So, after hearing a lot of beautiful things mostly factual about adventure in the Great Outdoors, you at last purchased a four-wheel drive truck, meaning to take it deep into the realm of outdoors. In fact, you had it furnished with off road tires, and when some friend advised that you try beadlock wheels, you did that as well. And to be fair, your outfit was a good thing to see, and many say, in the offroading adventure, too. Most possibly, that is, because you also understand that much of offroading pleasure depends on the driver, and you are a newbie…

What now

The most appropriate step for you is to begin your offroading tutorials slowly. First you have to master managing your vehicle, so drive it around and get an intimate feel of its features. You need to know the strength of the brakes, its pace and power in the different gears, cornering characteristics and so on. When you believe you can play around with the vehicle, go offroad. There are a lot of trail systems tested and laid out for four-by-four tourists such as in the Eastern Sierra area. If those are too distant for you, befriend an experienced offroader and ask him to assist you to a nearby location to learn offroading.

What to take

Advanced offroaders bring along a winch, but as you would not go in too far, a levering bar and a shovel would be enough to get you out of many little ‘miscalculations’, plus the usual items for an extended trip. Though the weather may be warm, take along some cold-weather clothing, for the ‘just in case’. Reserve water and preserved food will not hurt; you require some weight in the truck anyway. If there is, go with other offroaders in teams, even newbies like you, for security. More than anything you are confident of a ride home.

Easy does it

When you hit the dirt road, the compulsion to floor the gas pedal will be very strong and most succumb. Never. Even four-wheel vehicles perform another way on unpaved roads, and you are as yet unacclimatized with the dissimilarities in control and performance of your vehicle in such situations. Ditto with the location; you could be, euphemistically, in ‘hostile environment’. If the terrain gets a little difficult, switch to four-by-four mode right away: it beats moving out of the two-wheel mode when you are losing traction. This is your first run, so be very wary about all things around you, the vehicle and the trail.

Some caveats

When ascending a sharp grade, the advice was to shift to the lowest gear for good traction, but it also means change to the highest gear that gives good progress without stalling the engine. Too low gear may mean too much force and therefore, spinning traction-less wheels and lost control. When climbing down, shift to low gear to let the engine to function as brake. Constantly pushing down on the brakes can let you slide downwards, particularly on loose surfaces. In unfamiliar and difficult terrain, exploring ahead will let you determine which route and how to go, or maybe if you have to go at all. There is no law against moving back and going another way.

Finally, remember you are there to take pleasure in the trip, not penalize yourself.