ATVConnection.com

Remember playing that ridiculous hypothetical question game as a kid: “If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things with you, what would they be?”

You’d wrack your brain trying to think of three books you could stand to read over and over for the rest of your days or at the very least come up with something hopelessly prolific such as War & Peace to impress the girl asking the question.

Well we here at ATV Connection have always known that the best three books to select would be How to Turn Oceanic Life Washed Ashore into Gourmet Meals for Dummies, How to Learn to Navigate by the Stars for Dummies, and How to Build a Raft out of Coconut Shells for Dummies. In other words to survive, select wisely.

The same thing applies to ATV/ UTV riding. Sure we may not risk becoming stranded on a desert island per se but the notion of becoming stranded in the desert, on an island or anywhere in between is something we risk each and every time we hop in the saddle. While there aren’t 3 books we could recommend to increase the odds of making it home again, there are three lifesaver accessories you will definitely be glad you brought along!

Keep on Rollin’ >>

Moose has a long history with off-roading and the editors of ATV Connection can certainly appreciate that when it comes time to trust our collective nether-regions to a pair of pants. Think about it for a minute: All that separates one’s manhood (or womanhood) from the venerable war-zone that is ATV-riding comes in the form of a little nylon & polyester. Choose wisely!

We selected a pair of 2012 Moose Sahara pants in effort to determine whether they were up to the task. Here’s what we discovered:

What Is It?

As the name implies, the Sahara line of Moose’s race-wear catalog represents the warm weather set with emphasis on ventilation/ breathe-ability. As such, the Sahara is constructed of highly ventilated nylon/polyester and boasts the following features:
· Oversized knee area with perforated genuine leather inner panels
· Removable vented hip pads
· Reinforced high wear areas, knees and seat
· Pre-bent pant leg design
· Strategically placed badges for roost deflection and durability
· Integrated dual waist cinch straps, with grip tabs, allow you to fine tune fit
· Available in even waist sizes 28″-48″ and colors blue, orange, red, stealth, yellow and red/white/blue

We picked up a pair for $119 and more info can be found here.

Fit

Not that we expect you to follow the year to year sizing changes that across the various brand offerings, but we think you’d be pleased to know that for 2012 Moose focused on making their off-road gear fit and feel a bit more like street clothes. How did they accomplish this? By boosting their size scale by a half size across the board. Since we rarely come back after a long off-season skinnier than we started, this is much appreciated.

In action, you get a pair of cinch straps (one on each side of the waist) that offer about 2-inches of adjustability both ways. Even with the adjustable straps, you should considers ordering a size smaller than you currently wear if you’ve somehow managed to come out thinner than you were in the fall.

In Action

We can attest that the Moose Sahara pant flows some serious air. How can we be so sure? We had a chance to test them in sunny 45-degree days, sunny 60-degree days, and then finally on a sunny 83-degree day. We went from cold, to cool, to just right in that order. Another way to put it: The hotter the conditions, the more you’ll appreciate the Sahara.

Durability

We certainly applaud Moose for reinforcing the high wear areas like the knees and saddle region. Triple stitching in these regions is also appreciated. We suspect the pants will last multiple seasons with ease.

Complaints

Not too much to report here, except riders who typically rely on a single pair of pants for all conditions may want to consider checking out Moose’s XCR, M1, or Qualifier line as the Saharas are truly deliver as a warm-weather only affair.