It’s been said that a truck should come only in one of two forms: filthy and covered in mud, or totally spotless. Mud is a reminder of all the fun you had the other day, but holy crap it is hard to clean off the mud from your undercarriage (especially clay). And don’t get me started about your camping gear in the bed of your truck. It’s downright maddening trying to clean some of your gear when it gets covered in dirt and grime.

Inevitably someone comes up with the idea of wrapping their gear in black garbage bags, or to cover it in tarps with an inordinate amount of tie-downs to keep gear clean and dry. At best in that moment you look like a hillbilly headed to the county landfill. After a few miles the wind begins beating against your precious protective layer of garbage bag and tarp, suddenly a tie-down slips and your tarp begins flapping in the wind like an oversized super hero cape and starts fraying and falling apart. I know we all enjoy the idea of having a Superman cape that allows us to fly off to rescue Lois from the maniacal Lex Luthor, but your truck doesn’t need to look like a poor man’s homage to the Man of Steel with a tarp flapping in the wind.

No, I am not suggesting that you sacrifice valuable truck bed real estate by putting on a gaudy shell that makes you look like you wish you bought an SUV or (gasp) a family van instead of a manly man’s vehicle. No self-respecting man wants to look like that. He wants to throw his gear and motorcycle in back and ride in triumph down the street in glory with ladies turning their heads to behold his magnificence.

Enter the Tuff Truck Bag and ride with confidence knowing that your gear will stay dry and secure. The Tuff Truck Bag has solved all of those little annoying nuances associated with transporting your gear around while keeping it clean, dry, and out of view from prying eyes (for that day that you are hauling around a mountain of cash and don’t want anyone to know that you just robbed a bank).

I have been testing this bag all season to make sure I can weigh in properly and give an unbiased opinion on whether or not you should spend your hard earned cash on an enormous bag. And here are the highlights:

Hits
• All my gear stayed clean and dry.
• The bag has enough space to hold a large tent, a few sleeping bags, a stove, air mattress, lantern, and a couple small duffle bags.
• The zippers are sturdy and don’t feel like they will slip.
• PVC material is strong and didn’t rip when I threw a log on top.
• Strong corner D-rings allow for secure rigging.

Misses
• The opening is a little small and awkward to get my gear into. This was a bit frustrating when trying to push my gear to the back of the bag.
• The beige bag looks pretty dirty after a couple uses. More color options would be nice (real men want camo!).
• Rolling the bag up to store is frustrating as the included storage bag is small and flimsy.

Opportunities
• Create an additional opening on the opposite end for easier access.
• Provide a better storage bag that will stand up to abuse.
• Add a little more length to the bag to allow for more capacity.

Overall, I think this is a great idea that will keep my gear in great shape for years to come. The Tuff Truck Bag really stands up to its name and has withstood several beatings that my canvas truck bag would have failed on immediately. There are some opportunities for improvement on design, but the product is rock-solid and will serve you well for many seasons to come. Farewell Superman truck! Check them out for more information, or at least to watch what happens when a person climbs inside and goes through a car wash!

The post Dirt Don’t Hurt… But it is Nice to Keep it Off of Your Gear appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Packing all the features we liked before (the cool lantern mode, the easy-clean body) the XL Plus brings with it 2 crucial improvements that we were begging for last time we looked at this product. Firstly, the Plus ships with it’s own battery rather than relying on you to supply the USB power source of your choice. Sure, most outdoor enthusiasts have several battery packs laying around (I know we do!), but still I want to open a product and have everything it needs to work right there in the box! Much more importantly, the Plus now includes 3 additional magnets that allow you to hang the strand in almost any configuration. Let me explain…

The last Luminoodle we got came with two magnets – one on each extreme of its 5ft. This was convenient if you wanted to hang it up, but only if you wanted to do so in a straight line. Now with three additional magnets, each slidable down the length of the strand, allow for some really great applications. Our favorite was in the engine bay of our project car. With this 10ft rope light, we were able to completely surround the engine bay rather than a single directional light source. This made finding parts and adjusting connections a breeze, and is going to quickly become a feature I can’t remember how I lived without it.

