Category: American Adventures

Adventurist news, events, and interviews with the community.

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Bajaworx Enduro Windshield

While reading the internet one day, I came across a post from Bajaworx seeking testers for an Enduro bike windshield.  Bajaworx was looking for folks to give their product some real world testing, and to put it through the ringer to see how performed and held up to months of riding.  I promptly replied to the post, and a few days later I received a neat, tidy package in the mail.  Like the proverbial porridge, the box was not too big, not too small, but just right.  Maybe it’s just me, but it really irks me when I get a pair of gloves shipped in a box you could live out of.  No, Amazon, I did not like your packaging.

Tear open the box from Bajaworx however, and you get a carefully and correctly wrapped shield, complete with a bag of hardware taped in place (nice!) and a clear set of installation and care directions.   The shield comes out clean and free from blemishes, and they even used high quality Makrolon polycarbonate in its construction.   These guys obviously care about what they make and sell.

Start the installation by removing the headlight mask on your bike to install the shield.  You’ll have to punch a few holes in the stock mask, but luckily this part is only about 20 bucks if you need to “rework” it for any reason.  Removing the headlight assembly is as simple as disconnecting the wiring, removing the brake hose guide, and pulling the two rubber mounting straps.

Here’s my first gripe: I’m a klutz and I want a template, darn it!  I’m also borderline OCD, so I needed to get the windshield installed perfectly straight.  Out come the calipers and the sharpie so that I can scribe some lines of reasonable accuracy.  A paper template that I can lay over the bike’s headlight mask and mark out the drill holes would be a welcome addition to the installation instructions.

One of the more refined features that are included with the Bajaworx windshield are the stiffening brackets that help reduce movement of the windshield while under wind load.  Sadly, they stopped short of the mark on my particular bike, so I wasn’t able to use them.  It should be noted that I installed the windshield on a model year this was NOT designed for, so that’s no fault to Bajaworx.

Yet again, Bajaworx’s attention to detail surprises me – in this case the appropriate hardware comes pre-assembled; no digging through a bag of hardware looking for the “#4:  6mm screw – 30mm”, or some such nonsense.  Just select a long or short screw, and assemble one at a time being careful not to overtighten.  Depending on what handguards and other handlebar accessories you have on your particular bike, you may have to spend some time tinkering and adjusting to incorporate this windshield onto your bike so that vibration and rubbing won’t cause part A to eat part B.

Over the last several months I’ve taken the Bajaworx windshield down many miles of singletrack, climbed mountains, and gobbled up hundreds of miles at full chat.  I’ve taken the windshield into some properly hairy scenarios, and I never noticed it; with one exception.  I bottomed out hard in a G-out and let myself get pulled too far forward over the bars.  My chest kissed the top of the shield, but that’s all.  No harm, no foul.  Otherwise, it’s utterly imperceptible until you get up in speed.

Once you’re looking to cover some miles, you will notice well, nothing – and that’s the point.  The shield takes all that wind pressure that would normally be pushing you over backwards and diverts it around you.  When sitting, you will have practically no wind from the neck down.  Unlike other products, this piece accomplishes this in such a way as to maintain smooth, laminar airflow across your helmet.  This means that while your head is still in the wind, it’s not bobbling around and creating a roar.  There’s some noise for sure, but it’s all quite tolerable.

Last but not least is durability.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not get the opportunity to crash test this shield, so I cannot speak to its performance in that arena.  I would posit that this shield is the least of your worries in a crash, and that because the headlight assembly is essentially rubber mounted, it would likely survive any encounter with the earth.  One area of improvement I would suggest is the brake line routing.  The brake hose on my bike would rub constantly on the two ridges on the back of the shield, quickly developing a ‘smeared’ section.  It’s a non-issue since the shield in nowhere near your sight line, but it’s kinda ugly nonetheless.  Granted, it’s still the best looking plastic on my bike, so who’s to argue?

All said, this is a well thought out, well made, and made in USA product that can provide some real world relief on those long stretches at speed.  Whether you’re headed to Dead Horse, or you’re in search of some fish tacos and a cold cerveza, the Bajaworx enduro shield is a welcome riding partner and will see you through a day of riding with noticeably less fatigue.  Check them out at bajaworx.com.

