tarpon4me

I have been speaking with some of the people from an area I like to go wheeling right up the road in NC. With some recent trail damage that has occurred, and after speaking with them, I decided it would be great if there were a flyer or brochure that could be passed out with each OHV pass that is purchased that explains the basics of off-roading, trail etiquette, and the consequence of not following the rules.

We are all here because we love jeeps and we love venturing off the beaten path. For me, it's more than that. I'm a combat veteran, and like so many like me, one of the items i'm service connected for is Post traumatic stress. Over the last couple years, even fishing and hunting wasn't fun for me anymore, and if I could have found a one way ticket back to the sand box, I would have gone. That may sound funny, but those of you in my shoes know exactly what i'm talking about. I've been off roading my entire life, but until I bought this jeep and climbed up my first ledge, I didn't know what it was all about. Crawling put new meaning into my life and filled a void that I thought would be empty forever.

What i'm looking for is a compilation of your best tactics for tackling the trails and ledges. I'm not interested in opinions, I have plenty of those myself. Simple things like using a high lift properly, winching/using recovery gear, picking a good line. Got any pictures that go along with the lesson? Post them up and i'll make you famous. I'm going to take the best tid bits of information and put them into a flyer that will be handed out to every person that purchases an OHV pass at our local trail. I'll also make it available to everyone here, so my goal is to make it universal for all areas. I may or may not get any help with this, but thanks in advance anyhow. I appreciate everything I get.

Mark Doiron

This is from a group with whom I do a lot of overland/expedition travel, so that is the focus. But much is applicable to the rock crawling crowd. Feel free to adapt it, if you find it useful.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON GOOD WHEELING PRACTICES

TREAD LIGHTLY: Many of our favorite wheeling places are constantly threatened with closing. To avoid giving ammo to those who would like to see us banished, we must be good stewards of the land.

TAKE A WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE: Maintain your vehicle. Check your vehicle’s trail worthiness/readiness before heading out. Don't have a breakdown that was avoidable with proper maintenance.

BE PREPARED: Don't rely on others for water, food, gas, spare tire, and other items you’ll need. See the separate list of recommended items below.

RECOVERY POINTS AND RECOVERY GEAR: Solid recovery points front and rear are required. Ensure someone is carrying adequate recovery gear, and that they will be present for the entire run (never wheel alone—see further comments below).

PETS: People like to take their pets, and everyone enjoys a well-mannered one. Ensure that yours reflect well on you and the group. Some areas restrict or prohibit pets – check out the rules before you head out.

KIDS: Four-wheeling is a family oriented activity. Keep an eye on your kids' behavior, and their safety.

TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS: If you make modifications to the trail (place rocks on drop-offs, etc) that the next group will not appreciate, remove the mods after your group has cleared the obstacle.

MUSIC: Not everyone appreciates your taste in music. Don't be guilty of noise pollution.

LANGUAGE: Consider who is in earshot before you swear. Not just children, some adults would as soon not listen to foul language.

ALCOHOL: No alcohol on trail rides. Open container laws apply on the trail. Let's enjoy a cold one later.

PITCH IN: If someone spots for you across rough terrain, or tows you out, return the favor where possible.

THE VEHICLE IN FRONT: Give the vehicle in front of you plenty of room. Don't ride their bumper. When approaching an obstacle, make sure the vehicle in front has cleared it before attempting it yourself.

THE VEHICLE BEHIND: Avoid losing sight of the person behind you. If you don’t see them within a reasonable distance, call ahead on the CB and ask the leader to hold up the group.

VEHICLE HANDLING: When trail riding in convoy do not engage in any type of driving activity that will endanger other people, or, that might cause damage to someone else's vehicle. Be considerate of others.

TRASH: Take it with you. And if you find some on the trail, take it, too.

WHEELING ALONE: You should have at least one buddy who is properly equipped for the run (but see below). Consider: If you go out by yourself and you get stuck, what are you going to do? You’re going to find that buddy who all of a sudden can make it, aren’t you? Now, he hasn’t been out there all day having a good time. He’s out there to haul your behind out of trouble. After which you’ll probably all head home.

