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It’s Summer — Time for Trailhead Approach Vehical (TAV) Blogs

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Trailhead approach 4x4.

Trailhead Approach

Editor’s note from Lou: I’ve got three brothers who do a variety of stuff — one even gets paid to play 100% Beatles music in a cover band. Imagine that! Another brother, the one who authored the post below, is an ace of the digital world and has helped me over the years with ramping up my own status as a geek. Bro Tom loves everything from mountain biking to 4-wheeling, and recently became a Toyota FJ fanatic. As FJ is no doubt one of the best TAVs (trailhead approach vehicals) you can get, this will be the first of a regular series of teasers for more detailed explication over on his blog at myfjcruiser.org

Indeed, Tom has built an XJ that should be winning awards at auto shows, if it isn’t already. Here is an excerpt from Tom’s XJ website. I’m trying to get him in on some 4×4 access climbing or ski trips (he’s a good skier and has done some backcountry with me over the years), so he can do some Wildsnow style gust blogs, meanwhile, he goes over the top with his TAV!

From Tom:
If you’re like our family and spend more than an overnight away from civilization while using your car as a basecamp, keeping your food (and other essentials) cold can present a problem. My solution: Use an electric portable fridge. The ARB I acquired is not one of the cheap ones that can maybe handle a 40 degree cooling drop — but one that will keep our food cold even during days in the desert that make global warming scientists tap their instruments in disbelief.

Backcountry Skiing

ARB portable electric fridge.

And beyond how cold it keeps my canisters, I selected the ARB Fridge Freezer for its robust features and durable nature. This fridge uses a real compressor with cooling coils, and a fan to be sure air moves across the coils. NO more having to run and get ice. We now just load and go.

As Lou mentions in his intro, tons more over at my website, where I cover my FJ mods but also blog about just about every TAV accessory you can imagine. I hope all you WildSnowers enjoy visiting. Lou says at least most of you drive to a trailhead now and then (grin).

Posted by Tom on June 4, 2009 | Filed Under Tom Dawson, Your Guest Blogs, automotive 

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.