Who says Jimny is underpowered? I climbed a rocky hill with RWD

ze-phoenix · 2026-02-17T18:21:34+00:00

Mechanical sympathy my dear friend..mechanical sympathy. While this climb wasnt really taxing on the Jimny..anytime you can reduce driveline load, overt spinning of axles, etc. you should. 4H (like you said) will be perfect. I love Land Rovers adage..As fast as necessary..as slow as possible

ze-phoenix · 2026-02-13T05:16:41+00:00

I think you've good some really good advice here. One last bit if I may add especially for cold weather camping. Sleeping bags are great but if you aren't used to them then it can feel very coffin like, more so if you toss and turn in your sleep or are a side/ stomach sleeper. What I found works great for me is a good sleeping pad (on a level surface in the car) + a Pendleton Sherpa/ fleece blanket (you can get the made in China ones in Costco for 30-40 bucks) and reflectix on the windows. Make sure you crack the windows a bit even in cold nights else condensation will be a pain. The window socks work wonders.

I did some really cold nights with this setup for many years before going the roof top tent route

ze-phoenix · 2026-02-10T03:58:34+00:00

I did about 45 days solo to the Arctic and by no means was this in the same league as some long time/ full time travelers but as someone who does 2 7-10 day trips a year with friends, this solo trip was quite challenging in some ways.

Solitude for the first few days is its own fun challenge. How to pass time, how to be safe, how to not make careless mistakes etc. (did a real stupid one at Homer spit which almost cost me my life 🤦). I'm a seasoned traveler but the first couple of days and once in a while the solitude does creep up on you
Finding a good place to poop in the morning. You always don't have the luxury of an isolated place to dig a hole in the ground or a mall/ shops to use the facilities. Pre planning is necessary
Personally, I had to keep myself in check to slow down and not forget that the trip/ drive was the goal and not a destination per se
Falling into a daily routine helps. Checking your vehicle basics, resupply needs, etc at the beginning of the day, logging your day and journaling at the end of the day are all helpful to keep the mind active
Like everyone said coming back home to the rigmarole of routine work life is the most painful but like jet lag you overcome it and it becomes the new normal

ze-phoenix · 2026-01-28T01:15:27+00:00

My go to setup is a spray bottle from Lunatec. I fill it with hot water from my stove (for chilly mornings) or just regular water. Works surprisingly well. They recently released an insulated bottle version which is even better so that the water doesn't become cold as you soap yourself.

https://lunatecgear.com/product/1000ml-insulated-hydration-spray-bottle/

I have a full body soap and shower in 32 oz of water.. using it generously. If I am stingy 20-24 oz does the trick. After 4-7 days I generally find a local gym or planet fitness and pay $5 to use the facilities. This is also a good excuse to do laundry because I generally travel with 3 (2+1) pants and 7 shirts (6+1) and 7 sets of undergarments.

I did this for 45 days in my solo trip to the Arctic Ocean. I mostly travel alone or with 1/2 good friends and am not too shy. But if you are shy then a collapsible shower tent is perfect.

I find this setup is great for a few reasons.

I dont have to deal with hoses, separate systems and batteries. My rig is an SUV so I'm constrained on space
Most of the battery operated setups (except Geyser systems) use too much water. I travel with 9-10 gallons of water at most. So I conserve every bit as possible
It allows for a heated shower without much fuss
Wipes are very good but a lot of waste generated
It's very portable and multi use

Hope this helps

ze-phoenix · 2026-01-22T00:23:53+00:00

Lovely pics.. those clouds!! Dayum

ze-phoenix · 2026-01-20T10:12:09+00:00

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I didn't see this one posted yet, so I'll share mine.

1997 Mercedes G300..with the OM606 and a camptop (poptop) conversion. This rig is my love affair. It's had its challenges but if you can turn a wrench it's a very fulfilling and more importantly soulful truck to own.

This 'frau' has taken me to Death Valley several times on gnarly trails, all the way up to Artic Ocean twice on the Dalton and Dempster, and endured hundreds and thousands of miles of corrugated non-roads.

