YouTube Series - Lighting Upgrades

Just before Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion this year I broke one of my LED taillights. Thanks to a recommendation from Ryan of Dirt Road Cred I checked out the Morimoto Lighting booth. Their smoked lens LED XB taillights were exactly what I wanted JL & JT versions available. Utilizing my proximity sensors and having a lower profile than the OEM lights I was sold. As a bonus the proximity sensors are in the OEM locations instead of pointing straight to the rear as other brands do... which is useless. Their taillights also come with resistors to plug in if your application is not equipped with the OEM LED package. As luck would have it, they had two more offerings that really complimented the taillights and tied into the subdued style I happen to like on my Jeep. The backup light boost bar mounts to the license plate screws to add about 2000 lumens of reverse lighting. It has a plug to integrate directly to the XB taillignts or it can be wired directly to any reverse light making it truly universal. Finally, the smoked lens XB LED side markers rounded out the look. This is not purely a cosmetic change as these enhanced the function of the lights as well. Check out the three part video series on the YT channel and all out them are available in our Amazon Store

Yes! There is an Amazon store where you can get your hands on all the gear we actually use.

https://youtu.be/GlMD2o6NYRg

https://youtu.be/JfWKPKYGLEs

 https://youtu.be/oS7OIIzXQ1I

Trail Reports after Hurricane Helene

It has been about six months since Helene made its unwelcome visit. Although there is still an incredible amount of work to do some semblance of normal has found its way back. For those of us who enjoy the outdoors, trails have started to reopen. Let me know if there is a trail that has re-opened you would like to see an update posted to the SSO YouTube channel.

Please be mindful of the communities you pass through on the way to or while off-roading. Some still are in great need and others never supported our use of backcountry public roads even before the devastation. We are always under threat of closure and the best means we have to combat this is through responsible use and respect. If you know of a community in need in the area around an off-road destination, find out what people still need, organize a benefit, let's show these folks we care. When on the trail keep speed down on gravel roads around homes or people, please follow leave no trace principles, organize an area clean up.

Lets all be stewards of our recreational areas and not just users.

Western North Carolina-

Pinnacle Mountain Road

Shelton Laurel Road

2025- Year of the Squirrel?

The channel is one year old and growing! Currently just above 2,030 subscribers and I am thankful for each and every one. 2025 has quite a bit in store. Bumpers, lift strategy and skid plates are on the list. New gearing? I have been asked to lead WNC Jeep Fest trail rides again this year. Ride details are TBA due to lingering damage and closures on trails from years past. Partnerships? Sponsorships? Those a distinct possibilities. I am approaching companies and have been approached so I am curious where this all goes. With significant hurricane damage locally it looks like we will need to road trip for some new trails. That was going to be the case anyway. In addition to new trails, I will be revisiting local trails as they open for updates on current conditions. I will be hosting SSO trail days coming up soon so stay tuned! The YouTube channel continues to be a learning process. I have been upgrading my video production toolkit and every session is a growth experience. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see in the coming year. Glad to have to you here and hope to meet as many of you as possible out in the wild! Be safe, have fun and leave no trace!