Off road discussion for newbs

[McGilli]

I've only been off-roading (had my Jeep) for 3 weeks now. I'm one of those people that just dives right into something and teaches himself. I'm up at 3am on the weekend, driving out for hours to get to all these places I've always wanted to try off-roading...

My first adventure was nearly a nightmare - and probably my best learning experience becasue of it. However I've picked up a lot of things fast, and gained some great insight from this forum.

These may or may not apply for you:

1. When going to FSR's I always check my local government website for any notices on the roads in the area whether they are open, in need of repair, washed out or danger of etc...

2. Gaia for my iPad. Paid for a membership, and I always download all the maps for where I am going so I can find myself when out of reception and plan alternate routes etc

3. Alltrails. I use this ahead of time to look up other people reviews/feedback of the roads or areas I'm going to see how they rate it for off-roading - skill level etc

4. I've created a bag I take with me with many necessities: Portable HAM radio (and I learned how to use it), bear spray, air horn, bear bangers (lots of bears where I go), tools, machete, first aid kit made for wilderness, water, food, flashlight etc...

5. If you don't have a spotter - and If it feels above your pay grade, wait until another time - live to fight another day.


That's really it so far. I'm learning as I go along and having a blast!

Lots of other really great suggestions here too from others. Enjoy! There's lots of us newbies out there!

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[VolvDL]

Use your brakes. I feel like people get in trouble going to fast at/over obstacles. You can always stop and assess a scenario. People have a sense of needing to go faster than they should, or feel like they need to keep a pace for people behind them. Let folks around you if they want to go fast, and stopping to check things out is smart.

 

[jeepoch]

All the advice in this thread is sound and worth listening to, but most of it is in the planning and prep. Never short-change planning and being prepared.

How comfortable are you with your equipment? Actually doing the trail obstacles (whether easy or hard) is the make or break point of a successful trail run. Successfully accomplishing the run is the overall objective.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. If you come across something that gives you concern, listen to that little voice that tells you to evaluate the situation and be safe. If still uncomfortable continuing on, turn around find another route.

2. Stay the trail. Go over, not around obstacles otherwise the forest service or other authorities will close the trail. Never ruin it for others. Also, if you don't feel safe in going over the obstacle, see item #1.

3. Keep your wheels on the ground as much as physically possible. If you're driving something other than a Rubi, invest in sway bar disconnects when off-road. The extra articulation is like magic. Furthermore when finished, don't attempt to drive on-road at highway speeds with the disconnected sway bar unless you want to roll your rig. Connected sway bars really hurt your off-road capability but are essential on-road. Know how to reconnect them when leaving the trail. There are really good quick disconnect kits. They aren't expensive.

4. Air down your tires for extra traction. Recall, your recommended tire pressure is based on pavement, not the back-woods or sandy beach. However, before doing this you obviously need a way to air back up. There are wonderfully cheap portable air compressors for this purpose. If you can't air back up then don't air down. You'll damage and potentially ruin your under inflated tires on-road at anything near highway speeds in just a few miles.

5. Use the lowest possible torque to obtain a safe slow speed and momentum over any obstacle is truly the secret sauce. Stay off the accelerator as much as you can. Lost traction (for any reason) means you're toast. The 4wd low in these Jeeps, independent of trim or model, is truly impressive. You will rarely ever need much horsepower over idle to accomplish most anything. Learn to not spin your tires under any circumstances. Drag racing should never be in a Jeeper's vocabulary when off-road. Certainly the severely extreme trails and obstacles will require more power, but you should not attempt anything radically difficult while you're learning. Take it slow both in movement and your training. You'll get more confident by the day.

6. HAVE FUN! If you're doing anything from preventing this you're likely again in step #1 above. Getting home safely should be just as fun as driving the trail. Jeeps are way cool. Enjoy every minute you're in it.

7. Share your experience. Talking it over, even with your dog solidifies the debrief. This is where you evaluate what went well, what could have been performed better. This is where you really learn and set up plans for how to improve. Having friends along the way really makes this much more enjoyable.

