You must be familiar with some off-roading etiquette basics before embarking on your excursion. These are relatively general sets of regulations that every driver is required to abide by; neither were they created nor imposed by the government.
- Off-Roading Alone: It is never advised to go off-road alone, regardless of how experienced you are. This can raise the risk to human life and make it more challenging to recover automobiles. It is advised to travel off-road with at least one experienced driver who is familiar with the trails.
- Sufficient Resources: Off-roading is a continual adventure, and the length of the intended trip can change for a variety of reasons. Therefore, it is advised that drivers bring some additional food and fuel in case of an extended stay.
- Follow the Trail: Prior to your trip, familiarize yourself with your route. Make sure your driving abilities and car are up to the challenges of the trail by navigating it using satellite pictures.
- Mark your Trails: While navigating the landscape, take images of your surroundings. You can find your way back with this.
Checks for Off-Roading Safety
Standing while operating an off-road vehicle is completely forbidden.
Contrary to what is portrayed in movies and popular culture, off-roading is not like that. The majority of the distance is traveled in a lower gear and at a slow speed. Furthermore, the idea of a comfortable ride while off-roading does not exist. Drivers and passengers must therefore take additional safety measures.
- To ensure everyone’s safety in the event of an accident, seatbelts must be worn at all times during the trip. However, it’s advised to forgo your seatbelt when travelling over water so you can rapidly flee if the car sinks.
- Gather knowledge about the trail’s flora and animals, and get ready for any creatures you may run into. Also, ensure that you obey all the environmental standards enforced by the government.
- Any person standing or extending their arms or legs while operating a vehicle is strictly prohibited.
- When turning the car, keep your thumb out of the steering. The driver could sustain serious injuries as a result of the uneven surface, which can swiftly bring the steering wheel back to its center.
- Be mindful of recovery tools, and keep a safe distance from or out of the path of cables.
- If you smoke, dispose of cigarette butts correctly. The easiest method is to immerse the cigarette butt in water for 3 seconds before throwing it out. Butts have the potential to spark forest fires if not careful. Avoid leaving any trash behind while traveling.
Know Your Environment
If you are familiar with some fundamental guidelines and techniques, driving on uneven terrain is achievable.
Off-roaders may meet one of seven different kinds of trails while driving. In the UAE specifically, light trails, sand dunes, mud trails, and rock crawling are frequent occurrences. Depending on the driver’s level of experience, every path has a different degree of difficulty. Additionally, the landscape hardness may be either easier or harder depending on the weather. As a result, it is advised that you check the rating of your path before choosing it.
Recovery Methods
While off-roading, there is a possibility that your car will become stuck. The self-recovery of the vehicle should be given top priority in this circumstance. It’s possible that you’ll need some knowledge and tools for this. Here are two self-recovery methods that off-roaders should be familiar with.
Recovery Using Strap and Rope
- One of the earliest and most basic recovery methods used by off-roaders is strap and rope. This method is well recognized for the quick recovery of a car in an emergency. Kinetic recovery rope and recovery straps are the main tools needed for this recovery approach.
- As much as you can, arrange the recovery and bog in a straight line. The rope needs to have at least 3 feet of slack.
- Connect a kinetic rope to each vehicle’s recovery points using a D-ring. You can keep a safe distance away from the rope or use a dampener over it for safety.
- To tow the car, use low gear. If the method doesn’t work, try again with a little more wiggle room and a slower mobile vehicle speed.
Winching
- Winches are helpful tools for vehicle self-recovery.
- A more recent technique for off-road vehicle recovery is winching. For retrieving huge automobiles, it works better and is more practical. If you want to use the winch technique of recovery, you will require a complete winching set.
- Finding a huge item, such as a rock, tree, or other vehicle, is the first stage in winching.
- Locate the nearest winch anchor that will let the rope circle around the car’s drum four to five times.
- Drag the cable and use a bow shackle to fasten it to the strap.
- Rotate the cable slowly to connect to the car. Take your time; if you hurry, the cable can break and leave the car stuck.
