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The Scorpion

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uphill
25
WELCOME TO THE SCORPION BUILD-UP THREAD​

The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.



photo courtesy of VOLHOO (thanks Vince)​


All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.
--Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO
The Scorpion FJ, though unworthy of the man, has been created in honor of T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), may he rest in peace.



When I bought the FJ, I mapped out a philosophy on which direction a build-up should take. My philosophy was built around a vehicle that could operate, removed from populated areas, and support my interest in exploration and examination of unsettled regions (increasingly difficult to find). Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

My philosophy in modifications is simple. I wanted to create a strong, capable, sustainable rig that would BRING ME HOME at the end of the day. Everything I've done to my FJ has that particular end in mind.

My favorite FJ Cruiser Moment: I'm driving my FJ on an expedition and I can't fall asleep at night under the stars because reality is finally better than my dreams.

This is the stock FJ.

I bought my FJ Cruiser on December 23, 2006 as a Christmas present to myself since it was highly unlikely that anyone else would buy an FJ for me no matter how hard I tried to get off the naughty list.

My daughter Emilie agreed to ride shotgun with me on trail runs.

concentrated mist,

a clear jewel on a leafpoint,

drip,

the river begins!​

(Photo Courtesy of THUBUB, Holcomb Creek ford - 07)​

And I began the process of modifying the FJ


SCORPION

Edited and Updated Mod List
I'm going to use this partcular posting to post added mods so it will change over time to reflect those additions. Some mods will replace others so occasionally there will be deletions as well.

(photo courtesy of CRAZYHERMIT and NETTI - Kokopelli Trail - Nov. 2007)

(photo courtesy of DOMINICG - Mojave Road - Feb. 2008)

(photo courtesy of DRAGON - Kokopelli Trail - July 2008)
​
FROM THE DEALER
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Model 4704C
Titanium
Upgrade Package 1 <ATRAC/Rear Locker>
CQ and C7 Convenience Packages
Curtain Shield Airbags
Roof Rack

Build Date: November 2006

Engine bay bulges/rips: First noticed 1/21/08 - bulged on both fenders @22K miles

Significant Mechanical Problems: None so far

  • ARMOR
  • ARB Bull Bar - Front Bumper
  • DeMello Offroad rear bumper w/swing arm[/COLOR])
  • Bud Built Front Skidplate
  • Bud Built Middle Skidplate
  • Bud Built Transmission & Transfer Case Skidplate
  • Bud Built Rear Crossmember
  • Bud Built Fuel Tank (Beefy) Skidplate
  • Bud Built ARB Spacer Armor Plate
  • Inchworm E-Locker Motor Skid (sustained trail damage, cut down in size to repair)
  • Rear Lower Shock Skid
  • Rear Trailing Link Skid
  • Rear Differential Plate (welded)
  • DeMello Hybrid Sliders
  • Manic Tail Light Guards (Real Wheels guards took 5 trail hits -saves- then gave up the ghost)

    SUSPENSION AND TIRES
  • Walker Evans Beadlock Rims
  • Nitto Terra Grapplers - 305/70R17
  • Demello Frame Chop
  • Donahoe Racing Shocks and Front Coil-Overs
  • Old Man Emu Heavy Duty Rear Coil-Overs (OME-886)
  • Donahoe Racing Upper Control Arms
  • Light Racing Jounce Shocks (Chubbies) replacing bump-stops
  • Icon Signature Lower Control Arms
  • Gorilla Lugs

    EQUIPMENT ADDITIONS
  • Lowrance Baja 540C GPS & Freedom Maps Chip F103EX-S and F104EX-W & Shadow GPS R/V Mirror Adaptor Mount
  • Man-A-Fre Auxillery (22 gal.) fuel tank
    --Providing a total capacity of 40 gallons
  • Wet Okole Seat Covers
  • Scanguage 2
  • K & N Air Filter - Replaced by OEM Air Filter
  • Aux. Optima Yellow-Top Battery
  • Dirty Parts Auxiliary Battery Kit
  • Circuit Boss 7 Circuit Fuse Block
  • 6 x REL40 40 Amp custom amber switches
  • Stebel Nautilus Compact Air Horn
  • Passenger-side arm rest
  • Fuel Can Options: 2 x Wedco Jerry Cans (gas/water)
  • Relocated Rear Differential & E-Locker Breather - Scuba Driver Mod.
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • ARB Safari Snorkel
  • I-Pod
  • Death-Stalker Scorpion transfer case shift knob