 Full Disclosure: Bajaworx generously contributed this Enduro Windshield for review at no cost to the author or American Adventurist.

 

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Nemo Concerto and Vector Insulated 25L

Getting quality sleep is a key part of being able to truly enjoy camping, so gear that keeps you more comfortable and allows you to sleep better is something that should top every gear list. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve probably all had nights where we didn’t sleep well or where we didn’t sleep at all while camping.  Maybe it was the crappy sleeping bag that didn’t keep you warm, or the bag that fit you like a glove to the point that you felt like you were being mummified.  Or maybe it was your sleeping pad that didn’t insulate you well enough from the cold ground, or caused your body to ache in the morning because it didn’t do a thing to make the ground any more comfortable.  There’s no reason that you can’t have a good night’s sleeping while camping – you just need the right gear.

MEET CONCERTO

Nemo Equipment calls their Concerto sleeping bag the new definition of comfort while camping, and after using it over the last six months, I’m inclined to agree.  The concerto is what happens when the technical gear wizards at Nemo make a sleeping bag based on real world experience and outdoor industry technologies in a design inspired by your bed at home.

Crawling into the Concerto is actually quite like climbing into a real bed, where you’ll find space aplenty and cozy layers that can be configured to keep you comfy in a wide range of temperatures.  The first layer is a sheet that is zippered on both sides of the bag so that you can adjust it to your liking.  On top of the sheet is a 700 fill Downtek down comforter that can be snapped all the way up around your neck with the oversized draft collar in place, or rolled nearly all the way off you if you don’t need it.  The net effect of these layers is that you feel like you’re in a real bed – and unlike a single-sided zip sleeping bag, you can have your choice of which side you want to access the bag from.

Inside the bag, the bottom layer is quilted for comfort, and you’ll find a pillow pocket that accepts a Nemo Fillo (which has been my favorite camping pillow for years) or some folded layers to create a stay-in-place pillow.  There are two mesh pockets inside the bag, one each side near your shoulders so you can stash your headlamp or whatever other small items you need with you for easy access.  Out back, the Concerto has a sleeve that will accept up to a 25inch wide sleeping pad, and Nemo’s Vector Insulated 25L is a great choice here – more on the Vector in just a minute.  The Concerto packs in to a storage bag that may seem loose at first take, but this is so that you can toss the Concerto with a sleeping pad and pillow in place into the storage bag and still easily get it closed.  Making camp, and packing up, just became a faster and easier.

MEET VECTOR

I chose Nemo’s Vector Insulated 25L Sleeping Pad because the specs for the pad made it sound like it had the potential to be a true quiver-of-one sleeping pad – and in use I was not disappointed.  The Vector Insulated 25L strikes a sweet spot between featherlight backpack-ability and car camping comfort.  It weighs in a 1 pound, 8.5oz, which is pretty light for a 25inch-wide insulated pad that’s 6’4” long and also packing a foot pump.  Its three-inch thickness makes it thick enough for comfortable side sleeping, and the insulation makes it a pad that you can use on the cold side of freezing temperatures.

The foot pump makes inflation fast and easy with a few light stomps, and you can also get great results with your hands when working inside a tent or truck cap.  You don’t have to master any breathing or blowing techniques here – just compress the pump a few times and your pad will inflate.  A conventional mouth valve allows you to fine tune your pad pressure, and a dump valve allows you to deflate the pad quickly.  No more kneel-deflate-wait-roll-repeat procedures here.

LEARNING IN THE DARK

The first time I used the Concerto and Vector Insulated 25L was at zero dark thirty after ducking onto a dirt road in a place I’ve never been after a full day of driving from Flagstaff, AZ to Rigby, ID.  If this sounds like a great time to figure out how gear you’ve never used works, you’re absolutely correct – but it took me all of 4 minutes to get a bed setup for the night.  Tarp, Vector, Concerto, Fillo in it’s pocket, and everything was ready.  The temperature was in the mid sixtys when I stretched out in the Concerto for the first time, and snapping the down comforter all the way off but leaving the sheet zipped up was the perfect setting and I soon fell fast asleep.  As the night cooled off, I woke up once to pull up the down comforter, but otherwise I slept great.

