Moab Adventure + Gear
March, 2016 | Team4Runner 4WD Overland Trip
Our Team takes the wheel to drive 1200 Miles. From Sioux Falls SD, to Moab, UT. Team4Runner's 4WD Overland Trip, an exciting 10 day journey and exploration. An overland trip exploring, hiking, 4Wheeling, camping, and team building- ending up in spontaneous destinations throughout western Colorado and Eastern Utah. This is our first overland trip over 1000 miles. As a team of 4Runner enthusiasts, owners, and drivers, we love discovering beautiful destinations; the more remote, the more untouched, the more rewarding it is for us. Our Moab team consists of 2 guys, a tent, supplies, and a 2001 4Runner. Car Camping, Back Country Adventure, Overland(ing), Vehicle-Dependent Expedition, and our Expedition Vehicle. We hope to seek out the unknowns of our world, our friendships, and the vehicles that take us places.
Our 2001 4Runner is geared to take on the road and the trail. We are not professionals- but we have a serious love for Toyota and for the things they can do. The mountains, the adventure, and the experience.
We have partnered up with some rad companies, check out our Partnership page!
With the help from FourWheeler.com and OutdoorX4 we have a list prepared to check off before our departure on March 18th. Visit FourWheeler.com for more info about overland 4WD trips, preparation, and more. It has helped us tremendously.
GEAR WE PACKED
We departed with our 2001 Toyota 4Runner SR5, 4WD. Completely blacked out with stock suspension, rock plates, and emblems. We had to add the classic TRD Off Road stickers from Toyota though, along with a Toyota Chrome Tip for our muffler. Our 4Runner runs the 16in FJ TRD Matte Black Wheels with BFG A/T tires. Everything else is factory, with the help of regular maintenance, a new timing belt, new rear struts, and a complete look over and inspection before we left.
Our gear includes our LabRak Roof Rack system. 60inx44in that mounts directly into the 4Runner's side tracks. Its made of high quality aluminum that holds up to 800lbs. It is powder coated black with a slight texture for grip and matte color. On top of our rack we ran the Thule SnowPack ski carriers which mount directly into the tracks of the LabRak roof rack with hardware from LabRak. We rock Rossignol ski's, and love them. Also on our rack we sported a generic rooftop cargo bag, 38inx38in where we stored our camping essentials. We also had our Traction Jack Kit mounted to the top and side of the rack, the kit mounts perfectly with the correct hardware from LabRak. No wind noise or rattles. On the side of our rack we rocked a Fiskar shovel which mounted directly into a LabRak shovel mount, even comes with a lock and key for safe access. The back hatch of the 4Runner opens fine with the rack and shovel mounted.
We packed our gear into our 38x38in rooftop bag. An outdoor army green camping tote, and a black utility access tote from any hardware story such as Home Depot.
Our gear included our two Gregory 45L Stout Packs which carried our climbing rope, shoes, approach shoes, harnesses, carabineers, slings, belay devices and so on. Our other pack handled our camping apparel; 4 Patagonia jackets including our favorite nano-puff jacket. It also housed our Yeti Ramblers, North Face and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags, and cooking supplies for the nighttime camping in the Big Bend of Moab. For camping we packed our Yeti's, Nalgene's, Pocket Rocket stoves, collapsable bowls and plates, hand made foldable wooden stools, collapsable table, flashlight, headlamp, common tools, hot-dogs, canned foods, etc. We made sure to pack our Gregory pack with lighters, matches, can and bottle opener, swiss army knives, and other backpacking and camping supplies. (REI for recommended essentials).
In our rooftop bag we stored our Gregory Packs, Patagonia Duffle bag, Columbia and REI tents, Ski poles, and ski boots. We also stored our cast iron frying pan, and sleeping pads. Recommended is the Therm-a-Rest pad for ground camping, rooftop, or 4Runner camping.
