Recent content by Darren

Good stuff, Dirk. Those riverside campsites look extremely inviting and makes a guy want to get back out again, especially when he's in front of a desk. The link to the rest of the pictures on the other thread was a nice gift. It looks like it was quite the fun trip. Nice job!

It's always been amazing to me how the photo industry and its users can butcher a simple three-letter word. Raw is not an acronym or file format, and should not be capitalized as such; it is merely the common word that describes the format, meaning the original, unaltered state. Even most...

I don't see an advantage of going through an affiliate such as this, but don't disagree with it. It's something that most should help with anyway on their own if they see something questionable. Two years ago, I took a series of pictures in Lead King (including the one below) reporting a couple...

That is very interesting, indeed, along with all the other commentary here. I recently saw another thread on this board or my local 4WD board with at least three users who also complained about the snow performance on the kevlar versions. Then, I found another thread on my local board last night...

Allow me! These tires are horribly sloppy in snow, and that's probably an understatement. I have never slipped so much during in-town driving with them during the past two winters. I had bald first generation MT/Rs three winters ago at about 2/32, and the kevlar versions performed virtually the...

Per Dave's request, here is a blog entry of mine comparing the only two players for what my next vehicle would be. And since I've yet to comment in this thread, that is one amazing build, Dave! Super impressive. All kinds of goodies. If the world were to end today, you may just make it through...

Aaron, you used an ND on that last shot? For what? The only thing you would've accomplished by doing that would be to gain more cloud blur, of which there doesn't seem to be any. There is no other practical use for one in that scene. My bit regarding coasters were in relation to sunset filters...

I know I'm stating the obvious, but you didn't need a grad (if that's what you were referring to) on the last one if you're going to silhouette the foreground anyway. That one doesn't seem to reinforce any idea by posting it. I'm not sure what your point is on any of this anyway. Arizona, or...

Filters are hardly necessary, especially the gaudy sunset filters. Those things need to stay on store shelves, or use them as coasters if you must. As a beginner, you don't need anything else but a tripod. The only filter that might come in handy at times is a polarizer, but mostly for reducing...

I just received an email from a guy who measured the ground clearance of a Trail Edition. I'm not sure if he's on this site or another one somewhere, but he made it sound like he may have posted somewhere on the Web. Surprisingly, the front diff (still the lowest point) is back to 10", which is...

Excellent trip and pictures, guys! Great stuff. Canyonlands is one of my favorite places, and the Maze in particular after my first trip in with KC a few years back. It's pretty much an annual trip for me now and will be there again in two weeks. That is perfect! Wonderful execution and...

Toyota.com has added the 2010 to their model lineup and have added a number of things since I last visited ~5 days ago. Of note, to answer some earlier questions, the roll-down rear window is still present, as expected, as shown in the interior fly-through video, and has a 24-gallon tank. Ground...

That's similar to saying you can get a 4WD 4Runner for less than a 2WD Lexus. The last two generations had the same price range, and they've always been more expensive than Xterras. The new prices were expected.

Toyotas don't have longevity and reliability in stock form? OEM stuff is always best on virtually every component. It doesn't seem like a beneficial path to take to me, especially if it's just regular driving (not towing) involved.

In my opinion, the only good reason to do it would be if you're going to add an auxiliary fuel tank. They just aren't necessary otherwise and don't accomplish anything. The extra clearance gained by not having the spare tire under there just doesn't come into play.