TESTED: BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T 697

TYRES are the foundation of everything we do as four-wheel drivers – whether they’re pumped up to road pressures for long stretches of black top, dropped down to smooth-out corrugations on outback tracks, or running single-digit pressures for huge footprints and ample grip in rocks and sandy terrain. The problem is, while airing down to the appropriate pressures is as easy as unscrewing the valve, airing back up is a completely different ball game.

For years it’s been a simple, albeit slow, affair: a 12V compressor rattling around in a canvas bag in the back of your 4x4, a couple of gator clamps onto your battery, and, after a 20min wait and a seemingly endless bone-rattling drone, you might be good to go.

These days we’re spoilt for choice. There’s everything from your traditional single piston offerings, right up to complete onboard air systems and everything in-between. Each offering has its own unique set of pros and (occasional) cons thrown in for good mix. From lightweight portable offerings to powerhouses that’ll run a workshop full of air tools, the options are almost endless; in fact, endless is literally one of the options.

To help get you on the straight and narrow of compressed air, we’re shining the spotlights at some of the most versatile air systems money can buy.