8. HAVE FUN...

Hope this helps.
Jay

 

[Oldbear]

Go SLOW when learning to off road. There are no prizes for getting to the end of the trail 10 minutes earlier. Always bring water (at least a couple gallons) and some “survival” type food in cars you’re stuck for a while, fire starter, and “space blankets” in case you’re stuck overnight. Self rescue gear is incredible important if you are alone. At the very least a shovel, a come along (or better yet a winch), a snatch strap and a tree saver strap. With these basis you can almost always get yourself out of trouble. I would strongly encourage “easy” trails to learn on (or if you are alone). I am NOT an extreme off roader, but I love exploring fire service roads and similar trails. I have done this for a LOT of years. I’ve been stuck a couple times, but have always been able to extricate myself (one time it took a LOT of hard work, primarily because my come along could only move me a few feet before needing to reset. That, coupled with a lack of anchor points to hook up to, meant I Had to bury my spare, use it as an anchor, move a few feet, move to tire to another hole, re connect, and repeat the entire process.it took a few hours, by myself, and a lot of hard work to move far enough to get out, but I finally did. The water and a couple candy bars was all I had for provisions, and I was darn glad to have them. Ever since that event (more than 25 years ago) I make a point of being better prepared,

 

[Dkretden]

Go do some very simple trails and list them here......

not all of us rock crawl and many of us don’t care to. Many of us don’t”overland” either. Rather, we just want our jeep to take us places that we can‘t walk to...and we want to get there, and back, in our Jeeps.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...a-“trails-for-pusses”-—-list-them-here.56846/

 

[Whiskey 13]

Have read some really sound advice on this tread, the most important part about driving IMO is keeping the wheels in contact with the ground and not breaking traction as much as you possibly can. Spinning wheels usually take a vehicle in a direction the driver does not want it to go, sometimes even backwards.

Preparation is always the key to success, knowing the intended environment will help determine survival and recovery gear, you surely don't need a -40 sleeping bag in Florida but you sure might in Maine so it is important to pack accordingly. Water (all trips no matter what) food, compass map (never have blind faith in electrical equipment), knife, first and self aid kits, communication equipment, fire starters are all things to conceder.

Put some thought into the planning end and the action end will be a lot more fun and worry free and like some have already said, go out get dirty and have a blast

 

[Dg1615]

I don't subscribe to the "always offroad with others" mentality, however it is not a bad idea when you are learning. I think as @Sean K. stated above joining a local offroad club can be extremely helpful when you are building your skills. I propose learning some other skills that I consider equally vital if you like to venture out alone. Me and my wife learn and practice these skills together, its fun and ensures the knowledge is not lost if the one with it is out of the game.
1. Basic survival skills, can you keep you and your family alive for several days if lost/stranded? a week? In all weather conditions?
2. Navigation, do you know where you are at and where you have to go to get help? Do you have the tools to make that happen?
3. First aid, can you stabilize yourself or a family member in the event of a medical emergency, either to transport them or wait for help to arrive? Do you have enough first aid supplies and training?

I think emergency locators are a good tool, but like any electronic tool they can be a crutch that people rely too heavily on. There are dead zones, batteries, and just plain electronic failures that can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere and now your life saving gadget is just a paperweight.

You don't have to be Bear Grylls or some kind of survival icon, but you need to imagine some scenarios that fit the kind of adventures you take and be able to definitively answer "yes, I could get me and my family out of that". And then imagine some scenarios that you think could never happen to you and determine how you would deal with that. Like going out during a hot day and having to spend the night in below freezing temps, these are the kinds of things people never expect and end up on shows like "I shouldn't be alive!".

Sometimes I travel with friends, sometimes we like to be alone (more often). My loadout and trip plans are tailored to include these factors.

It's a whole different level of freedom to take off into the unknown and know if things go wrong you can stand a good chance of surviving it, possibly even enjoying it...I don't know, I just might be weird. This is me and the wife and dog.

