Well, from October onwards, we are very proud to announce that we are an official Community Friend of the McGrath Foundation.
“When Ben and I started the business, we decided that it was important that as our business developed, we were able to put something back into the community. Whilst researching just how we wanted to do this, my wife Kari, who is an Occupational Therapist in Cancer Care, suggested we support the McGrath Foundation. By supporting the McGrath Foundation, we would be supporting the tremendous role and practical help the McGrath Breast Care Nurses provide to individuals and their families affected by breast cancer throughout Australia.” – Nic McKenzie, co-founder and co-owner of OST
After signing an agreement with the McGrath Foundation, we designed a limited-edition Hot Pink Expedition134 storage box for our last production run. We literally sold out of them within a week!
With every sale of a Hot Pink Expedition134, we donated $10 to the McGrath Foundation. We are absolutely stoked with the result. Of course, there’s so much more that needs to be done to support these guys, but it’s a start that we’re going to build upon.
News from the OST team
The above is probably our biggest news for the month; however, we’re still plugging away with some new developments, more R&D and testing, and working with key designers and industry leaders.
The Expedition134 boxes are also starting to make inroads into the furthest back blocks of the United States, with Jon from Mule Expedition Outfitters in Seattle using them on the back of his customised V8 Tundra (with Norweld tray!) for thousands of punishing miles through forests and deserts and back again.
There’s also lots of other stuff going on in the background for us, but we just aren’t quite ready to put it out there yet.
Shout out to those living the dream
For the last few months, we have been watching the adventures from @Back2BasicsAdventures and also @wildreaches. If you’re into wild adventure trips, these two crews really get out there and into some of the most remote and wicked spots in Australia – exactly what our gear was made for! New YouTube episodes should be dropping from both in the near future. Keep an eye out.
Weight savings
Living in Cairns, we get to watch the yearly procession of fully loaded 4WDs heading up the Cape in tourist season, some of which are ridiculously overloaded with gear. For experienced travellers, reducing weight to a minimum is a priority. It was one of the main reasons we decided to use injection moulding over rotomoulding when constructing our Expedition134 storage boxes.
Injection moulding ensured maximum strength with minimum weight, which was so important to our design. Keeping gear safe in tough weather-sealed storage gives adventurers the confidence to explore further. It has been super exciting for us to see outback adventurers utilising the Expedition134 boxes to remove unwanted weight from their vehicles and make life on the road easier.
The first to send in a story about it was Mark Batty from rural Victoria, who ripped out his steel drawers and built himself a ply frame. He used the Expedition134 boxes as robust weather-sealed storage that can be moved in and out of the vehicle as needed. This saved him about 50 kilograms in useless weight and helped make his adventure into Tasmania a lot easier.
Next up, we are closely following Tim Bates 4WD Adventures, an experienced 4WDing enthusiast and prominent YouTuber specialising in solo adventures in the Victorian High Country. Tim needs his gear to be durable, practical and remain within strict weight limits.
He’s just started a complete redesign of the setup in his Nissan Patrol, removing 300 kilograms of steel drawers, back seats and other items to make sure he stays under GVM but can still carry everything he needs. Tim is recording the whole process, including the legal aspects, and will feature it on his YouTube channel soon. We’ll share a link as soon as the video is released.
New blogs for October
Where to Find the Best Fishing Campsites in Australia
Need a little inspiration for your next trip? We’ve just published a blog on the best fishing campsites in Australia. Some of these are great spots for families without much experience or gear, while others are truly isolated destinations that reward you with incredible fishing and camping.
Read More
19 Four-Wheel Driving Tips: Advice for Beginners from Experienced 4WDing Enthusiasts
Are you new to 4WDing? In this blog we break down the most important lessons any 4WDing enthusiast can learn. We’ve made our fair share of mistakes over the years and hopefully we can stop you having to learn the hard way too
Read MoreTill next time
The Open Sky Touring Team
OPEN SKY TOURING REVIEWS
from 91 reviewsOrdered this box after seeing so many positive reviews of the Expedition 134 box. And it doesn't disappoint! What an outstanding, Australian made product. Not only is it tough and durable it looks the bomb as well. Will be getting another one for sure! Can't recommend enough.
Recently bought a pink storage box after buying 3 last year. It’s just as tough and perfect as my previous ones. I’ll continue buying these awesome boxes to go into my new trailer project.
Great product! Love using them and would highly recommend to anyone
Easy to use, and great value
Great product and well made
Does just what it says on the box! (bad dad joke there...) Great to now have 3 of these in my collection.
Survival Snake Bite Kit™
Purchased the Expedition 134 to use for the wife's scent hound business. The dogs are used to find truffles, so not only does the box store all the harnesses and other dog gear, any booty located also goes into the box, safe and secure. Great product indeed..
Great kit. Saw on Pat Calligan’s show and immediately bought. This will definitely save a life from snake bite. The pressure bandage has markers to show how tight to wrap. So clever.
One of the best products I have used in my forty plus years of camping very well made and waterproof. It’s a pleasure to do business with a great Aussie company.
Survival Snake Bite Kit™
Very happy with the boxes. Def can hold adult standing on lid and solid latches. Easy to hose out and dust and water proof for 4WD trips!
I am impressed with the rigidity and quality of the box. it's worth every cent!
These boxes are exactly what I wanted! Delivered on time, great quality and great price! Thanks Open Sky team!
This is my 5th box and they’re fantastic. Will be the replacement for my drawer system in my Landcruiser to keep weight down. They are the ideal combination of size and manageable to handle when full.