    COMMUNICATIONS
  • SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker
  • Midland 75-822 Handheld CB Radio with Vehicle Adapter
  • Antenna – 5' and 3’ Firestick/CB
  • Yaesu FT-1802 M/E 2 meter transceiver (50 watts output)/HAM
  • Comet 3D5M mobile mounting hardware/HAM
  • Antenna - Diamond NR-770HA 2M/70CM 3/5.5dB Mobile Antenna/HAM

    LIGHTING
  • Airflow Headlight Covers
  • Hella Black Magic 6” Driving Lights (mounted to ARB Bumper)
  • N-Fab Front Light Bar/Bracket w/3 x Acro X1870M Driving Lights & 2 x 40 B/U PIAA Flood Lights
  • N-Fab Rear Light Bar/Bracket w/2 x 40 B/U PIAA Flood Lights & 1 x LEDQUAD LED Strobe Light Bar
  • 2 x Oznium Flexible Super Thin (red) LED Dome Lights
  • 2 x Puck (white) LED Dome Lights
  • LED Red dash lights replacing white instrument gauge lights

    TOOLS & TRAIL EQPT.
  • Fiskars Axe
  • Short Handle Shovel
  • Crowbar/Pry Bar
  • Eagle Talon (RJM Forge)
  • Husqvarna 350 18" Chain Saw
  • Jumper Cables
  • Tool Kit
  • JB Weld
  • Spool (1000 ft) OD Green Parachute (550) Cord
  • Roll(s) of 100 MPH Tape (milspec rigger's tape)
  • FJC Spare Parts Kit (on extended load-out): including 2xCV Boots, 2xCV Sway Bar Links, Serpentine Belt, rear lower control arm, front axel, spare fuses, tire valves, etc.

    GEAR STORAGE
  • SCORPION MOUNT - An endoskeleton in the back to provide hard points and additional M-PAC storage.
  • Pelican Cases - Allow modular load out depending on the nature of the trip.
  • Fourtreks Shovel/Axe mount
  • Fourtreks HiLift Jack Mount
  • Fourtreks Dual Mount
  • Fourtreks Fuel Can Rack Mount
  • Fourtreks Modular Roll Bar Handle
  • Springtail M-PAC rack and MOLLE gear
  • Springtail M-PAC Side Rack
  • 2 x Expeditionware Jerry Can Holders (currently one mounted)
  • Power Tank Roof Rack Mount - (Custom Fab using Four Treks parts)

    PNEUMATICS
  • 20 lbs. CO2 Auxillery Tank (Internal Mount)
  • 10 lbs. CO2 Power Tank
  • Ingersol Rand #2135 Ti (composite titanium) pneumatic impact gun
  • Power Tank Super Coupler
  • Power Tank HD Tire Inflator Handle
  • Oasis Trailhead Deflator / Stebel Trailhead Deflator (both onboard)
  • ARB Tire Repair Kit
  • Spare valves and valve cores

    RECOVERY
  • Warn XD9000 Winch
  • Viking Kevlar Winch Line (100')
  • Winch Safety Thimble
  • Viking Delrin Fairlead Rollers
  • Warn Hitch Shackle
  • 30’ Rescue Strap
  • 100’ of braided steel cable
  • ARB Snatchblock
  • Pull Pal
  • 4 x 3/4 ton D-Rings
  • ARB Bushranger X-Jack
  • Hi-Lift Jack
  • WabFab Slider Attachment
  • Hi-Lift Jack Base
  • Hi-Lift Jack handle keeper

    EMERGENCY EQPT.
  • Basic Survival Kit (on standard load-out)
  • Large First Responder First-Aid Kit including an adult bag/valve mask
  • Smoke Grenades (pyro- red and green)
  • Chemlights (red and green)
  • Polish Model 78 Flare Gun (26.5 MM) with star flares
  • Lensatic Compass
  • Knive(s)
  • Firearm(s)

RECOMMENDED VENDORS:
I have had consistently good service from these
vendors and encourage you to consider them in
your build-ups. I have not received a discount
from any of them and have no financial stake in
the outcome of your purchase.

DeMello Offroad
BudBuilt
Man-A-Fre
Springtail (MPAC)
Dirty Parts






SCORPION IN VIDEOS

FJ CRUISERS IN DEEP CREEK
(Courtesy of FJROD)

(Courtesy of POKER DAWG)

THE LATEST ADDITION(s)

DeMello swing-out bumper.

