MANILA, Philippines – For true outdoors enthusiasts, acquiring a pickup truck or SUV is just the first step. It can have essentials like four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and an easy-to-clean interior, but further accessorization is required to make it truly outdoors-worthy.
In my case, I acquired a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban and fixed it up to function as my Support And Gear Wagon for my “Camp Alpha” triathlon training series. For long training sessions, it’s stocked with jugs of water and Gatorade, bananas, spare wheels, fresh towels, and all sorts of items one needs to support the Swim-Bike-Run lifestyle.
After equipping it with a Hitchpro mount and a Kuat bike rack, the next step was to simplify my ad hoc aid station process. You see, when I have the ‘Burb parked by the road and opened up to serve refreshments for my athletes, a simple thing such as sunshade can mean a lot to dozens of tired (and fried) athletes! My usual method was to find a big enough tree, or take the time to set up a small tent.
Then I discovered the Sunseeker 2 on Facebook, specifically on the page of Outdoors Club Greenhills. I wasted no time getting one for the big Chevy, and now all my athletes love the ‘Burb even more!
The whole system is very simple to setup; you can do it yourself within 10 minutes. First, unzip the cover, and then roll out the awning. Legs fold out and lock with pegs, while support rods give the awning some structure. Guy wires let you secure the legs to something sturdy like a tree or post. Simple as that! The Sunseeker 2 is 2.1 meters long and provides over 4 square meters of shade. The material used is rip stop, polycarbonate canvas and also has anti-mold properties. It’s also UV-resistant and waterproof, making it highly ideal for 4x4 enthusiasts who like to camp out in the boonies.
With essential Rhino Rack crossbars for mounting the Sunseeker 2 on, the entire setup costs just P36,000. When folded and zipped up, it just lies along the roof of the ‘Burb with just a minimal addition to weight and wind noise. Thus equipped, any SUV or truck owner will never have to worry about finding some shade when he can just park and set up his own base camp anywhere.