Dave Bennett is the Founder of American Adventurist, a vehicle based adventure travel community and digital magazine.
Currently based in the Deep South, Dave is a military veteran and an avid outdoorsman with over 30 years of back country experience in the most remote and challenging environments in North America, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle East.
Engaged in all facets of remote wilderness travel, Dave is an International 4WD Trainers Association Certified Trainer and a Tread Lightly! Master Tread Trainer.
Initially slated to be revealed at this year’s Moab Easter Jeep Safari, Jeep® introduced their Gladiator Farout Concept today, intent on leveraging the Jeep Gladiator’s excellent 4×4 payload and fuel-efficient 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine. They also teamed up with some well known brands in the overland industry to make it instantly ready for long range vehicle based adventure travel. Where would you take it? Please comment below and tell us your thoughts!
Jeep® FarOut concept press release, FCA, Aug 12, 2020
This go-anywhere, do-anything Jeep concept takes off-road exploration to the next level. An encore to last year’s Jeep Wayout concept, the Jeep Farout concept benefits from Gladiator’s class-leading 4×4 payload and the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine’s long-range fuel efficiency to go even further off the beaten path.
The main feature of this fully functional concept is a neatly contained, customized deployable roof-top tent in the form of an Adventure Trailers “Habitat”. The spacious 16-foot-long by 7.5-foot-tall recreational residence opens and retracts in a matter of seconds. Once unpacked, it comfortably sleeps up to four.
Long gone is the cold, monochromatic look and feel of a traditional overlanding vehicle. The Farout’s warm, inviting wood-lined interior features soft ambient lighting, a fully functional refrigerator and stove, plus hanging storage racks, built-in seats and table space. Inside the Farout’s customized cab, outdoorsy fashion and style are celebrated with dark smoke blue leather, orange stitching and plaid flannel seat inserts.
Farout’s exterior features a new “Earl” body color with chartreuse accents on the hood, rear tailgate tow hooks, springs, badging and shocks. Its rugged stature is emphasized with a Jeep Performance Parts two-inch lift kit, 17-inch matte charcoal rims, 37-inch Falken Wildpeak MT tires, a modified Gladiator Rubicon steel bumper equipped with a 12,000-lb. Warn winch, custom front and rear rock rails and FOX™ performance shocks to easily overcome obstacles. Its integrated roof-rack system allows for hauling additional gear topside.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve tried them all. From the venerable “wheelie bin” offerings from South Africa and Australia to the old Trasharoo, we’ve seen and tested them all. Truth is, they all work. Many people just use them for trash and other light duty items, but we wanted a bag that could carry more and do more. We needed one to last longer outdoors while also giving us options for mounting beyond just the spare tire.
The search for something better started with a discussion over on our forum. What did our members want? What features are they interested in? We reached out to several companies in the US as well as Australia and South Africa with our crowd sourced inputs. After months of emails and lip service, one company actually listened. And they didn’t just listen or talk, they actually went to work.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10454″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Enter the Last US Made Bag Company:
“The Last US Bag Company was founded in Portland, Oregon in 2001 as an OEM soft goods manufacturer for military and commercial purposes. Over the years, LUSB has developed a proprietary brand of products that spans the retail and industrial markets, including renewable energy, aerospace, tactical, and commercial markets. LUSB’s products can be found globally and have even orbited the Earth. Our commitment is to building quality manufactured products in the USA, employing as many as we can at living wages, and reducing consumption of textiles through responsible design engineering.
Today, LUSB resides in a 30k square foot manufacturing facility in Vancouver, WA and employs roughly 30 people, give or take. We like to work hard and encourage each other to grow both personally and professionally, and we love the Northwest corner of the US and enjoy the many outdoor activities this area affords. If you are ever in town, come by and see us! We love to have visitors!”[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10442″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]What Last US Bag came up with is something they’re calling “Oscar’s Mobile Hideout”. The concept is straightforward, yet complex in execution – provide a solution to the demand signal for an all-purpose spare tire/ladder/rack attached utility bag for anything you might need on the trail. Firewood hauler, recovery gear, tools, nerf guns, slain deer, camp chairs, chain saw, kitchen sink, wag bags, extra children. Whatever.
It needed to be made out of something strong in case you decide to throw a 5 gallon fuel or water can in there. And it had to be able to be left out in the sun, able to get dirty, and ready to hose out and go again. So they listened to all those crazy ideas and made it happen. And they made it out of a heavy duty 18 oz poly reinforced vinyl that is highly durable, won’t absorb odors, resists fading, and is resistant to chemicals.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10440″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]They sent us a test mule for this review and we drug it from Florida to Arizona and back again over a nine day trip. We used it on Padre Island and Big Bend National Park in Texas, and it made a public debut at the 2020 Desert Rendezvous in the Arizona desert. Features on this current iteration include:
22w x 24h x 8d
Poly-no-stretch webbing attachment with ITW buckles
Poly vinyl mesh outer pockets
Poly vinyl mesh interior lid pocket
BIG dual vertical front locking zippers for easy access to inside of bag
Top cinch retention gasket
Interior loops for securing a trash bag with carabiners
Center strap closure
Bow saw sized slip pocket with cutting board/frame sheet
Side compression straps
Reflective trim
D-Rings for exterior lashing
Grab handle on top for carrying, or hanging from a tree in bear country
Bottle opener. Yes, you read that right!
[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871671-78419230-fa84-7″ include=”10453,10452″][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871673-1fa9b04a-4cc6-8″ include=”10443,10451,10450″][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871675-d5055f14-9b42-9″ include=”10444,10441″][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871676-df97d21a-d776-8″ include=”10442,10448,10447″][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871678-34e55bbc-41bb-2″ include=”10446,10445″][vc_column_text]What would we change?
#1 is bomb proof metal buckles and strap mounts. Most of us would appreciate the option to upgrade those at checkout. More diversity in colorway options like black, gray and desert tan would be appreciated as well. The evolution of the mounting system to include a way to mount to tailgates like the Jeep Gladiator etc. Maybe a quick detach system across all mounting types. Being able to clip it on or off rather than wrangle straps when it’s go time would be a major edge over other offerings.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The bottom line:
For an “early iteration”, they came close to hitting every check box. This bodes well for the future of this bag, and for the Last US Bag Company. Their goal is clear here: A bag that provides utility across the spectrum from SUV to pickup to vans, or even traditional campers.
Everybody needs a bag like this on trips to pack out more than you packed in!
[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1585249871680-515fae7f-0973-4″ include=”10438,10437″][vc_column_text]Full disclosure: This bag was provided at no cost to the author or American Adventurist for the purposes of an independent review, and to provide feedback for inclusion in the development of future versions.
Photos by Richard Soohoo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”10436″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jeep® FarOut concept press release, FCA, Aug 12, 2020
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