The Luminoodle XL Plus picks up where its predecessor left off and runs it all the way to the goal line. This is the perfect trifecta of a great working product, a great looking product, and a great startup company that only you are cool enough to know about. All kudos to the Power Practical team, they are on a run and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

The post The Perfect Outdoor Rope Light appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Similarly to Utah weather, the Monty Hi is incredibly variable, and can be enjoyed in many different situations. My Grey/Teal Hi’s got inquisitive questions from a sneaker-connoisseur as I was strutting through the library in the morning, although he too wasn’t convinced they would hold up well in the snow when I told him they’re marketed as something of a sneaker-boot combo. We were both able to agree, however, that the shoe looked unique and would fit right in on his shelf next to his  newest Jordan’s. Later on, unbeknownst to me, it had begun to snow. Hard. When I finally got out of my evening Architectural Theory class, which ironically is held in a class with no windows, I was confronted with making my way to the other side of campus to catch the bus with nothing but snow in sight. To my surprise, I arrived home an hour later with my toes completely dry, thanks to the oiled suede and high grade nylon typically found only on seriously expensive hiking boots. Although I didn’t encounter too many slick surfaces, on the snow, I never slipped. This is thanks to the exposed EVA mid-sole with a heel stabilizer and the bespoke Ridgemont half cup outsole, making for sure footing regardless of if you’re boogyin’ at a club during Sundance, or trudging back to your ski cabin thereafter.

The structure of the shoe is quite rigid and feels like a boot, but definitely manages to pull off a modern, athletic silhouette successfully. The only criticisms I can offer are the limited color-way options, and the comment that the athletic silhouette does come with a tradeoff –  by no means is the boot exceptionally warm, so make sure to pair them with some thicker wool or thermal socks. All in all, if you’re looking a good-allrounder I can attest that the Monty Hi can get you from snow bank to date spot with no hesitation.

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Funny name aside, this USB-powered strip of LED lights is set to solve a plethora of outdoor and adventure needs. Encased in waterproof silicone, this 4 1/2″ strip of lights can bend, bunch, tie, and drape its way to lighting just about any conceivable surface or angle. Add in a couple magnets for hanging on car projects or from your porch roof, and you’ve still just scratched the surface of the Luminoodle’s possible uses. Best of all, stuff the whole strip in the included carrying bag and you’ve got yourself a handy lantern. Slick stuff that.

This string of lighted goodness is currently up on Kickstarter – don’t worry, all of Power Practical’s campaigns always meet and exceed their goals – but we got an early hands-on test and put it through it paces. In fact, you’ll notice a certain Porsche Project in the Kickstarter video… We found the Luminoodle to be very bright, tough, and easy to work with. The imbedded magnets made suspending it under the car, or around an axle, an absolute breeze. Best of all, after a dirty night of wrenching, the silicone cover wiped right off and looked good as new.

We are unashamed fans of what the Power Practical team is up to, and this light strip is no different. It is versatile, tough, bright, and fills a need that hasn’t been solved yet. We highly recommend picking one up and getting your noodle on.

The post Power Practical Luminoodle: Let There Be Light appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Sperry boat shoes have been a household name for decades. The man behind the shoe, Paul Sperry, came up with the idea when his dog was able to run over ice easily. Mr. Sperry used a method that was used on tires, called siping. By cutting thin slits in the rubber sole, the shoe was able to catch on slippery surfaces. The nonslip shoe made it ideal for boaters. Boat shoes are also famous for their moc-toe (think moccasin) with oiled leather to repel water.

Since these shoes are normally worn in wet and hot conditions, no socks are necessary. The no sock trend really picked up steam in the 60s with penny loafers and continued through the 80s when loafers with no socks was seen as preppy. Because yachting was a main reason people wore Sperrys, Top-Siders began to be associated with the wealthy.

Today, the shoe seems to be reserved for southern frat boys with salmon shorts and a too-tight polo. Personally, I like to think they are worn by so many Greek Life students because they are always in style. Sperrys have been considered a modern fashion trend for quite some years and it doesn’t look like they are going anywhere. At this point, they are really less of a fashion trendvand more of a style icon.

When purchasing a boat shoe, think simple. A complicated, half tennis-half boat is not something you want. This is known as a hybrid shoe that they try to do too much with one design. This design is generally clunky, has too many clashing materials, and is an overall visually unappealing shoe. Meanwhile, a classic one-material boat shoe is simple, sleek, and only uses leather for the top of the shoe. Colors like Oatmeal, Sahara, and Tan are safe classics. Avoid colors like black, gray, and any leathers that are grained. Whatever company you choose, if you’re looking for one shoe to wear throughout this summer, the boat shoe is it.

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