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I know a bikepacker exploring remoter places like Burma,vietnam etc, but he rides a rigid bike and looking at front suspension.
What fork is bombproof and easy to maintain in the jungle?
100mm 2000 Marzocchi Z1 would be my choice, but technology has moved on,and theyre not so easy to find these days
I do not think the fork will be relevant. From what I have seen of people that have actually crossed the Gap, they pretty much carried things the whole way.
I'd stay with rigid as it would be lighter.
I'd go as cheap as possible... because you'll probably get robbed.
Or go with the Bombers if you can handle yourself.
ok, well maybe not the actual darien gap right now, but he is in vietnam, the good roads are bumpy and potholed,he will be out in the middle of nowhere ( I met him on the OLD road through the Cardamom mountains), he wants some forks,they can be found in singapore or bangkok, whats the go-to fork for such occasions?
Although heavier, coil forks may be a bit more reliable given the remoteness of the areas they will be riding in. Saying that, I can't suggest anything in particular.
my suggestion would be an open-bath coil fork, but if he just wants something to take the edge off maybe even an elastomer fork with friction damping would work (if its still possible to get one)
if a fork runs out of oil or the damper gives up it'll keep on holding the front end up (as long as its not air), so servicability in the field is less of an issue.
My brother hiked across the darien gap last year. You don't want to be taking a bike in there
Redshift suspension stem? If it all falls to bits from abuse, carrying a spare stem wouldn't be so bad.
If he's not actually 'mountain biking' and just wants more comfort, the above mentioned Redshift stem is great (I've used one during gravel bikepacking trips). If more travel is required (and bags aren't strapped to the forks), the Lauf Trail Racer is as low-maintenance (and weight) as it gets. Very smooth, nothing to go wrong, and bikepacking wise, performance should be ok (having ridden one 'properly' I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a normal MTB fork tbh). If his tyres are narrow enough, and the AC length long enough, the latest versions of their 30mm Grit fork would be another obvious answer.
I’d go as cheap as possible… because you’ll probably get robbed.
Or murdered.