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The words and opinions expressed here are my own, and do not, in any way, represent the views of my employer (OnCourse).
You are here: Home / Archives for Equipment

Has Your 4wd’s Approach Angle Been Compromised?

Published July 31, 2017 By Mick Farmer

Bull bar - For Aesthetic Purpose Only

Whenever you fit something to a 4wd vehicle, there will be a trade off. Understanding this compromise is essential to managing not only your off road capability but also for driving defensively. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, off-road driving

My Thoughts on Using Synthetic Shackles

Published October 27, 2016 By Mick Farmer

using-synthetic-rope-shackles

Recently purchased some synthetic shackles (Gator-Jaw) from Bubba Rope in the States. I had gotten one of their kinetic energy ropes through someone that was leaving Uganda and was very impressed. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: 4wd, Equipment, Gator-Jaw, off-road driving

Why I Don’t Like Roof Racks

Published March 10, 2016 By Mick Farmer

Loading Roof Racks

I don't like roof racks and don't have them fitted to any of our vehicles. Reasons for this dislike are many but the main one is safety. Roof racks encourage loading fairly heavy stuff on the top of vehicles. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, off-road driving, roof rack

How I Store Hand Winch Wire

Published September 21, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Hand Winch Wire Storage

Hand Winch One of the most versatile pieces of recovery kit. Couple with a pulley block or two and a length of synthetic rope, to extend, it can do a lot (obviously the synthetic won't work in the winch). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, recovery gear, winch

Why This Winch Wire Is Dangerous

Published May 4, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Winch Hook Set Up -Bad-Shape

Warn Out This vehicle turned up for a training session recently. It wasn't part of a recovery course, thankfully. We found the clutch in the free spool position which is probably the reason for the rats nest.  Lots of bumpy unsealed roads could do that to the wire. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, recovery gear, winch

Why a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is Important

Published May 3, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Tyre Pressure Monitor System - Monitor

A recent long trip reinforced the importance of having a tyre pressure monitoring system fitted.  The tyre picked up a roofing nail and the system warned of low pressure soon after. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: driving, Equipment, Pressure Pro, road safety, tyres

Not All Winch Anchors are Equal

Published October 29, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Damaged Winch Anchor - Side View

The first winch anchor (aka ground anchor) we bought was dubbed "extreme". It came from a UK supplier. It was a bit of a monster to carry around but it did sort of work for a while. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, ground-anchor, land-anchor, recovery gear, winch-anchor

High Lift Jack Points: Bad and Good

Published July 21, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Modifications Which Affect Off-Road Capability Below are some really bad mods for high lift jacks points.  Some bent when used and some are obvious killers if they hit a pedestrian! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, modifications

Total Recovery & Extraction Device (TREDS) – Work Well.

Published June 18, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Treds - Recovery

Been using these on our recovery course; they work very well. Especially when you have difficulty reversing out of the situation you've just driven into. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, recovery gear, review

Examples of Modifications Which Affect Off-Road Capability: HR Radio

Published March 24, 2014 By Mick Farmer

HR Radio Modification-2 - Front View

HR Radio Modifications. Unfortunate modifications some organisations are making to mount HF radios. Off-road capability, pedestrian safety (MVCs) and /or forward visibility are compromised. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 4wd Vehicles Tagged With: 4wd, Equipment, HF Radio, modifications

Pressure Pro 2014 Update: Back on the Road Again

Published March 8, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Pressure Pro Valve - Before Repair

Peace of mind again! We've been using the pressure pro tyre pressure monitoring system for a while now (see previous article). We had to decommission them all for a bit because the rubber depressor started to leak. I contacted the team at Pressure Pro for a solution and they immediately came back with the answer. Great service. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, Pressure Pro

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