I don't subscribe to the "always offroad with others" mentality, however it is not a bad idea when you are learning. I think as @Sean K. stated above joining a local offroad club can be extremely helpful when you are building your skills. I propose learning some other skills that I consider equally vital if you like to venture out alone. Me and my wife learn and practice these skills together, its fun and ensures the knowledge is not lost if the one with it is out of the game.
1. Basic survival skills, can you keep you and your family alive for several days if lost/stranded? a week? In all weather conditions?
2. Navigation, do you know where you are at and where you have to go to get help? Do you have the tools to make that happen?
3. First aid, can you stabilize yourself or a family member in the event of a medical emergency, either to transport them or wait for help to arrive? Do you have enough first aid supplies and training?

I think emergency locators are a good tool, but like any electronic tool they can be a crutch that people rely too heavily on. There are dead zones, batteries, and just plain electronic failures that can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere and now your life saving gadget is just a paperweight.

You don't have to be Bear Grylls or some kind of survival icon, but you need to imagine some scenarios that fit the kind of adventures you take and be able to definitively answer "yes, I could get me and my family out of that". And then imagine some scenarios that you think could never happen to you and determine how you would deal with that. Like going out during a hot day and having to spend the night in below freezing temps, these are the kinds of things people never expect and end up on shows like "I shouldn't be alive!".

Sometimes I travel with friends, sometimes we like to be alone (more often). My loadout and trip plans are tailored to include these factors.

It's a whole different level of freedom to take off into the unknown and know if things go wrong you can stand a good chance of surviving it, possibly even enjoying it...I don't know, I just might be weird.

Yea being 20 miles from the nearest power pole or another person is a great feeling. Just need to be a little smart about things and we’ll prepared.

 

[tactical328]

Alot of people have covered the preparedness aspect, and especially when you go with other people be prepared, have your own tools, spares, etc. Try not to be the guy that shows up with nothing and uses everyone else's parts. You'll figure out what you need as you go but cover the basics. Being prepared is the difference between a fkn tragedy and an inconvenience.

Skills drills for offroading newbies #1 is know where your feet are. Set a cone out or flag something you can see over your fender and practice touching it with each one of your tires. Getting used to what it looks like from the drivers seat exactly where an obstacle is and accurately placing your tires on it is very helpful for making it up the proper line, or not falling off the edge of a road/cliff etc. Start with the flag/cone, then put a piece of carboard on the ground and target putting each wheel on it repeat until you're good at it. Driving backwards etc, get good at putting your rig exactly where you want it.

#2 throttle control, whiskey dickin your throttle is how most people end up in trouble offroad, rolling over, getting stuck, driving off edges/cliffs/etc. Learn how to apply throttle carefully and accurately. Associated skill is 2 foot driving, left on brake, right on gas finessing each pedal to control traction and suspension is advanced but very useful, can work on that later as you get better/experienced.
This is super easy to practice go to a parking lot or your offroad spot and practice rolling up onto a rock or a curb. Put it in 4 and crawl it up on the curb or rock without overdoing it, gradually graduate to larger obstacles.

#3 combine skill 1 and 2, and be smooth, there's a time to bump obstacles and wheelspeed hill climbs but you need to do it smoothly. Also look under your rig, pick lines to go over obstacles to not hang up on your diffs, driveshafts etc. Also don't smash your oil pan on a rock, thats bad noob driving. Being good at that will help you not get stuck...

#4 Unstucking yourself, recovery, etc. Watch the youtube videos on this, practice winching general recovery, traction boards, kinetic ropes. Its a whole genre of offroading videos nowadays it seems. Theres a safe way to do recoveries, plenty of info out there just go read and practice.

theres a ton more to learn offroading, most of it comes from experience. But at least you can practice these basic skills on your own before hitting the trails and be better equipped to comfortably navigate. good luck.

 

[Shibadog]

Basic self rescue kit, basic survival kit. Details of both can be found on this forum. Just a bit of preplanning can make the difference between being stuck in the sticks and getting safely home. The same with survival gear. A basic kit can be the difference between an uncomfy night in the toolies and a life threatening one. Follow the boys out rule-Be prepared!

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