Hello, Monty aka Video here again, gracing the hallowed BLOG pages with another product review.
For years I have using different types of backpacks, including the awesome Camelbak and Carribee varieties, but a company called OGIO (who incidentally are well known in the golfing scene) have broken the mould with their latest offering to us who like to hit the trails on dirtbikes.

A few short months ago I saw some of the boys from Honda sporting new OGIO branded vests, which actually looked a hell of a lot like an SAS Tactical Vest. I decided then and there that I had to have one, so I made some enquiries and within 24hours of contacting one of our suppliers, Lusty Industries in Sydney, a great looking OGIO Flight Vest landed on my door step.

My initial assessment of the vest went from “oh wow", to “oh my god, look at all the storage space and pockets". It is true, this vest eliminates the need to use a backpack ever again, as it carries everything you’ll need, and then some.

Out of the packet, the vest comes with a 2 litre bladder, with an insulated drinking tube. If 2litres isn’t enough, a 3litre bladder is more than easily accommodated for in the ample pocket on the rear. Another pocket sits just below the bladder, and that is where I store my Trail Buddy air compressor (see previous blog article on how to make your own Trail Buddy).

The vest contains a myriad of different sized pockets, which allowed me on a recent Buller Tour to carry the following, with room for more gear if needed-

Video Camera (in it’s case)
Still camera
Spare batteries
2 x UHF radios
First aid kit
Compressor
Snacks
Wet weather gear
Helmetcam recording unit
Spare tools. (a flank pocket actually has spanner pockets to store your tools in, so you may even be able to dispense with the tool belt) In fact, you could even fit a spare tube in one of the 2 flank pockets easily.

The beauty of the vest is that even though I carry a lot of weight, it is evenly dispersed across my torso. In fact, most of the time I didn’t even know I was carrying the extra weight. Without the bulbous backpack projecting from my back, it gave me a much better balance on the bike, and the low profile of the vest meant that going under low lying branches and logs was a breeze, where often in the past I have been snagged my backpack.

The only part of the vest that is mesh is across the back area…….so was it hot to wear I hear you say, well no. Buller was hot and dusty, but the vest didn’t impede airflow to the extent that I became uncomfortable or overheated. The vest has 3 adjustable quick release clips and another 3 on each side near the ribs, which can adjust the fit from half sucked twisty to generously proportioned gent. With that, I had mine set to be very open at the front to allow air in, and it worked a treat. It is easy to put on, and easy to remove……..no more need to dislocate your shoulders trying to get the straps over your body armour.

By far the most appealing design of this vest is it’s 2 big lower front pockets, where I stored my video camera. I was able to stop the bike, retrieve the camera and begin shooting without having to get off the bike and remove my helmet, comm’s, helmetcam cable and finally the backpack to access my camera. Same went for the still camera……..it was all within easy reach.

To say the vest attracted a lot of interest from the other guides and customers over the weekend would be an understatement. Nobody had ever seen anything quite like it, but they are out there, they are available and they are about as good as it comes for carrying your gear in a comfortable, easily accessible, kinda SAS Special Op’s way.

The OGIO Flight Vest gets a very big thumbs up from Monty.

I’m back. My family and I have completed the move from Yackandandah to Nungurner and all is really good. For info, Nungurner is near Metung, ten minutes from Lakes Entrance and the beach.

I’ve been off the air for weeks now. Firstly, organising the move was mega. I had 13 years of accumulated crap to sort through. I made five tip runs but was still left with over two large truck loads of stuff. I’d been collecting stuff like farm gates for years, thinking that one day I’d make such a move and so I wanted to bring almost everything.

This place has the room to store it all and the propensity for it all to be useful one day, so it had to come. Luckily Vic Police paid for the move, which cost them over 9 grand.

We are around 300 k’s, or about 4 hours, from Melbourne. It’s 304 k’s from Yackandandah coming via Mt Hotham and takes around the same time.

The prospects for us here are great. The new abode is a small farmlet of 40 acres, most of which is bush. It has a large, deep gully in the back yard with plenty of undulation, lending itself well to some cool single trail.

Yes, I’ve already been out with the chainsaw and have several loops cut in, from fairly pedestrian to uber - difficult with advanced log jumps in a deep gully.

I’ve got a new 450R to play with which has the best graphics kit of any of the Ride Safe Honda’s yet. It goes like a rocket (excuse the pun). I’m running a 50T rear sprocket this year, which makes the bike less prone to stalling and pull harder out of corners.

The Colquhoun state forest starts 450 metres from my front door and has some sublime riding. Old log roads now used as effective single trail, with leaf littered sandy soil start at the forest edge. I’ve been out already with some local riders and had a ball.

We managed a full interior repaint of the home and have attended to the many maintenance chores associated with 5 years of tenants prior to tour arrival. I even found some dope in the laundry cupboard from the previous renters.

The shed has been set up and is a huge improvement over the hovel that I had at Yackandandah.

I’ve taken delivery of a huge load of Metzelers necessitating my dad and I constructing some industrial sized (for me anyway) tyre racks.

A vege garden, fruit tree maintenance, a pool for Cheryl, some fencing, some weeding (think paddocks full that I’m leaning towards goats to remedy), some tree and shrub clearing for fire danger reasons and much more and you may get the idea that I’ve been full noise.

A fortnight ago I also got rudely dragged back to the real world and had to recommence work. Much overrated, but I’m coping and actually enjoying the change.

Yesterday we finally got the ‘net up and running. With no broadband availability here, we had to go with a government sponsored Kevin Rudd ‘Every child will be able to get broadband’ satellite connection.

The installer took two weeks to get it going but it seems fine now, so the plan is to now catch up on some old news (our cool trip to Mt Buller comes to mind, some great photos to show you) and then onwards as usual with new info and ideas.

2010 looks like being similar to 2009. Our tours in March, April and May are full. September will see a Yack to Bright or Yack to Harrietville and Buller will of course run again.

Down this neck of the woods, there’s some exciting new country to explore. I can now use my place as a base complete with a workshop, parking, amenities etc and run coaching days, one day rides or multi day adventures starting from my back yard, accessing areas like Omeo, Benambra, Dargo, Licola, Buchan, Seldom Seen or wherever we want. I reckon we could ride to Groggin from here in a day if we put our heads down.

A major improvement to our operation sees me being able to supply Metzeler tyres to customers to use on tour. I have a selection of mostly MC5’s, the great all rounder, in 18, 19 and 21 inch to suit 250s, 450s and a few 120’s to suit the big blocks.

I hope you are all travelling well and we wish you good luck for the festive season and 2010. I hope to see some of you out on the trail.

Rod