Now put yourself in his shoes and you go out there and you help this stuck buddy recover his vehicle. And your vehicle sustains damage. Maybe you rip a tire open, you back into a tree damaging your trail rack, you hit your mirror on a tree breaking it – I’ve experienced all of it. And who’s going to pay for that? Well, you were driving it into whatever, so I guess you are. But, you did this damage not because you were wheeling and having a good time and had an accident. Nope, this happened because your buddy decided to wheel by himself, maybe got himself in a place that you’d have been smart enough to stay out of, then you end up with the repair bill. It sucks. And, there’s also the risk that maybe for whatever reason you wandered where you shouldn’t be – perhaps you overlooked that no trespassing sign. So, who owes for the ticket and legal hassles that might come with that?

Okay, sometimes it’s going to happen that you decide to get out and no one else is with you (happens a lot while on vacation). If that’s the case, choose busy trails where you know that other people will be along in short order if you encounter a problem. And be aware that if you choose unwisely and experience a problem, you could end up with a thousand dollar (or more) tow charge to get your vehicle back to civilization (that’s how much it is from the remotest parts of White Rim Trail; it's over two thousand if you need that tow from The Maze).

WHAT TO TAKE:

This gear list is designed for an extended expedition/overlanding trip. Some of the gear is obviously not needed for day trips. Use it to give you some idea of the kind of gear that should be along on a given trip. And remember, while it may not be necessary for every vehicle to have select gear, it’s always best if multiple vehicles have certain items, both because the group may find it necessary to divide up, and because gear is known to break (ask me about winches).

Some gear can be shared; only one is required. Some gear should be carried in every vehicle in case they get separated from the group. Some gear is obviously only for emergencies. Remember, one possible emergency could necessitate you having to hike out. Having necessary clothing, footwear, gear (such as water bottles) that can be carried for this purpose is a good idea. Someone should assume a leadership role to ensure necessary gear is available for the trip.

Make sure all gear is properly stowed / lashed down.

Recovery Equipment

Winch
Snatch Strap/Kinetic Rope
Chain (Do NOT use as a tow strap!)
Shackles/D-rings
Recovery Points (Everyone must have front and rear)
Tow Strap (WITHOUT metal hooks!)
Leather Gloves – (Anyone with a winch must have)
Tree Saver
Tire Pressure Deflators
Tire Gauge
Tire Repair Kit
Sand Mats/Ladders
Hand Tools
Hand Winch/Hi-Lift
Land Anchor/Pull-Pal
Safety Glasses
Shovel
Axe
Air Compressor/Compressed Air

Electronics

CB Radio (Bonus with Weather Band receiver)
Computer and Camera Card Reader
GPS
Lighting
Cell Phone

General Vehicle

Fire extinguisher (every vehicle should have)
Fluids
Storage Cases
Batteries
12-Volt Fridge
Power inverter
Tent
Snorkel
Tarp (for lying under vehicle when making repairs)

Camera Equipment

Camera/Lenses/Accessories
Video Camera

Personal Gear

Flashlight (Every vehicle should have)
Personal Bag
Hat
Headlamp
Multi-Tool (Every vehicle should have)
Boots (Or other footwear suitable for hiking out)
Clothing (Appropriate to the season and expected weather)
Bug Spray
Sun Screen

Camp Equipment

Camp Chair
Mug
Cook Set
Silverware/Plate/Bowl/Cup
Coffee Maker
Stove
Dutch Oven
Charcoal/Fire Wood (If can't be gathered; check local regulations)
Table
First-aid Kit (Every vehicle should have)
Gear Bags/Backpack
Sleeping Bag
Blanket (If needed for cold weather)
Lighter/matches (Every vehicle should have)
Shower/Toilet Enclosure (If you would like to use someone else’s facility, take a box of Wag Bags. Toilet Paper (Every vehicle should have)
Towel
Soap
Water Containers/Dromedary (filled) (Every vehicle should have)
Awning/Dining Fly
Trash Container
Napkins/Paper Towels
Cleaning Supplies
Rope

Other Items of Note

Guide Book
Map(s)
Permits
Reservations

tarpon4me

Freaking awesome! The brochure won't be but so big, but I'll pull from this. Thanks for sharing.

RoysRig

All that crap and yet Fire Extinguisher didn't make the list.

Mark Doiron

Thank you for your positive and constructive criticism. I must have inadvertently deleted it when reformatting the text. I will edit it in above.