Scorpion Mount



ICON lower rear control arms
​


​



BUILD-OUT HIGHLIGHTED TOPICS
(hyper-links to this thread)

SPRINGTAIL MPAC

BEADLOCK WHEELS

LIGHT RACING JOUNCE SHOCKS

CB ANTENNA CHOICE

UPPER CONTROL ARMS & TIRE ALIGNMENT

STEBEL NATILUS AIR HORN

DYNAMIC BALANCING

E-LOCKER SKID

ARMOR AS ART

LOAD-OUT LISTS

USING A SNATCHBLOCK

SEAT COVERS & TRAIL TOOL

N-FAB FRONT AND REAR LIGHT BARS

ULTIMATE SWAY BAR LINKS

LOCKING SHOVEL/AXE HOLDER

FIRST AID/FIRST RESPONDER KIT

Note that NO products produced by All Pro Offroad are used on THE SCORPION.




Meet the Scorpion - Current phase of build up/build out for my FJ.


EXPEDITIONS​

When selecting team members everyone looks for a combination of factors in their team mates. The most important is an absolute passion for the project, an ability to communicate, a diversity of proven expedition-specific skills in remote and hostile environments, physical stamina and mental toughness. FJ Cruiser expeditions are designed first and foremost to be fun. Secondly, they hone your skill sets by forcing you into new and unfamiliar situations that requires you to adapt and overcome. Thirdly, you get to make the run in a Toyota FJ Cruiser.



EXPEDITION PHOTOS

"Well George, we finally knocked the [email protected] off."
– Edmund Hillary's first words, to lifelong friend George Lowe, on returning from Everest's summit


MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION
(Ft. Mojave to Afton Canyon - California) October 07

MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION (Afton Canyon to Ft. Mojave - California) February 08

MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION (Ft. Mojave to Afton Canyon - California) April 08

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
KOKOPELLI TRAIL EXPEDITION
(Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT) November 07


DEATH VALLEY (Death Valley - California) March 08

Kokopelli Trail Expedition (Grand Junction to Moab) July 08


You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

E-LOCKER SKID DAMAGE

When I bought my Inchworm E-Locker Skid, it was certainly the most esoteric of my armor. Did I ever thing a big rock would get up there and smash the e-locker motor?

No.

However, it appears as though it took some damage on a recent trip to Arizona while crossing some washed out stream banks in the snow. The approach angles were brutal, the rocks were covered with snow, it was all but impossible to see the road because of a blanket of newly fallen snow.

When I got back from the trip I noticed some leakage. I feared damage to the rear differential seal. Upon closer inspection, the Inchworm armor was bent about an inch (life imitates art) and the powdercoat was scraped off. The same was true of the back of my beefy Budbuilt gas tank skid. It seems as though the gasket leaking is the e-locker motor gasket. No doubt from the hit. It's not a heavy leak, but even a drip out of place sends me into orbit.

So put one in the plus column for the Inchworm E-Locker Motor Skid.
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S
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Damn, I thought the same thing when I bought my Inch Worm E-Locker Skid, I thought yeh, it's cool looking, but do I really need any protection up that high inside there?...I doubted it...Until now....Wow, I'm glad to hear you DID have one in place, otherwise you would have knocked out your locker....Needless to say, I'm now glad I do have the Inch worm locker skid, I guess it's not as esoteric as I thought it was.

The hit probably really torqued the bolts of the electronic locker, maybe even bent or sheared one off loosening the locker gasket to get that drip.

I'll be interested to hear how it plays out, make sure you post up what you find out buddy, and thanks for posting this. :)
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Shadow-Warrior said:
The hit probably really torqued the bolts of the electronic locker, maybe even bent or sheared one off loosening the locker gasket to get that drip.

I'll be interested to hear how it plays out, make sure you post up what you find out buddy, and thanks for posting this. :)
Click to expand...
The bolts are ok. It was just a hard impact and I'm VERY happy for the armor plate.

The price of the E-Locker Motor Gasket is $3.00 so the repair did not break the bank. The gasket was TRASHED as a result of the impact. Better to have armor than not to have armor.

I am going to cut off (and round off) the lower outside/driver's side portion of the Inchworm E-Locker Motor Skid in order to repair the damage & rattle can it to keep the rust out. If I had a blacksmith's forge I could have more fun with it, but simple will work just fine in this case.

