Tuesday, February 18, 2020

How To Help Stop Trail Closures

Top 5 Tips

All across the United States our trails are being closed for one reason or another. The Forestry Department and the Bureau of Land Management are closing thousands and thousands of miles of trails every month. The Fall of 2023 miles and miles of trails were closed in the Moab area. 

Public Lands are a privilege. This privilege comes with a responsibility. If you are out enjoying these public lands you need to be a good steward of these lands.


My tent on public lands while the sun rises.
Sunset near the Grand Canyon

Public lands are slowly being taken away. You might ask yourself why or blame the government and land officials. More and more recreational users are using these lands. There are many who do not use them responsibly. Officials are starting to close trails and limit use. Let's not give the radical environmentalists more ammunition. 


Tips on How You Can Help

Number One - Educate Yourself

Starting January 1 of this year Utah now requires operators of off-road vehicles like quads, side by sides, high modified 4x4’s and more to take an off highway vehicle education course. LINK for online class

It’s free and only takes about 30 minutes. I took the class and now have my permit. The online class videos are filled with a lot of great information that is very important to help keep our trails from being destroyed. When the trails get destroyed they eventually will close them down.


Travel Responsibly 

Use the tread lightly principals. www.treadlightly.org Travel responsibly by staying on the designated trail as this will keep from widening the trails. You can do this by following the trails signs, get a map app or check with the local agency for maps such as the Forestry Department for paper maps. Don’t go around obstacles go over them. Going around the trail obstacle widens the trails and this magnifies the negative impact on the land. Some of the places we wheel have very sensitive ecosystems.

Hood shot of my Jeep on public land trails.
Public Lands


Pack It In Pack It Out 

You hear this a lot because it’s very important. Don’t leave your trash on the trail. Take it back out with you and dispose of it properly. Clean up after yourself AND others.


Research 

Check out the area you are going to wheel ahead of time so you can avoid the sensitive areas. Even when it comes to your footsteps. Up on the mountains above the tree lines even your footstep can destroy the land for decades. In the deserts of Utah they have very delicate desert lands. 

Pictures and Videos

Only show videos and pictures of responsible behavior on social media. Showing reckless behavior only promotes it.


Most Important Tip

The off road and overland community is huge. The number of voters we have is enormous! We need to make our voices heard! If we all just do our part we can keep our trails open for future generations to enjoy. 

Read more on How You Can Help Protect Our Public Lands from Closure


How do we do that? 

  • Get involved! 
  • Find out if there are closures in your area. 
  • Find out where your elected officials stand. 
  • Voice your opinion.
  • Get your local clubs involved. 
  • Watch this video.



Thursday, February 13, 2020

Nexen Off-Road Tire Review

Testing Out a New Off-Road Tire


Nexen Tires entered the off road tire arena many years ago. new company coming into a already established world is difficult, but let me tell you... These tires rock! 

Check out my YouTube Video 👉 Jeep Momma Nexen Roadian MTX Tire Review


My Nexen Roadian MTX Tire on the trails.
Nexen Roadian MTX Tires

Nexen sent me a set of Roadian MTX tires by Nexen Tires to try out on my adventure across America. The tire featuring a dual sidewall design that allows you to customize your look.

I was hesitant at first but I quickly changed my mind during my 10,000 mile trip across America. During the Fall of 2019 I set out across America to do some wheeling, meet Jeepers, and experience the life of overlanding. I took the Rodian MTX tires on every terrain I could find from lava rock, snow, ice, mud, sand, and on asphalt on the highway. They performed amazing. 

I have wheeled five different tires off-road and so far on all the terrains I have wheeled the Nexen's have out performed the others. 

👉 Why Nexen Tires


My Jeep with Nexen Tires in Arizona.
Nexen Tires in the Arizona Deserts

Nexen says they are born from performance and I would have to agree. They performed perfectly on all the terrains we hit. 

  • Forward bite on par with competition sticky
  • Lateral stability is solid
  • Unique sidewall construction 


My Jeep with Nexen Tires in the Arizona Mountains.
Nexen MTX Tires wheeling in Arizona.


That unique sidewall construction was second to none. I beat up those sidewalls wheeling in Arizona and they were amazing. 

After 10K miles I found very little wear. And you don't need to air down as much as you would another tire. 14 PSI was the perfect number for rock crawling. Those tires performed just as good if not better then a tire aired to 10 PSI. 

Check out my Reviews page for more Jeep Momma Product Reviews

Disclosure

Sunday, February 9, 2020

A Must Have Camping Tool

L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives


My Jeep parked at L.T. Wright Knives Shop.

During my fall of 2019 adventure, I had the opportunity to test out knives from L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives. I never understood people's fascination with knives however, that all changed after the month long journey. 

Must Have Camping Tool 


Bushcrafter knife and Muck Knife

I received the Bushcrafter and the Camp Muck to try out on my adventure. Wow, using this knife totally changed my outlook on a good quality knife. I don't leave home without my knife now.


My L.T. Wright Muck Knife.


The blades are a superior quality made from a high carbon steel. Every knife they make is made by hand with attention to detail. The handles are so comfortable in my hand and I don't feel awkward using it like I do with other knives. 

I also got to test out the Machete using it for everything from chopping wood to clearing trails, even a fire poker. It held up amazingly and is still as sharp as when it first arrived. 


L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives

Camp Kitchen Set of Knives 

Another favorite of mine is the camp kitchen set of knives. There are four of them in this cool holder made by Blue Ridge Overland Gear. My go to knife is the paring knife. Again very comfortable in my hand with a blade that is solid. 

I was also lucky enough to be able to see, first hand, the knives being made and the knife artisans who take pride in their product. I highly recommend getting one of these knives if you plan on doing any off-roading or overlanding.

L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives Shop Tour 

Check out this page for more Jeep Momma Product Reviews 


SPONSORED CONTENT DISCLOSURE

Occasionally Jeep Momma partners with brands and PR agencies to review products ono this website and promote them via my social media accounts for which I receive free products and /or compensation. All views and opinions are my own. Please know I only post about products I believe would be helpful and useful. 

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