Having a few years of off-road Jeepin’ under my belt now, I don’t always remember that there’s often a wide range of experience levels on many of our trail rides. And although hands-on experience is the only way to really learn how to drive off road, that isn’t necessarily the best place to learn the basics.  For that, there are books, videos, and expensive driving schools.  But if you would like some immediate (free) information on this subject, I’ve jotted down some of my thoughts about off-roading.

Before we go any further, however, I need to make something perfectly clear. There are 4-wheel drive vehicles and there are off-road vehicles.  Yes, there is a difference!  Consider a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Lincoln Navigator.  Both have 4-wheel drive, both even have a 2-speed transfer case (i.e., 4-hi and 4-lo), however; that’s where their similarities end.  A Grand is an off-road vehicle; a Navigator is not.  Trust me on this one!  Please don’t show up to one of my trail rides in your Navigator!  Okay?  Good!

One more thing I’d like to discuss before we begin, is safety.  Off-road vehicles aren’t toys (okay, they are; but you know what I mean).  And their use requires knowledge and common sense to operate safely. Never drink alcohol just before or during a trail ride, not even if you are just a passenger.  Ensure that all occupants in your vehicle are wearing their seatbelt (which means, no standing up while the vehicle is moving).  These things should all be obvious to most people, but you’d be surprised at some of the stuff I’ve seen on the trail!

Safety also needs to be practiced outside of the vehicle as well.  Always be aware of your surroundings, especially during stuck-vehicle recovery procedures!  At the 1998 Daniel Boone Jeep Jamboree in Kentucky, a child’s leg was broken by a flying front bumper, which was pulled clean off of a vehicle during a recovery!  I’ve also witnessed a winch hook snap back and shatter its vehicle’s windshield.  Don’t get me wrong, Jeepin' isn’t necessarily any more dangerous than numerous other sports that people engage in (skydiving, motorcycle racing, bungie jumpin', etc), but it does require you to treat it with respect.

Okay, we are finally ready to begin Lesson #1:

You recently bought yourself a Jeep, attended a couple of meetings hosted be the local 4WD club, and are now planning to go on your first trail ride this weekend! Yeah, you’re just a newbie Jeeper, but you don’t want it to be painfully obvious to everyone else on the trail! Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself and your vehicle for that first ride.

1. Learn everything you can about the operation of your vehicle. Read the freaking owner’s manual! I was on a ride once with a couple of green horns who got a flat tire on the trail. Never mind that they didn’t have a Hi-Lift jack, but they didn’t even know where the factory bottle jack (nor the jack crank) was stored in their Jeep! Talk about funny . . . not . . . these two dudes squatting next to their flat tire, holding up everyone else behind them, reading the owner’s manual in the middle of the trail!

2. Learn the basic techniques for safe, off-road driving.  You are already getting a jump on this one by reading these pages.  However, check out my list of Top 10 Vehicle Modifications, specifically Mod #2.

3. Equip your vehicle for basic off-road use. The great majority of Jeep owners never ever take their vehicles off road. Many will never shift their transfer case into 4WD. Some don’t even know how to shift into 4WD! But not you . . . you are going ‘wheelin! And you will need some special equipment. Even for your very first ride, I highly recommend my Top 10 Mod #’s 3 through 7, and 9.  Imagine how embarrassing it would be for you to get stuck and not have any tow points for which to attach a recovery strap, one of which you have to borrow cuz you don’t got one of those neither. Very uncool!

4. Now that you and your vehicle are ready to hit the trail, make sure that the trail you’ve selected is appropriate for your vehicle and your level of experience.  Don’t hesitate to call the trail leader to ask his/her opinion regarding this matter!  Believe me, the trail leader does not want you in over your head on their trail ride. It will only serve to ruin yours and everyone else’s day!

5. There are few things you should bring with you on all trail rides. I have a relatively extensive list in the "Before the Ride" article on my Trails Page.  But for day rides, I recommend the following as a minimum:

You will also need a secure place to store all of this stuff.  On a bumpy trail, you won’t want things flying all around the cockpit, causing a safety hazard!

6. Finally, arrive at the meeting location for the trail ride, on time and ready to ride! That means have breakfast, gas up, and go potty before the meeting time. Pay attention at the Driver’s Meeting (a good trail leader will always have a Driver’s Meeting either before departing for the trailhead or at the air down location, or both). Have a great day out with your fellow Jeepers, knowing that you took the time to properly prepare yourself and your vehicle for the trail!

Please Proceed to Lesson #2

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