Our Yeti cooler was not available so we packed our Colman cooler full of ice for the day and ice for the night. Diet Dew was a must! In our utility totes we packed our 40,000 breaking tow rope, U-Hooks, cables, Jump Box, and toiletry options like toilet paper and Kleenexes. We also housed our tool box, LabRak Shok-Straps, tie downs, oil, and other basics for our overland trip. Our black utility box was a must- it was also used strapped down on the roof which came in more than handy at times.
Hiking footwear included our Vasque Shoes. Inhaller II's and Grand Traverse Performance Hiking shoes. (Click Here for Review). Sackwear and Yeti provided us with some awesome and rad T's which we rocked day and night.
Our choice of photography gear is mashed between two- our team used both Canon and Nikon cameras with Manfrotto tripod's. The SanDisk bluetooth USB came in huge for us, as well as Adobe Lightroom for our edits. GoPro Hero 3+ was the camera we took for videos- we mounted it to our door, hood, and windshield with the GoPro suction cup mount. Garmin GPS, google maps, and the Utah 4Wheel Drive Booklet directed our travel.
Upcoming gear includes the Gobi rear mounted Ladder, Rhino Rack Awning, rooftop tent and LabRak mounts, Rear plated bumper and hitch, fog lights, upgraded BFG Tires, rock plates, and rock rails.
This covers just about all our essential gear from our 10 day trip to Moab, Utah. Any questions at all shoot us an email via [email protected] or check out our reviews page.
The OUTDOORX4 Article
Ever since I was a kid my dad drove 4Runner’s, Toyota Pickups, and Land Cruisers. Every summer we would 4Wheel up in the mountains. When I was 14 years old my Father passed on the Toyota family tradition; buying me my first ever 1996 Toyota 4Runner Limited. My passion for 4Runner’s never wore off, giving birth to Team 4Runner in 2013.
Ever since I was a kid my dad drove 4Runner’s, Toyota Pickups, and Land Cruisers. Every summer we would 4Wheel up in the mountains. When I was 14 years old my Father passed on the Toyota family tradition; buying me my first ever 1996 Toyota 4Runner Limited. My passion for 4Runner’s never wore off, giving birth to Team 4Runner in 2013.
Team4Runner is a group of Toyota Enthusiasts. We’re a group of regular guys who have a lot passion for the beauty and capability of 4Runners and the unique people it brings into community. In the past, our off-roading experiences with family and friends have taken place in areas throughout Southwest Colorado, but recently, two of our team members headed out on a week-long adventure. This trip was a series of experiences for us, spent with close friends and a community of adventurers who followed and partnered with our 10 day, 2600 mile journey to Moab, Utah. Every one of our trips has had its fair share of memories and solidified the meaning of how close the 4Runner community is. When our team decided to take this trip, our partners and followers behind Team4Runner made it all worth it.
March is a bit early for high elevation travel but generally great for red rock country. We topped off the gas tank and headed off Saturday morning for Colorful Colorado. A long drive through Western Nebraska took us down to Denver, Colorado for the night. The next morning, we stopped to throw our skis on for a day at Winter Park and we spent the evening in Aspen. Colorado is known for its iconic landscapes, the Rockies, and the backcountry traveling; where Utah is known for its very dry climate. Moab is a place of history, beauty, and endless miles of off-road trails. A place regarded, as “never to be forgotten.” It is a place every outdoor enthusiast must encounter.
The first thing we did was hop on Willow Springs 4×4 trail. There was a lot of serenity on the backcountry with civilization disappearing into our rear view mirror, cell signals fading, and no social media. We 4Wheeled all morning, but since it was too early to call it a day, we backtracked to the turn and pressed on. Soon we were sitting at the edge of Arches National Park.