The right front uni-bearing went today as well and needs to be replaced. There is a price to be paid for running the expedition vehicle on expeditions.
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uphill
24
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)


DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION
March 7-8-9, 2008​

My co-pilot/son-in-law and I stayed at the Longstreet Inn (hotel/casino) in the Amargosa Valley on Thursday night. Think of two steps below a Motel 6 and you're in the ball park -- however they do the local weddings there and since it's right across the Nevada State Line, there's no blood test and no waiting.

TARGA88 came all the way from Alberta, Canada to make the run with us. Colin was a great addition to the group!

Left to Right: OLIVER, POKERDAWG, (max-the-pit bull), MIKESCRUISER. A brief interlude while air hisses from the tires.

Entering Death Valley from the East on the road to Chloride Cliffs.

You never know who you're going to meet in the deep desert. Here at a cross-roads in the (literal) middle of nowhere is STHARRIS who drove all night to make the run.

MRSNEVADAESH emerges from a mine-shack

OLIVER explores a mine, hoping to find an overlooked nugget.

JESHUA and CROZHAWK ponder whether nor not they can use the wire mesh protecting the unwary from an abyss as a trampoline.

A shot from above the mine shack of some of the rigs.

The Scorpion climbs toward Chloride Cliffs.

There are no words to describe the view from Chloride Cliffs. It was spectacular. We ate lunch there and sucked in the view. Again - no words and I'm sure POKERDAWG (our staff photographer) will post better photos, but I don't know that they'll do the view justice. Those who have been at the Top of the World on the Kokopelli Trail will know what I'm talking about.

After we descended from Chloride Cliffs we were all low on fuel and we drove to the friendly town of Beatty, Nevada only to find that the local brothel was closed.


We re-entered Death Valley through Titus Canyon. One of our first stops was Ledfield, a ghost town. We marveled that anyone would travel to Death Valley to mine lead for a living.

JESHUA at Leadfield.

Titus Canyon is worth the trip to Death Valley if you do nothing else there. It was another spot where you are left speechless.


CROZHAWK's Uber 4-Runner in Titus Canyon

JESHUA under an overhand in Titus Canyon.

We ended up camping near the end of the world. I say near because it wasn't "the end" but you could see it from where we camped. I know others have photos of the camp. We drove into the desert and lagered the FJ's. As usual, one of the best parts of any camping trip is sitting around the fire. POKERDAWG and OLIVER tried to convince me to eat a balut (fermented fertile duck's egg) but I declined. :cowsmile:

Once we'd eaten breakfast, we broke camp and drove to Scotty's Castle there in Death Valley. The 32,000-square-foot compound was built in 1927 by Albert Johnson, a wealthy Chicago insurance executive, who constructed Death Valley Ranch for his health. How Johnson's ranch came to be called Scotty's Castle, is a tribute to Walter E. Scott, who during a lifetime of shameless self-promotion, hustling and swindling, came to be known as Death Valley Scotty.

While we were there at Scotty's Castle, minding our own business, the UBER FJ showed up with AIR2AIR at the wheel and his son, James as co-pilot.

Just down the road from Scotty's castle is Ubehebe Crater. NEVADAESH walks his faithful hound in front of the crater. The Ubehebe Crater system contains several volcanic craters, cinder cones and ash hills, which are relics from an explosive steam eruption about 2,000 years ago. Rising magma met an underground lake and BOOM - Ubehebe crater is formed. The crater is very colorful with variegated, buckled strata around its sides and grey-black ash on the rim.

Teakettle Junction on the way to The Racetrack.

The Racetrack

TARGA88, CROZHAWK, AIR2AIR/James, STHARRIS and NEVADAESH wait for a rock to move.

TARGA88 photographs a rock while JESHUA looks on.
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uphill
21
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Some of POKERDAWG's photos of the Death Valley run:


FJ Cruisers freaking RULE!!!


MrsMIKESCRUISER, Nevadaesh and Uphill


STHarris and Uphill at Chloride Canyon


Jeshua feeding the rig


MIKESCRUISER


STHarris making the climb to Chloride Cliff View


The Scorpion @ Chloride Cliff View



The view for lunch at Chloride Cliff


Nevadaesh's Rig


Getting gas and air at Beatty


Crozhawk's built 4Runner


Leadville


Targa88 @ Titus Canyon


The view for Friday night camping


Ubehebe Volcanic Crater on Saturday


Racetrack


Saturday night at Panamint Springs



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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)


Reserved for MRII Mojave Road: Needles to Barstow
April 5-6, 2008​
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crozhawk
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:


Reserved for the DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION
March 7-8-9, 2008​
Click to expand...
uphill said:


Reserved for the ARIZONA-UTAH-COLORADO run
March 16-21, 2008​
Click to expand...
Larry, You are the Man!!!
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Teotwaki
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:


Reserved for MRII Mojave Road: Needles to Barstow
April 5-6, 2008​
Click to expand...
This design is my favorite so now you can add "Artist" to

Poet, Warrior, Proud Father, Adventurer.... :)
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Yes this is a shameless plug - and I'm not often impressed - but TARGA88 hit on something. There we are in Death Valley and he trots out a very unique camp stove.

