Alpinestars

My 8 Gear Essentials For Surviving an Off-Road Race Across Nevada

Going by the way of smooth, paved asphalt and piloting a modern, road-legal car, it’ll take you just under seven hours to get from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada. Your luxurious, climate-controlled cocoon of leather and carpet can effortlessly glide over the ribbon of road connecting those cities regardless of the searing sun, triple-digit temperatures and gusts of wind carrying buckets of desert dust. It’s almost too easy. But try to get from one of the casino-laden cities to the other without using any roads at all, as fast as you possibly can, while fighting off dehydration, silt beds waiting to swallow wheels, blind turns preceding cliffs and suspension arm-hungry boulders… that’s a different story. Coincidently, The Best in The Desert Vegas to Reno, which at 540 miles is the longest off-road race in the US, puts on just such show. I attempted to finish it in a relatively stock Polaris RZR Turbo S.

By “stock,” I mean the only things added to the RZR were to make it race-safe and compliant — an extensive, reinforced roll cage, race seats and safety belts, removable-steering wheel, race fuel cell, radio, safety lights and fire extinguisher system. Other than what the regulations deemed necessary, everything on the Turbo S was factory-spec — there were no mechanical upgrades. Meaning the suspension, engine, transmission, ECU and basic chassis rolled up to the starting line the same as they were on the showroom floor. My co-pilot and I, on the other hand, were in need of necessary optional extras. Fireproof suits, gloves and driving shoes and a ventilated race helmet were baselines; on top of that, we needed a way to communicate to the pits and, as we found out 50 miles into the 580-mile race, food and water, just in case we got stuck out in the desert. This is the gear we brought along to attempt America’s toughest off-road endurance race.

Polaris RZR XP Turbo S

Pyrotect Pro Airflow Helmet

PCI Race Radios Offroad Helmet Wiring Kit

Alpinestars GP Race Suit

Alpinestars Tech 1 Race Glove

Oakley Race Mid Boot

CamelBak Ratchet 6L Backpack

Cliff Bars

Country Archer Beef Jerky

September 12, 2018 / Comments Off

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Alpinestars Supertech M10 Meta Helmet

The new Supertech M10 Meta Helmet is now on shelves, but Alpinestars had actually spent five years developing it. The goal was simple: create the most advanced, protective, and performance-enhancing helmet possible, and give it excellent ventilation, comfort, and reduced weight. In short, make something that prioritizes safety and comfort in equal measure.

The result is a helmet with a 3K high-density carbon outer layer that spreads energy upon impact, ensuring that the Supertech M10 protects the rider in the event of an accident. That’s thanks mainly to the surface curvature, which promotes reduced friction on impact and allows the helmet to efficiently transfer energy, insulating the rider’s head from direct force to the skull. It also boasts an Aramid fiber layer that prevents the user from critical penetration.

Ventilation was also a key priority for Alpinestars in designing the helmet, and it conducted heat mapping tests to come up with specifically designed ducting that produces a positive flow into the helmet over and around the rider’s head, which not only reduces heat stress, but also improves comfort. The Supertech M10’s visor design contributes to the overall ventilation system as well, acting as a channel to concentrate and smooth the flow into the shell.

The helmet also boasts a so-called A-Head Fitment System (which Alpinestars patented) that allows you to adjust the helmet in whichever way you see fit. There’s a micro-adjustable pad connect to the helmet’s inner shell that allows you to raise or lower the helmet fit, or tilt it forwards and backwards.

Ingenious design and unmatched protection come together in the Supertech M10 Meta, so if you’re looking for a helmet that not only will save your life but also make you look extremely cool, this is the one to get.

Alpinestars Supertech M10 Meta

August 27, 2018 / Comments Off

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