Be Prepared: How To Avoid Serious Problems When You're Off-Roading

If you want to get involved in off-road activities, you can plan to get stuck at least once. Actually, getting stuck is a normal part of most off-road activities, especially if you go far enough off the beaten path. That's why it's important for you to prepare for the inevitable. If you have a 4x4 vehicle, you may think that you're safe. But, that's not the case. Even the sturdiest 4x4 is bound to get stuck at some point. The trick is knowing what to do when you do get stuck. Here are four steps you can take to avoid serious problems. 

Trust Your Own Limits

If you're going off-roading, make sure you know your own limits. This includes the limits you can push with your vehicle and the limits you can push with yourself. When it comes to your vehicle, you'll need to know what type of terrain it can handle. For instance, if you don't have a heavy-duty 4x4 with off-road modifications, you don't want to try climbing rocky terrain. Likewise, if you've never corrected an upended 4x4, you don't want to attempt to do so. Instead, know your own limits and trust them. 

Stay Away From the Mud

If you're going to go out off-roading for the first time, stay away from the mud, even if the area only looks partially muddy. Mud isn't something that you can just drive right through. Mud has a habit of grabbing hold of 4x4's and hanging on to them for dear life. Not only that, even if you can start pulling away, once the mud gets stuck in the treads of your tires, you won't go anywhere. That's because the mud makes your tires quite slick, which eliminates any traction you need to pull your 4x4 out of the muck. If your 4x4 gets stuck, you're going to need a recovery team to get you out of there. 

Don't Trust Your Cell Phone

If you're ready to go off-roading in your 4x4, don't plan to use your cell phone. You may think you have reliable service, but once you get into a remote location, that reliable service is going to be non-existent. Unfortunately, if you end up needing recovery service, but you only have your cell phone, you might be waiting a long time for assistance. To avoid that, always have satellite phones or a ham radio with you. That way, you can call for help as soon as you need it. 

Plan for Recovery in Advance

Finally, if you're going off-roading, make sure you're prepared for recovery. Before you head out, let a local 4x4 recovery service know where you're going, and how long you plan to be out. That way, if you do need to call for help, the recovery service already has a good idea of where to find you.

Contact a 4x4 recovery service for more information.

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