Yuriy

Good list!

GoldenRubi

What about tools and spare parts? U-joints, brake lines, coolant hose repair kit, serpentine belt, JB Weld, Seal-All, etc...

tarpon4me

I can't fit it all in the brochure. Spare parts are probably more for the experienced that test the limits, and well, sometimes go beyond. (of course and the stupid) That's probably more of a forum question, which I will have information on too so people know where to get more answers.

Mark Doiron

With deference to tarpon4me since it's his brochure, I just happened to shoot pictures of my trail tools yesterday. So I'll offer them up here ...

Metric and SAE wrenches. SAE because I have lots of mods that have SAE parts. And I don't try to winnow down to what exact sizes I need--I pretty much carry the sets in case someone in a different style vehicle might need a tool. A few of these are because they were excess to what I needed in my garage shop tools.



In the roll-up pouch is my 95% solutions kit. This sets on top of everything else and can be accessed in about a minute. It has tools for 95% of the problems that require tools (obviously that number is a WAG, LOL). Screwdrivers, pliers, 4-way ratcheting wrenches (four different sizes in each one), Torx drivers, hammer, a small roll of electrical tape, zip-ties, etc. I carry a VOM and the programmer (in case I end up at a Jeep dealership somewhere), gloves, safety glasses and some very heavy plastic bags (to lay me or parts on).



Socket sets and pliers, adjustable wrenches, a trail vice, and small spares including electrical wire, fuses, safety wire, various types of tape, zip-ties, WD-40, etc. The 1/2" ratchet wrench is a huge, flexhead one--large enough to serve as a breaker-bar (if I don't break it first!). Sockets I limit to one of each size, then use various adapters to fit sockets to a particular need--for example, a 3/8" drive, 7/16" socket can be used with a 1/2" ratchet wrench with the proper adapter. Both a 35 and 36 mm axle nut sockets are carried since JKs use one or the other size--you don't know until you put a socket on it.



All of these tools are carried in one huge Craftsman soft toolbag. It's 20" long--just barely long enough for the 1/2" drive ratchet. At the top of it I keep the 95% solutions pouch. All of that is in a drawer in the back of my Jeep. Open swinggate, open tailgate, lift rear window, open drawer, pull out 95% solutions pouch. As I wrote above, about a minute to get out and use.

As for large spares, I have no idea what I'm going to break, and room and weight are really critical for the things I do. While I have spare axles, front lower control arms (I've seen one break, not mine), tie rod ends, etc, it's just really not practical to carry very much. A quart of oil and maybe a quart of gear lube--if everyone carries that, then maybe you have enough should someone need to refill a differential or whatever. Usually, stuff breaks you figure out how to limp back to civilization and a proper place to get repaired. Pulling a drive shaft is much more practical than carrying a spare. Ditto for an axle shaft. The places I go it can be more than $2000 for a tow back to civilization, so there's plenty of monetary incentive to limp back on your own. Or to run, get parts, then return. In cases like that, we can easily be talking a night out on the trail awaiting the return of those parts. Maybe even several, since they may have to ship it in from somewhere to the local parts vendor.

MB_Pathfinder

From my Overlanding / Expedition club:

Engine belt(s)
UJoints, axle and drive shaft
Tiered with ends
Spare axle shafts
Spare drive shafts
Halfshafts
Spare brake lines
Fuel filter
Fuel pump
Fuses
Bulbs
Upper and lower radiator hoses
Heater hose
Fuel line hose

Granted, that list is for extended expeditions in remote areas where replacement parts are a few days away so you'll want to adjust your inventory based on the area, the trail(s), and the group you're going with. For instance, you can probably leave the spare fuel pump at home unless you're going on an extended trip through the back country. In the September 2013 issue of JPFreek, Mark Filonowich has an article on trail fixes that's worth a read. In it, he talks about things like instead of bringing an entirely new radiator hose, have a 3" length of 1" diameter pipe - if your radiator hose bursts, cut out the burst section and clamp the pipe in it's place. It's not a permanent fix, but it'll work well enough to get you off the trail and into town (and doesn't take up as much space in your kit as a new hose). Duct tape and some macgyvering can also fix a bunch of little things like that long enough to get you into town.