Four-wheelers understand that the hobby relies heavily on various technical skills (driving, spotting, recovery and so forth). Often forgotten or overlooked is that all those activities – and more – rely on good communication to be successful. The best laid plans are useless if not shared with and understood by… Continue reading
Spring is in the air, and everyone’s anxious to get out. (Though we in the West have been out for a while.) But four-wheelers everywhere are eager to get the 2022 season underway. Besides making sure your vehicle is ready for off-road use, it’s important to review some of the… Continue reading
Every once in a while, a piece of equipment comes along that just makes sense. It’s inexpensive, versatile, and small. And once you have one, you wonder how you got by without it. Such is the case with the 4-way valve tool. Chances are you’ve seen one of these before…. Continue reading
Safe and effective spotting occurs when the driver and spotter work together. Each knows what to expect from the other and they work together as a team. Proper spotting is challenging, but it’s a skill that can be learned. This is not a discussion of spotting style and hand signals…. Continue reading
Due to time constraints while four-wheeling, breakfast and lunch are sometimes rushed and shortchanged. The result can be a growling stomach before the next meal. That doesn’t have to be. It is possible to prepare tasty and fulfilling meals that don’t require a lot of effort. I know. I don’t… Continue reading
Anyone old enough to remember the Apollo space program may recall hearing the term redundancy. Back then, NASA was referring to extra electronics or other systems in the space capsule and lunar module. Today’s commercial aircraft also employ a certain amount of redundancy. In either case, the principle is the… Continue reading
“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.” attributed to Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord on Coffee. Whenever I stop at a doughnut shop in the morning, I walk over and say hi to the old guys, enjoying their morning coffee with old friends. I… Continue reading
These monthly articles naturally focus on various aspects of four-wheeling and outdoors life. For this article, I lift the hood and give you an inside look at part of my business. Namely, how I structure my class/training schedule, and how the various programs benefit newbies and experienced four-wheelers alike. I… Continue reading
A recent trip on the Rubicon trail showed the value of radio communication. We experienced multiple incidents from a fire chasing us to an overturned Jeep with injuries and a request for spare parts. Forest fires continue to burn in dozens of locations in the western U.S. Yet four-wheelers still… Continue reading
Each day brings more troubling news about the devastating wildfires raging in the western U.S. The Dixie Fire, in northern California, has burned more than 500,000 acres, including most of the town of Greenville. As I write this, on Aug. 12, the fire is less than one-third contained. In Montana… Continue reading
Coming back from the Independence Day outing, I took some time to reflect on this amazing hobby. Over the years I’ve enjoyed countless hours admiring many fascinating places in the western US. There are so many possibilities open to four-wheeling that at times it’s easy to take this all for… Continue reading
Our friend Clive took a detour on his way to Las Vegas. His last-minute plan was to explore a section of the Old Mojave Road that runs through the Mojave River flood plain. The river didn’t look too deep. Driving his old, mostly stock Jeep XJ, he headed into the… Continue reading
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