With the snow we’ve been getting in the mountains lately, a lot of four-wheelers are itching to fire up their vehicles and go plowing through the white stuff. Whether over Cajon Pass, through Big Bear area, or just to Grandma’s house, driving off road in snow is a lot of… Continue reading
We Californians are becoming acclimated to disaster planning. We have to. We live under the threat of an earthquake 24 hours a day. A major disaster can strike anywhere, however, so it pays to be prepared – With so much to consider and so many possible scenarios, where do you… Continue reading
In previous columns I’ve discussed how to prepare your vehicle for driving off-road, and offered a number of safety suggestions for you and your passengers. The goal, of course, is to make sure you are properly prepared for your trip and ready for most contingencies. In honor of National Preparedness… Continue reading
Four-wheelers are good about packing their vehicles with tools, tow straps, winch, food, water – you name it; they include it. One piece of equipment that often gets overlooked, however, happens to be one of the more critical items: a fire extinguisher. Remember that a fire could occur inside or… Continue reading
It was a wet Sunday in March. From time to time snow squalls would blow through coating the vehicles but melting as soon as it toughed the ground. Occasionally the sun would peek out. Normally hard-baked clay trails with traction like slick rock had become slick and greasy. I had… Continue reading
If there’s one maxim that applies to 4-wheeling regardless of where you ride and under what conditions it is this: There is no substitute for safety. In many instances the margin for error is slim. One of the more dangerous situations arises when a vehicle is stuck. Even if the… Continue reading
A well-known credit card company likes to remind customers that they shouldn’t “leave home without it.” The same is true for communications equipment if you plan to drive off road. Cell phones don’t operate in many remote areas, so you should consider picking up additional gear. The following information comes… Continue reading
My Sand Clinic on Aug. 18 reminded me of a very important fact: fatigue is common in off-road driving and must be taken seriously. The clinic was designed to last several hours longer, but by 2:30 I could tell the drivers were bushed, so I called it quits. Better that… Continue reading
One of our beliefs is relying on your normal instinct to cope with off-road situations is generally wrong. You have to learn a new set of behaviors. We see it time & again: people instinctively grab onto or jump onto a vehicle to prevent it tipping or rolling over. Don’t… Continue reading
