instead of the 24floz/710ml. You see the first thing I thought about when I saw the bottle was a 750ml bottle of wine and how this would be the perfect complement to our GSI Outdoors wineglasses. It wasn't until I verified the capacity that I realized it would in fact hold a full 750ml bottle of our favorite wine.

For the rest of our review, visit our blog at www.LivingOverland.com, or click here.

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Bergans of Norway Wiglo LT4



Specifications:
Persons: 4
Season: All
Weight: 8lb 13oz (Outer Tent) 4lb 6oz (Inner Tent)
Footprint: 157.5” x 135.8” x 70.9”
Sleeping area: 59.2 sq ft
Price: 549.90€ ($725.77)



Our Thoughts:
It isn’t every day we come across a tent that makes us stop and take notice. The Bergans of Norway Wiglo LT4 is one of those tents. The design is unlike any other we have seen here in the US, and it is for a reason. The Wiglo LT4 is based on the Lavvo-style Norwegian hunting tents and it incorporates a center pole design with three flexible tent poles running radially to provide taller walls and a more open floor plan compared to other tents. The tent provides plenty of room for four people and all of their gear, an invaluable feature, but definitely not an industry standard for four-person tents. There was so much space that we could fit Gus, his big bed, our packs, both of us, and would have had enough room one more person. The almost vertical walls in the tent made the difference; Krista was able to stand up in the center of the tent and had plenty of space to move around near the edges of tent.



For the rest of our review, visit our blog at www.LivingOverland.com, or click here.

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Zippo Outdoor Utility Lighter



Lighters are one of those often overlooked but essential pieces of camp cooking gear. Nothing can bring more frustration when attempting to light a stove, while surrounded by a group of hungry campers, than a malfunctioning lighter. Inexpensive barbeque style lighters are not refillable and their piezoelectric ignitions often fail to ignite the fuel. In light of this, we were excited to see Zippo’s new Outdoor Utility Lighter at the Outdoor Retailer show. The lighter offers a wind resistant dual-flame design, a refillable fuel reservoir, and rubber handle.



Our Thoughts:
The first thing any lighter should do is ignite, and the Outdoor Utility Lighter does that very well. The dual-flame design ignites the fuel upon the first click of the lighter nearly every time. The only time we experienced difficulty igniting the fuel was when the lighter had been sitting outside in the cold, and we attribute this to the lower fuel pressure seen at lower temperatures. The lighter’s wind resistant dual-flame works well in the windy conditions we often experience while camping in Idaho and Wyoming. We only noticed the flame extinguishing under the most sever wind, and even then our camp stove had a hard time staying lit.

For the rest of our review, visit our blog at www.LivingOverland.com, or click here.

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by Beau Johnston



Specifications:

• Material: Polypropylene, Tritan (Spork)
• Actual size: 185x185x58mm
• Weight: 312g
• Kit includes:
• Lid and/or plate (450 ml).
• Plate and/or bowl (900 ml).
• SnapBox, waterproof (170 ml).
• Spill-free cup with measuring lines (350 ml).
• Combined strainer and cutting board.
• Spork.
• Price: $24.95 (via Amazon.com)

Out Thoughts:
I will be honest, I have never been a fan of traditional 'mess kits;' like the ones tossed into the backpacks of generations of Boy Scouts. I inherited such a kit from my father when I began backpacking in the late '90s. It was bulky, weighted a ton, and while it was made of metal it wasn't much good for cooking and tended to suck the heat out of the meal it was containing. It was with reluctance that I began looking for a mess kit after deciding to outfit our pelican case as a adventure motorcycle kitchen.



Click here to read the rest of our review and see why you will find our MealKits in our adventure motorcycle kitchen box on our future adventures.

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Review: Light My Fire Swedish FireKnife
by Beau Johnston



Specifications:

• Blade: Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel
• Grind: Modified Profile-Ground Scandinavian
• Length: 3.75" (10 cm)
• Grip: TPE rubber material
• Sheath: Polypropylene
• Swedish FireSteel®: magnesium alloy
• Actual size: 225x45x38mm
• Weight: 94 g
• Price: $39.99

Our Thoughts:
There is something about the design of Swedish field knives that epitomizes craftsmanship and design. The quality of steel used for their blades combined with traditional designs make these the chosen survival and field knives for outdoor enthusiasts around the world. It wasn't any surprise to us when we heard Light My Fire, known for their Swedish FireSteel, was teaming up with Mora of Sweden, who has been making knives for over 120 years, to create a single tool that is able to 'gut and clean a fish, split kindling and light a campfire.' We were able to get our hands on the FireKnife at the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where we actually had to wait in line to test it out.