When we arrived, even our first glance left us in awe at the range of backcountry trails, scenic drives, climbing crags, and 4Wheel drive terrain we had before our eyes. The grandeur of Grand County was our 4Runner’s best friend. Being there felt as if there wasn’t enough time in the world to discover the limitlessness of this adventure. The beautiful Red Rock Cliffs and the Arches are breathtaking, and the moderate trails were the perfect test for our stock 3rdGen 4Runner. Our next day in Moab we grabbed our4WD Guide book and headed for Gemini Bridges. We had to drive it purely for its reputation in Moab as being one of the most popular trails. A short way down Gemini Bridges road we turned down on Bull Canyon, a more moderate trail route. It was a beautiful day as we dropped down into the sandy wash bottom creek. We drove out to the end of Bull Canyons Upper trail and stopped to grab some photos and video of us blasting through the watery creek up the steep sandy incline. We spent some time soaking up the rocky red hiking trails that lead to the arch before backtracking down Bull Canyon. We continued down Gemini where we were able to make up some time with some speed on the lonesome trail. Close edges, narrow trails, and a sandy wash bottom lead to multiple beautiful look outs. Aside from the scenery, the trails itself were challenging at times and we were able to put our 4LO to the test in multiple areas. These few trails were considerably moderate but a blast to do in a day.
In between days we spent our nights camping at Big Bend. At night we enjoyed our company and enjoyed ravioli over the fire, only anxious to wake up, cook breakfast, and hit the trails. We spent each night gearing up our 4Runner, uploading photos, updating our GPS, and finding a new trailhead to wheel. During the time we were there it was Easter Jeep week. We were accompanied a host of Toyota’s, either passing or following us. It was a lot of fun to talk and share ideas along the trails. We definitely experienced the spring break crowds during tourist season, but we figured that’s all a part of the experience.
For Team4Runner, we hope to continue to explore new areas while sponsoring some awesome 4Runner clubs in the Colorado area. We have an engaged and excited follower base, which has become part of our online community, and we are hoping that as we continue working with our partners we will be able to architect more off road experiences. We are crazy about the true performance and culture that lies behind the 4Runner, and the experience of the outdoor adventure. Our Instagram page is what matters most to us; it’s where the journey of the 4Runner enthusiasts flourish.
In between days we spent our nights camping at Big Bend. At night we enjoyed our company and enjoyed ravioli over the fire, only anxious to wake up, cook breakfast, and hit the trails. We spent each night gearing up our 4Runner, uploading photos, updating our GPS, and finding a new trailhead to wheel. During the time we were there it was Easter Jeep week. We were accompanied a host of Toyota’s, either passing or following us. It was a lot of fun to talk and share ideas along the trails. We definitely experienced the spring break crowds during tourist season, but we figured that’s all a part of the experience.
For Team4Runner, we hope to continue to explore new areas while sponsoring some awesome 4Runner clubs in the Colorado area. We have an engaged and excited follower base, which has become part of our online community, and we are hoping that as we continue working with our partners we will be able to architect more off road experiences. We are crazy about the true performance and culture that lies behind the 4Runner, and the experience of the outdoor adventure. Our Instagram page is what matters most to us; it’s where the journey of the 4Runner enthusiasts flourish.
All the recognition goes to the 4Runner community and to our partners that came alongside us on this journey: Vasque Footwearsupplied us with a handful of performance hiking shoes, Gregory backpacks supplied us with 45L packs to get us through our camping endeavors, Yeti Coolers came alongside for drinkware and giveaways, Sack Outfitterssupplied us with some rad shirts, Traction Jackhooked us up with recovery gear for our rig, andLabRak Roof Racks designed a custom 3rd Generation 4Runner roof rack and mounts for all our 4Runner gear. All of these were incredible brands to work with, and we have reviews on our webpage and highly recommend these guys for any overland 4wd trip. They have all been added to our quiver of outdoor and 4Runner gear. As for Team4Runner, we can’t wait to go back to Moab and to continue sharing our stories and others on our Instagram page @Team4Runner.
See you on the trails!
Isaac, Founder of Team4Runner | [email protected]
Andrew, Head of Photography | [email protected]
Kenzie, Graphics Officer