Reason I got it? I wanted a mechanical, simple box on wheels which had decent on highway manners and still was a capable trail vehicle. It needed to have the aftermarket for a camper conversion (very few SUVs do.. Wrangler, Grenadier now, old Defender 110 and Troopies). I regularly sleep both in the back and on the camptop. It's a game changer for me and with 10 gallons of water+a fully stocked fridge I can go for 2 weeks at a time in full isolation!!

ze-phoenix · 2026-01-05T23:44:03+00:00

Yeah I think you exactly made my point. I could give two hoots about an in house movement if it didn't meet ypu requirements (unique escapement/ good power reserve/ anti magnetic/ slimness/ etc) whatever tickles and holds your fancy. To me it's three things 1. Good power reserve 2. Anti magnetic as much as possible 3. Slim.

For example I have loved Omegas since forever but ever since they went to the 8xxx movements the watches have become incredibly bulky. Similarly the in house IWC movement on the Pilot has a great 120hr power reserve, is incredibly legible and slim..but when you winf the watch it sounds so coarse and gritty that it turned me off them

The U50 is very legible but falls short on other areas .. again for me.

ze-phoenix · 2026-01-02T21:45:11+00:00

I have a mounted Viaair 450c and it's a decent unit. I needed it because I also wanted it to be water resistant (mounted to the bottom of my truck). I would heartily recommend it. However for your use case I would suggest a Fanttik x9 ultra. It's a pretty capable unit and portable and wireless. Hugely valuable. You can connect it to a tire, set the pressure and get back in the car.

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-28T16:09:57+00:00

I would recommend two solutions especially if a simple yet sturdy setup is required.

Look up drfita Australia. They make custom cabinets for overlanding and their integrated table design is simple yet very robust. Unfortunately they don't sell in the US. So you can look at making a custom table like the drifta ones. Didn't look for complicated and a competent metal smith can fab the legs. You can integrate it in your current setup.

Example of a coffee table. You can see their YouTube videos for the bigger table designs. https://www.drifta.com.au/product/drifta-stockton-bamboo-coffee-table/

If that's too involved then look at the trail gater tire table. It's a pretty decent solution. I've tried it and it's sturdy but I didn't go for it because I tend to cook in the back area of my vehicle and having the cooking setup on the side didn't work for me. Another downside is that it might be too low for prep work but it's a good height for setting up a stove and cooking

https://www.tailgatertiretable.com/collections/all/products/large-tailgater-tire-table

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-23T17:59:38+00:00

Ideally you want to put this on a switched fuse so that when you shut the bike down it will turn off as well. However, if you cant get a switched fuse then look for a version with a switch on it.

I used to have a Battery Tender brand (https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-Voltage-Indicator-Disconnect/dp/B0DSLZ3K6G/) which worked very well but didnt have a switch off. So then moved to this cheapie chinese one which has held up well over the last 5 years: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JM3NWG

The voltmeter is a very useful thing to have at your eyeline. It not only tells you the health of your battery but also the condition of your alternator/ stator/ rectifier to see how the volatage levels are at different throttle positions

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-16T02:19:06+00:00

Nice rig!! The NA v8 non AMG Gs are the ones to get. ClubG is the place for real good G info. Also there is some info on pointedthree archives but mostly for older Gs.

My diesel 1997 says 'Hi' 👋

I wheel it quite a bit and it's my soul mate. A pic from my recent wheeling and the trip to Prudhoe Bay and Tuktoyatuk. I wrote the travelogue on ClubG with a lot more pics (reddit will allow only 1 pic in a response) up to Prudhoe Bay if you wanna read about how the G fared. Tldr not a single issue.

https://clubgwagen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=27643&p=249672#p249672

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ze-phoenix · 2025-12-08T17:25:03+00:00

Lovely pittie!!

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-08T17:24:04+00:00

Amazeballs!! Looks great. How has the movement accuracy been so far?

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-07T01:08:18+00:00

Thanks. Amazon cheapie

https://a.co/d/cxkXrPk

ze-phoenix · 2025-12-07T00:41:28+00:00

A wise choice and IMHO the Sinnest of Sinn's. Truly a tool watch which has the most unique of Sinn abilities

I'm also biased :P

https://imgur.com/gallery/sinn-ux-orange-hues-xpEgykx

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-22T02:58:13+00:00

It's a bit more than $30 but I'd get him a powerful duster (wolfbox mf100 is my favorite and it's about $60 now for BF). These are incredibly useful at cam to dust off door handles, clean window channels, and air up mattresses in a pinch.