He cooked his dinner on four charcoal briquettes.

Cobb, a South African company found that there wasn't much fuel available for cooking when they were in the bush and came up with this system.

The Cobb Premier can be disassembled into a few key components, all Stainless steel, making it easy to place in a dishwasher or clean by hand. The outer casting will never get hot, even if the temperature inside is above 450 degrees (so if the kids get curious, they won't get their fingers toasted).
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S
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Very Cool trip, wish I could have been there....Chaulk up another trip I miss out on..:(

The pics are great Larry and your story telling is awesome as ever buddy. :)
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SoonerFJ
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:
Yes this is a shameless plug - and I'm not often impressed - but TARGA88 hit on something. There we are in Death Valley and he trots out a very unique camp stove.

He cooked his dinner on four charcoal briquettes.

Cobb, a South African company found that there wasn't much fuel available for cooking when they were in the bush and came up with this system.

The Cobb Premier can be disassembled into a few key components, all Stainless steel, making it easy to place in a dishwasher or clean by hand. The outer casting will never get hot, even if the temperature inside is above 450 degrees (so if the kids get curious, they won't get their fingers toasted).
Click to expand...
The Cobb is a great piece of equipment. I had one up until last summer, when it was stolen/lost from one of our camping trips. I hope to pick up another one before this season starts.
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jeshua
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:
Yes this is a shameless plug - and I'm not often impressed - but TARGA88 hit on something. There we are in Death Valley and he trots out a very unique camp stove.

He cooked his dinner on four charcoal briquettes.

Cobb, a South African company found that there wasn't much fuel available for cooking when they were in the bush and came up with this system.

The Cobb Premier can be disassembled into a few key components, all Stainless steel, making it easy to place in a dishwasher or clean by hand. The outer casting will never get hot, even if the temperature inside is above 450 degrees (so if the kids get curious, they won't get their fingers toasted).
Click to expand...
I second that.

The Cobb was sweet. If the foil dinners don't work out for me I will be picking up one of these thats for sure.
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Fjamming
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Thanks for the DV report Larry. :)
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Fjamming said:
Thanks for the DV report Larry. :)
Click to expand...
My pleasure, Tony. This was an ideal run in many ways for the FJ Cruiser:
  • The group of nine FJC's was manageable. It took longer for nine FJ's than it would have for one to complete the same course, but it's more fun with great company.
  • The route that NEVADAESH selected for the group wasn't challenging but it was definitely the "road-less-traveled".
    (note: Taking a challenging rock crawl in such a remote place where damage might be expected is -- pardon the word -- stupid. The nearest tow truck was a day's drive, maybe more from the more remote legs of the journey. There is no cell service in Death Valley. Extraction is a 3 day problem.)
  • The weather was Death Valley perfect. Making this run in the summer would have offered a number of challenges to both men and machine IMO.
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GTKrockeTT
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:
My pleasure, Tony. This was an ideal run in many ways for the FJ Cruiser:
  • The group of nine FJC's was manageable. It took longer for nine FJ's than it would have for one to complete the same course, but it's more fun with great company.
  • The route that NEVADAESH selected for the group wasn't challenging but it was definitely the "road-less-traveled".
    (note: Taking a challenging rock crawl in such a remote place where damage might be expected is -- pardon the word -- stupid. The nearest tow truck was a day's drive, maybe more from the more remote legs of the journey. There is no cell service in Death Valley. Extraction is a 3 day problem.)
  • The weather was Death Valley perfect. Making this run in the summer would have offered a number of challenges to both men and machine IMO.
Click to expand...
so, if i'm hearing you correctly, the next DV run will be coming up prior to the Mojave trip? :clap:
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Fjamming
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:
My pleasure, Tony. This was an ideal run in many ways for the FJ Cruiser:

  • (note: Taking a challenging rock crawl in such a remote place where damage might be expected is -- pardon the word -- stupid. The nearest tow truck was a day's drive, maybe more from the more remote legs of the journey. There is no cell service in Death Valley. Extraction is a 3 day problem.)
Click to expand...
That's always a major concern for me. Since I'm limited on what I can do on the trail in terms of repairs and actual replacement parts available, I'm leary of anything close to a moderate challenge when I'm far and away. As you know, stupid things can happen on simple trails. There's no point to tempt fate on the more difficult stuff.
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

THOUGHTS ON PLANNING A TRAIL RUN/EVENT​

When I bought my FJ Cruiser, I never imagined the level of social interaction it would provide or the great people I'd meet with similar interests. I've managed a few things in my life, more recently FJC events and wanted so share my perspective on planning pitfalls for what it's worth.

7 P's
Prior
Proper
Planning
Prevents
Pi$$
Poor
Performance

(1) TIME
  • Allow time from the date you announce the event until the event takes place for others to schedule the event.
  • Give yourself enough lead time so that you can do what you need to do in order to prepare for the trail event.
  • Watch the weather and don't be afraid to cancel the event if the weather is unfavorable in the extreme. Flash floods, blizzards, etc. ruin the event.

(2) PRE-RUN
  • If you haven't run all of the trail(s) recently, you need to do it before you lead a group/groups of people down them because trees fall, rain washes areas out and the condition of the trail might be different than when you last ran it.
  • Pre-select spots for lunch/breaks/camping areas.
  • It takes 10 rigs a lot longer to cover a distance than it does for you to do it alone. Take that into account when planning your day.

(3) PAPERWORK
  • Almost all national parks and many national forest areas require a permit and prior approval for a large group. We're back to "time" again because you'll need to apply and receive written permission for your event well in advance.
  • There are horror stories of other groups organizing events, getting "verbal" permission from the local rangers, only to be shut down when they showed up because of some communication glitch. Take the time, pull the paperwork, pay the fee and nobody can shut you down.
  • If you're on private land, there might be a hold-harmless agreement the owner will want you to sign. If you're doing that, I suggest that you provide a copy of that agreement with all participants and have them sign it as well at the beginning of the trip.

(4) GEAR (better to have and not need than need and not have)
  • Large First Aid Kit - if you are taking a large group, you should have a large first aid kit with YOU. If you don't know how to use it, either have somebody present who can or take a class. Yes, everybody with an FJC should have their own, but it might not include SAM casts and other preparations for problems that you might encounter.
  • Insure that there is recovery gear present with the group and that they/you know how to use it.
  • Issue guidelines (if needed) as to the level of sleeping bag required, etc. for the event.

(5) TREAD LIGHTLY - Practice trail conservation and pay attention to fire danger regulations locally.

(6) FUN - Work to plan the event so that everyone participating has fun. That's why we go on runs. Don't expect stock FJC's to tackle horrible trails that require full armor. Help the newbies to tackle the trip and make sure that the environment is conducive to "fun".
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Fjamming
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

Good stuff. The time aspect is very important and I've seen a lot of run get ruined because people weren't given enough time to respond, prepare, or schedule. Thanks.
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StHarris
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)

uphill said:
Yes this is a shameless plug - and I'm not often impressed - but TARGA88 hit on something. There we are in Death Valley and he trots out a very unique camp stove.

He cooked his dinner on four charcoal briquettes.

Cobb, a South African company found that there wasn't much fuel available for cooking when they were in the bush and came up with this system.

The Cobb Premier can be disassembled into a few key components, all Stainless steel, making it easy to place in a dishwasher or clean by hand. The outer casting will never get hot, even if the temperature inside is above 450 degrees (so if the kids get curious, they won't get their fingers toasted).
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Ah cool, thanks Larry. I was looking for this on Cabelas, and couldn't remember who Collin said made it.
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uphill
Re: Meet the Scorpion (Uphill's Build-Up)


I disconnected and removed THE TUFFY BOX (pictured on the forward part of my rack) from The Scorpion today and I'm not sure whether or not I will ever put it back on. I guess time will tell.

There are some small design issues that I may try and correct in my garage/shop that I made Tuffy aware of in a phone call a couple of months ago. My problem is not with the manufacturing quality of the box so much as it is with some overall (larger) design issues that I can't fix that deal with accessibility on the trail.

Perhaps I'll put it on for the anticipated British Columbia Expedition, but at the moment -- I doubt it.
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