You might consider venturing off the beaten path in your brand new car if the urge to explore strikes. However, you don’t have to as most popular campgrounds, sights, and views are accessible by road. Off-roading, on the other hand, will allow you to see more unique sights and you will be able to tell more fascinating stories.
We’ll go over the fundamentals of off-roading in this article. With the right equipment and fundamentals, you can explore far more than a fire road.
Table of Contents
Tires
Some individuals assume that all-wheel drive can magically cure a snow wheel slide, while others feel that a transfer case or locking differential will solve any off-road tyre inefficiency. Unfortunately, driving through mud, rocks, or sand in summer tyres (or worse, balding or cracked ones) is a recipe for disaster. Different tyres have been designed to handle various environments.
A mud-terrain (M/T) tyre will produce some road noise, but it will also quickly discharge mud, snow, or sand, allowing you to cruise through the mucky, loose stuff.
Whereas, an all-terrain (not to be confused with all-season) tyre is a suitable choice for folks who will be travelling on a variety of surfaces but won’t be doing anything too strenuous. Your tyre should be selected based on how well it fits and rotates in the wheel wells of your car. Larger tyres offer higher ground clearance and a larger contact patch, but you’ll need to re-gear your axles or transmission to avoid power loss and poor fuel economy if you go too big.
Recovery Gearing
A decent pair of tyres will keep you out of difficulty, but if you get trapped, the recovery equipment will come in handy. Some of the most essential kits that should always carry include traction pads, snatch straps to attach to another vehicle’s recovery points and pull you out of a snag, a high-lift jack and base to elevate your rig and change a tyre on any terrain, a patch kit to cover a tear in your tyre temporarily, and work gloves to save your fingers are among the must-haves.
So, don’t forget to carry your essential stuff which can help you in these situations.
Keeping all your stuff in one place is a better option. You can contact a mold making company that can provide you stylish plastic containers or crates, which you can use for packing purposes.
You can go fancy with winches, but keep in mind that they add a lot of weight (not to mention cost) to your vehicle and aren’t necessary for the ordinary off-roader.
Lighting
We’ve all seen weekend warriors with a slew of LED, halogen, and HID lights aimed in every direction. That doesn’t have to be you (and shouldn’t be unless you have a very unique use-case). All you really need is a good pair of driving lights with a wide enough beam that reaches far enough into the darkness.
If your original headlights aren’t cutting it, mounting a set of auxiliary driving lights to your front bumper with a switch attached to your dashboard is a simple solution. Consider installing a set of spot/searchlights near your door mirrors to illuminate the left and right sides of a way ahead if you want to go the extra mile.
LED light bars look good and might be beneficial, but if installed wrong, they can cause difficulties (think severe glare off your hood), so make sure what you exactly want can fulfil your requirements.
Emergency Gear
What if your tyres couldn’t keep you out of trouble, and your recovery gear couldn’t get you out of it? Prepare and plan ahead of time for these emergency circumstances. If you’re going Overlanding or camping, you’ll probably have enough food and water for a couple of days, but if not, you’ll always want some rations and water on board.
A set of warm, waterproof clothes should also be packed with these essentials (yes, even if the weather report is favourable). You’ll want a seatbelt cutter or glass breaker with you in case of a rollover or other dangerous situation.
If you consider carrying all your essentials in big plastic crates, so that you can readily find them whenever there is an emergency.
You should also carry a first-aid kit. If you don’t want to wait until you’re found, purchase a long-range radio with a backup battery to notify anyone around.
Tips for Driving Off-road
Now that we are familiar with various equipment, let’s take a look at some tips for off-road driving.
Bring a Buddy and try to stay within your Limits.
These are two different pieces of counsel, but when combined, they form the most significant words of wisdom we can give. Keep in mind that if you push yourself too far and cause damage to your vehicle or yourself, you won’t be able to get back off-road for a while.
Even if you’ve already started down a trail and come upon a barrier you don’t like, it’s preferable to turn around than to end up in a dangerous or costly situation. This is also where your pal enters the picture. While you can make a stupid decision on your own, you’re less likely to do so with the help of another (wise) person.
Your friend can also function as a spotter to safely lead you over or past an obstacle if you both decide to go for it. If this friend has their own vehicle, they can either pull yours out of danger or pull you out of an overturned or otherwise damaged vehicle (which is more challenging to do if they’re strapped into the seat next to you).
Airing Down
You’ll likely notice tread not only where you’d expect it but also on the sidewalls of each tyre if your standard vehicle is set up to drive off-road or if you’ve invested in a nice set of AT or MT tyres (called biting edges). It’s not just for show.
You may improve traction by blowing down each of your tyres to between 20 and 25 psi before you start off-roading. More of your tread (including the biting edges) will be in contact with the ground as a result of this. Better tread equals more traction, and with less air in the tyre, the form of the tyre can alter depending on the surface.
Inspecting the Depth
Even if you’ve gone to the bother of installing a snorkel on your car, that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to cross any waterbody by magic. You will have the risk of flooding your automobile or being dragged down into the river if you go too far or into a fast-moving current (potentially upside down). Check the depth of the water at the deepest point to ensure you aren’t about to plunge into a calamity.
Knowing you vehicle
You may be familiar with some of your vehicle’s attributes, such as turning radius and fuel economy, if you’ve spent time driving it on a regular basis. However, off-roading necessitates a deeper understanding.
The clearance beneath your front and rear bumpers, as well as the space between your axles, are all affected by approach, departure, and break over angles. Keeping a mental picture of the space beneath each of these sections of your vehicle will help you avoid getting stuck on rocks, inclines, or ruts.
Conclusion
Going off-road isn’t as straightforward as it appears. It’s a tough and perplexing trip, especially if you’re not prepared enough. To alleviate some of the anxiety, you can go through these tips mentioned in this article and make your journey as safe as possible.
