Section 1: Introduction
Offroading 101: An overview of the basics in order to learn about and prepare for your first off-road experience
This series of articles is based on the content of the live classroom presentation that I teach for beginners who are just getting started in off-roading, or for people who just want to find out if off-roading is something that they want to try. We’ll cover the basics and keep it as simple and non-technical as we can.
Some of the topics that we’ll cover include:
Tires
Airing Down/up
Essential Equipment
Recovery Gear
Radios & GPS
Driving Tips, Obstacles
Trail Etiquette
Advanced information on these topics can be found in other tabs on this website, but this overview should be sufficient to get you ready for your first (group) adventure. The important thing is to always travel offroad with a group; especially as a newbie – NEVER head out alone!
When you caravan with other offroaders, others in your group will have the expertise and equipment to deal with trail related issues. Even amongst those of us with a few years of experience, it is rare to find a single vehicle stocked with EVERYTHING; or a single individual who knows EVERYTHING (navigation, field repair, recovery, first aid, camping, and so on). But within a group, you will find a variety of expertise and a plethora of gear.
As a newbie, you shouldn’t just rush out and purchase stuff until you get out on a few trails and see what other people are using. Everything looks great on the internet and in ads; but 1) You may not really need a lot of that stuff; and 2) There are pros and cons to every equipment choice, so you need to see and play with gear up close and hands-on to discover what you prefer.
Keep a pen handy…
Within the off-road community, get used to signing disclaimers, waivers, and lots of liability (hold-harmless) release forms. Our society has become very litigious, so everyone is afraid of being sued for just about anything.
Unless your jeep club or offroading group is part of a fully insured, bonded, commercial touring enterprise – you will be required to sign releases before participating in group activities, regardless of how small or informal the group. Those releases not only protect the organizers and trail leaders, but also all of the members attending the trail run or followers associated with the group.
Offroading is inherently risky! Although any reputable group tries its best to minimize the risk of property damage to your vehicle or personal injury – there are no guarantees. Unexpected stuff can and does happen. Your paint will get scratched from shrubs (out West we call that “desert pin striping”). Your tire could get punctured, your undercarriage could get scraped, or you could pick up a small ding or dent from a protruding rockface.
Minor damage, particularly cosmetic damage, WILL occur to your vehicle sooner or later. Expect a few of “nature’s battle scars” to disrupt the pristine flawless finish of your (previously) “pavement princess”. But wear those scratches with pride; it shows the world that you aren’t just a mall poseur who fantasizes about taking their Jeep into the wild; but that you are the real deal!
Offroading is not a theme park ride; it is an adventure. And with any true adventure, there is some degree of risk.
That all being said, here are some disclaimers regarding what you are about to read on this website.
• This presentation is intended as an introductory overview of common 4x4 practices.
• Content reflects what constitutes common off-road community guidelines, but should not be construed as absolute.
• Your individual situation will vary, depending on many factors such as driver experience, trail conditions, vehicle offroad capabilities, vehicle mechanical condition, club procedures, and much more.
Even Jeeps can get stuck in snow
• You participate in all offroad activities at your own risk, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless www.Offroading.info , its authors, administrators, editors, writers, agents, volunteers or any other person associated with this website against loss, damage or expense, including attorney’s fees, by reason of the liability imposed by law upon Offroading.info , on account of damage to property or vehicle arising out of or in consequence of this presentation and content.
The Golden Rule
NEVER go out alone!
Make sure there are at least two vehicles.
Because if your vehicle gets stuck, or something breaks, or if someone needs medical help…
Without cell service, it can be a long hike back to civilization.
Technical Note: If you actually do find yourself stranded, DO NOT attempt to hike back to civilization. Stay with your vehicle! Search & Rescue taught us that it is easy for them to spot a vehicle from the air. But a lone hiker, wandering lost, is extremely difficult to see, especially if they are collapsed under shade or wearing earth-tone clothing.
We all were newbies originally
Confession: That stranded vehicle in the snow was our Jeep, after we just bought it. Still even had temporary plates. Our family was itching to take it up to Utah and the area outside Zion National Park to enjoy our new 4x4. We read about a back country road that ran from Hwy 9 up to Cedar City, rated as easy and fun. So we headed off, with just a paper brochure (kinda-map?) to guide us. Hey, we were in a brand new 4x4 Jeep! We even had a tiny, folding shovel with us.
The road was fun. We got to climb over some dirt hills, drove over some shallow snow patches, and just kept on following that skinny, squiggly thin black line of a path that we had downloaded from a trail site. We didn’t have GPS navigation back then, but noted the landmarks and dead reckoned.
All was good until we reached the summit of a mountain, at high elevation. In front of us was a snow packed stretch of road – but only around a hundred or so yards of white pathway. The snow in the center of the road appeared to be the deepest and slushiest, but the thin cover along the grass banks seemed like the better choice.
Nope. We ended up with our tires buried deep as well as getting high centered. High centered means that snow accumulated under the bottom of the jeep and was supporting or lifting the vehicle.
We tried digging out the snow around the tires, but our flimsy “military surplus foldable entrenching shovel” just wasn’t up to the task. It did fold easily though, even when it wasn’t supposed to!
No traction boards (yet); no winch (even if we had one, there were no trees to anchor onto).
Luckily, after around 20 minutes, a few friendly offroaders just happened to come up the road from the other direction, stopped to assist us, and got us out.
As soon as we got home from that trip, we purchased recovery boards, a winch, and a heavy-duty shovel. Took some classes and learned as much as we could. Lesson One being: to never head out alone.
