The Backcountry Brief

Welcome to this week’s Backcountry Brief. Your weekly roundup of trail tales, gear reviews, and stories from America's Backcountry.

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Like this issue? Something else you would like to see? Let me know directly at rocklander@substack.com

In This Issue:

📰 Country Report: Weekly News Updates

🤔 Of Interest (to me): Scottsdale Dirt Expo

📌 Tip of the Week: Use Quality Straps

🗺️ Trail Guide: Placitas Loop: FR 445, New Mexico

🛠️ Rig Tips: Is Your Lifted Truck Ready for Winter Towing?

⚡ Gear Review: Unisex Heated Scarf 2.0 from ORORO

🗨️ Forum Watch: The Week's Top Discussions

I’ve been keeping up with some news that matters. Here’s what stood out this week:

• The U.S. Army is using plywood tank decoys mounted on Humvees and pickup trucks during training exercises in Hawaii to prepare troops for Indo-Pacific scenarios. The low-cost approach lets them simulate mechanized threats without shipping heavy armor across the ocean.

• President Trump’s Department of Education awarded the University of Wyoming’s Firearms Research Center a $1 million grant to create nonpartisan Second Amendment courses for public schools. The program will focus on historical and legal aspects rather than political debates.

• Philadelphia police families who lost loved ones in the line of duty came together for the 19th annual Holiday Meals for Heroes Thanksgiving gathering. The event connected families through shared understanding and helped them feel less alone during the holidays.

Every December, the sound of engines fills the air before I even reach WestWorld. That’s how I know the Dirt Expo is back. Arizona’s biggest off-road gathering rolls in December 5 through 7, and it’s shaping up to be one for the books.

Over 150 companies will be under one roof, showing off everything from new SXS builds to the latest gear and gadgets. You can talk directly with the folks who design and build the parts we rely on out in the wild. That kind of face-to-face connection is rare these days, and it’s what makes this event stand out.

Rugged Radios is back as the title sponsor, keeping everyone connected, and DRT Motorsports is powering the show with their signature builds.

The Dirt Expo is a celebration of grit, craftsmanship, and community. It’s where the off-road spirit of Arizona comes alive, loud and proud, under one roof.

I’ll be there, soaking it in, grateful for the freedom and the people who make it possible.

Get your tickets here!

When shopping for yank straps, tow straps, or winch extension lines, try to look for those that do not store kinetic energy. That way, if they break, they just drop to the ground.

Use products trusted by your fellow wheelers and those of proven quality. Do not go cheap or use poorly made products that affect your safety.

105 Off Road Tips - the latest collaboration by my friends Matson Breakey (Co-Founder of Metalcloak) and Off Road Legend Del Albright is now available on Kindle or you can pick up a Paperback copy to keep in your rig.

It also makes a great gift for the off-roader in your life.

Trail Info:

• Location: Placitas, New Mexico

• Distance: 6.2 miles

• Elevation Gain: 679 feet

• Type: Loop

• Difficulty: Easy

• Vehicle Requirements: Suitable for most SUVs or crossovers

Placitas Loop: FR 445 runs through the Cibola National Forest near Placitas, offering an easy dirt-and-gravel loop with wide desert views and glimpses of the Sandia Mountains. The route stays friendly for beginners but has a few rutted spots that call for careful driving.

Rock’s tip: Bring a map or GPS backup. Signage is sparse, and blind corners can hide oncoming vehicles.

Towing in the winter with a lifted truck is a different game. That setup that felt solid all summer can get unpredictable when the temperature drops and the roads get slick. I’ve learned a few things the hard way, so here’s what to watch for.

Your balance is different. A lift raises your truck’s center of gravity. When you add a trailer, that extra height magnifies sway and bounce on slick roads. What was a stable ride in July can feel a lot looser in December.

Cold makes everything stiffer. Your suspension parts don’t work the same when it’s below freezing. Shocks, springs, and bushings get tight, which can make for a harsher ride. You’ll feel every bump, and your truck’s response time might feel a step behind.

Mind your trailer angle. A lift often points your hitch downward, tilting the trailer. This throws off weight distribution and can cause the backend to drag or fishtail on ice. Make sure your setup is level before you hit the road.

The rig that pulled perfectly in warm weather might need a few tweaks for a winter haul.

A quick check of your setup now can save you a lot of trouble later.

Want to see exactly what to check before you tow this winter? Get the full guide on the blog.

A heated scarf might sound like a luxury, but the Unisex Heated Scarf 2.0 from ORORO is a surprisingly practical piece of cold-weather gear. When you’re out on a frosty trail, and the wind picks up, this thing delivers.

For $69.99, you get a fleece-lined, water-resistant scarf with 3M Thinsulate insulation and a heating element right on the back of your neck. The small 7.4V battery pack tucks into a hidden pocket and offers three heat settings.

On those freezing mornings when you’re airing down tires or the wind picks up during a trailside repair, a direct source of heat makes a huge difference.

Rock’s tip: The battery pack charges via USB. Keep it topped off from your rig’s power supply so it’s always ready when you need it.

I keep tabs on a bunch of forums for off-roading, hunting, and backcountry gear. Here’s what stood out this week.

• Over on Bronco6G, a user asked if anyone would prefer a non-removable hardtop. The responses split right down the middle between folks who never take the top off and those who say a fixed-roof Bronco is just a fancy Explorer. Can’t say I disagree with the second group.

• A debate exploded on Rokslide after a post about California euthanizing cattle-killing wolves. It’s a raw look at the clash between wildlife policy and the hard realities for ranchers and hunters. For these guys, it’s not a theoretical problem.

• Someone on Backpacking Light needed better snow hiking pants, and the community came through. The top recommendation wasn’t some high-dollar mountaineering gear, but simple cross-country ski pants. Goes to show that the best solutions are often found where you least expect them.

Until next week…

P.S. Got a story to share? Event for me to visit? Leave a comment and let me know—I'm always looking for great trail tales from the community.