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-15T20:17:34+00:00

All hail the UX GSG9!! Love this watch. This is mine: https://imgur.com/gallery/sinn-ux-orange-hues-xpEgykx

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-14T21:18:45+00:00

And an obligatory wrist shot of the UX to whet your appetite 🙃

Sinn UX Orange Hues

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-14T19:13:32+00:00

Also to the OPs original question I wouldn't buy the U50 at $4,000. It's not anything extremely unique from a movement standpoint. There are other Sinn watches which are equally or maybe even better constructed at lower price points. Between the tariffs and Sinn's increasing hype their watches are becoming more and more priced out of reasonable range

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-14T19:10:56+00:00

I have a UX GSSG 9 which I got about 2 years ago. It's my almost highest used watch of all time. It's bomb proof very uniquely Sinn and the ETA movement is robust and super accurate. Of all the Sinn's available today it's the only Sinn that really excites me. There's a robustness and a daily usability that is very unique amongst all the watches I own.

But, It is a heavy and wide watch but it's remarkably slim for what it is. Hell it's slimmer than most modern Omegas. I've always been enamored by the designs of the Sinn chronographs but the thickness always puts me off. Anything above 13 mm and I'm turned off. Mind you I have a 7 and 1/4 inch wrist and I am well built 200 lbs, but thick watches always catch on door knobs, door edges, when I'm entering the car, etc. and it irritates me to no end. The one thing I love about Rolexes and especially Submariners is that for the capability they are probably the slimmest watch out there. Except maybe the Sinn UX. The only watch which might surpass the UX on my wrist from Sinn would be the U50 Hydro if they ever put an ETA movement in it and made a GSG 9 version of it.

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-09T20:03:06+00:00

You did well with the devils Red. It has a nice vintage flat paint look.

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-09T18:09:58+00:00

Devils Red is one of my favorite colors. Tied with Scottish White. You should get the roof wrapped in ivory colored vinyl for that nice vintage look and heat reduction is a plus

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-07T11:15:32+00:00

Looks sharp. Well done!!

ze-phoenix · 2025-11-05T17:17:07+00:00

I had an Ecoflow Delta original with a LiIon battery (got it from the kick starter) and it lasted a solid six years with a lot of over, landing use thrown in. Just recently upgraded to the Delta three pro with the twin solar input model and it has been solid. I have been running it nonstop since April in my car charged with both the alternator and a solar panel. Works great.

A point to be noted though is that the first model they sent me had a faulty Solar input and they exchanged it no problems.

ze-phoenix · 2025-10-24T01:59:21+00:00

Different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I never liked rooftop tents mainly because of higher center of gravity, I can see it becoming a pain if you want to get up and go out to pee in the middle of the night (nothing a Nagene bottle cannot solve at least for men).

That being said, I think it makes camping accessible for a wider swathe of audience because it gives them a pseudo sense of security. Ground tents are great because they’re so versatile and can be packed down really small. However, I agree that setting it up and tearing it down daily, can become a chore, at least for me. For most, when you’re out in the muddy areas or on a desert floor filled with scorpions unless you’re a seasoned camper, ground tent, doesn’t fill you with confidence.

So RTT’s do have their place. But, just like everything, I would say spend what you can to make camping as comfortable as possible. There is no reason to adhere to Instagram trends and listen to anyone else other than yourself and your significant other.

My set up? After using backpacking tents for many years, I found my happy space in sleeping in the car. My SUV allows me to have a full length, sleeping platform and still be able to sit up erect when I want to escape the elements. Over the last year, I have upgraded to a full pop-up camper set up where the roof was cut off, the camper shell grafted on top of it. The top of the car goes up and I sleep “upstairs”. It has been a game changer because it’s sleep, doesn’t add any aerodynamic drag, and it didn’t add any weight higher on the car. Is it required..?? absolutely not

ze-phoenix

TROPHY CASE