Things were much colder in the morning, and I awoke to a down comforter covered in dew.  Thankfully the Concerto is made with DWR materials and Downtek is treated down, so despite the fact that I was sleeping under a layer of beaded water, I was still totally dry, and sold on the comfort and performance of the Concerto and the Vector.

Since my trip to Eastern Idaho in June, I’ve taken the Concerto on a number of trips and it’s continued to provide me with great sleep every time I’ve used it.  Moving into Fall and colder temperatures, the bag has done better than I expected closing in on freezing temperatures as long as the wind isn’t blowing when you’re sleeping under the stars.  I found out the hard (cold) way that cold airflow can make it’s way under the down comforter if you’re sleeping broadside to the breeze.  Rolling my tarp over me provided a wind break on that night, but it would be awesome to see Nemo come up with a way to seal the comforter to the bag better.  I’m also worried about tearing out a snap, so adjusting the comforter is an exercise in care and patience.  My only other wish for the Concerto would be a sheet system that worked like a sleeping bag liner and that was completely removable.  With a removable sheet, you would be able to simply wash the sheet just like you wash a liner, and would therefore have to wash your bag less often.

The Vector has proven to be a great sleeping pad to the point that it’s my most used pad, hands down.  With its easy foot pump inflation, dump valve deflation, and great physical comfort and insulation, the Vector is a hard pad to find fault with.  Not once have I experienced any air leakage while using it and the pad is much quieter than other “bag of chips” pads out there.  It also packs to a small enough size that it’s a great choice for backpacking or moto-camping, and its been a great pairing with my backpacking sleeping bags too.  If you’re only allowed one sleeping pad to your name, the Vector would be a great way to go.

ENJOY THE FIVE BILLION STAR HOTEL

The Nemo Concerto sleeping bag and Vector Insulated 25L sleeping pad work together to make a great sleeping system that, when combined with the Nemo Fillo, provides better sleeping comfort than a number of real beds and cheap roof top tent mattresses I’ve used.  Used together, or as standalone pieces of gear, both are great options.  When space and weight aren’t the driving gear selection criteria, it’s hard to beat the Concerto for its roomy comfort in a wide range of temperatures.  Even when you’re crashing on your buddy’s couch, Concerto can make that couch a better place to sleep.  For the Roof Top Tent crowd, the Concerto is a great choice for a bag that can live in your tent for the duration of the trip – you won’t have to pack your sleeping kit up each morning, and your tent will easily close with Concerto inside.  Likewise, the Vector Insulated 25L is a warm, quiet, and very comfortable pad that would make for a great quiver-of-one sleeping pad.  It complements the Concerto quite well when car camping, and works equally well when you’re living out of a pack and using another bag.  Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself missing your Concerto when you’re in a backpacking bag.

A WORD ON SLEEPING BAG RATINGS

Sleeping bag temperature ratings are subjective, and even EN 13537 or “EN Tested” bags shouldn’t be assumed to keep every user comfortable at a given temperature, because everyone’s comfortable sleeping temperature and physiology is different.  A bag that may keep you totally comfortable at 20 degrees may keep me teeth-chattering-shivering awake all night at the same temperature. Therefore, EN testing is helpful for comparing bag A to bag B, but remember that not all manufactures test their bags the same way.  Bring an insulated liner or some extra sleeping layers with you when pushing the lower limits of your what your bag is rated for.  Remember the weather forecast is a prediction, and other factors such as wind and humidity can really impact the temperature of where you’re going to be sleeping for the night.

UPDATE:

Nemo Equipment has launched the Jazz Series of bags that have all of my wished for features (zippers instead of snaps, and a removable sheet) and a synthetic comforter to help keep costs down.

Full Disclosure: The sleeping bag and pad were provided by Nemo for an independent review at no cost to myself or American Adventurist. That said, I’ve purchased a number of Nemo products over the years and have been a satisfied customer. This review and others like it are intended to provide you, our readers, with no holds barred honest opinion of a product used over a number of outings and months of use.