Visit our website, www.LivingOverland.com, or click here to read the rest of our review and see why we think the collaboration between Light My Fire and Mora of Sweden produced a great all-around camp knife.

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Review: Trip Planning Bag



Specifications:
4” & 2” Velcro strip for label and pouch attachment
17” x 12.5” x 1.5”
Toggle/Barrel Lock closures
Padded interior
500D Cordura

Our Thoughts:
If you are like me, you love maps and half of the fun of a trip is in the planning. I have invested in maps for all of our backcountry travels and I want to make sure my maps stay protected and free from damage. For years, I tried to protect our DeLorme atlases from being damaged by placing them under a seat, or in the pocket behind the front seats but, eventually, due to being sloppy, the covers and pages would become bent or torn.
After years of searching for a better way to store our maps we came across the Trip Planning Bag by Blue Ridge Overland Gear. The bag holds up to five of our DeLorme atlases or a couple of atlases and our folding BLM travel maps. You can tell that a lot of care goes into making the Trip Planning Bag. The Blue Ridge team makes each one of these pouches by hand and the attention to detail is evident in the design. This is an extremely well-built pouch, Krista even commented that 'Man, this thing is Krista proof!'

Visit our website, www.LivingOverland.com, or click here to read the rest of our review and see why 'we no longer have to worry about damaging our DeLorme atlases.'

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Review: BlenderBottle



Specifications:
BlenderBall® whisk inside
Secure screw-on lid
Embossed ounce and milliliter markings
Easy to clean—dishwasher safe
20 or 28—ounce capacity
BPA-free

Our Thoughts:
We love making marinades and salad dressings in the field. In the past this meant mixing the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, adding to the amount of gear we have to store in the 4Runner. Those of you who attended our cooking demonstrations at the 2012 Overland Expo may remember us making a peanut sauce in a small bowl, capable of nesting with our cookset, and how we ended up spilling sauce onto the table. When we returned we began looking for an alternative and stumbled upon BlenderBottle at the Outdoor Retailer Show.

Visit our website, www.LivingOverland.com, or click here to read the rest of our review and see why the BlenderBottle has changed how we cook in the field.

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Review: ALPS Mountaineering Guide Table



Specifications:
Frame: Powder Coated Steel
Top: ‘Easy to Clean’ rubberized surface
Dimensions: 22" wide x 61" long x 30" tall (Standard Height)
Dimensions: 22" wide x 61" long x 42" tall (Extended Height)
Dimensions: 8”x9”x31” (collapsed)
Weight: 25 lb 7oz
MSRP: $99.99



Our Thoughts:

We have had our ALPS Mountaineering Dining Table since 2008 and it has traveled with us on nearly all of our trips. We have come to rely on the table as an essential part of our camping kit so we were excited when ALPS announced their new Guide Table in May of 2012. When I first saw the table at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, I immediately thought of it as great for cooking preparation and serving. The adjustable height allows for an elevated working surface, a feature I have long sought being 6’6” tall!

Visit our website, www.LivingOverland.com, or clickhere to read the rest of our review and see why the ALPS Mountaineering Guide Table has become our go to table for camping.

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RAM Mounts' X-Grip
by Beau Johnston



I have struggled for years to find a decent cellular phone mount for our 4Runner. Inexpensive suction cup mounts would vibrate loose over corrugated roads or fall off in the heat. Also, suction cup mounts also obstruct the view out of the windshield. I wanted something that could be quasi permanently mounted in the truck, withstand the rigors of off-pavement travel, and could be used on both our smartphone or Garmin Nuvi.

http://youtu.be/Irh8stSyWAs What I found was RAM Mount's new X-Grip cellular phone mount, which uses four spring-loaded arms to grip onto the sides of the smartphone. I was sold on the video showing the design's tremendous rigidity in extreme vibration. I chose to maximize rigidity when in use by not utilizing the kit's suction cup base, but instead mounting the X-Grip to the 4Runner's A-pillar using Ram Mount's Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base.

Parts Used:

• 1ea RAM Small Suction Cup Mount with Universal X-Grip™ Cell Phone Holder (RAP-B-166-2-UN7U)
• 1ea RAM Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base with M8 Screws (RAM-B-367U)
• 1ea M6x40 Flat Head Socket Cap Screw

Read the rest of our review and how we mounted the X-Grip to our A-pillar by clicking here.