Radio Telephone: If a member of the convoy has got a mobile, then definitely take it.
Estimated time of arrival back to base: do let someone know where you are going and roughly what time you expect to get back. No doubt you and your colleagues will be enjoying every moment of your fun off-road. But those back at base can get concerned if it's getting late in the day and you're still not back. That's when the cellular phone can come in useful!

Preparation - where are you going

We have bought our vehicle, prepared it to go off-roading and prepared ourselves for the trip ahead.

Although the next chapter takes you through the various driving techniques, I recommend that you first attend one of the country's recognised specialist off-road training schools. The school's instructors will help you put all this theory into practice. You may want to further your knowledge by taking part in one of the many Land Rover magazine Driving Days.

Remember to always drive safely and sensibly off-road and set an example to others. Don't rush everywhere, don't take unnecessary risks and don't endanger yourself or anyone else. It is great fun joining in on one of the many off-road days that are being set up all round the country. Professional off-road training schools call these 'playpens'.

Enjoy yourself of course, gain all the experience you can, but be careful. It is easy to be egged on by others with either more, or less, experience than yourself. Don't get drawn into driving routes on these private sites which could either damage your vehicle or cause a major recovery.

The river bed may be uneven, so don't speed through the water

Always use good towing / jacking points when attaching ropes

Recoveries have been known to go wrong, so be warned, don't take risks with poor ropes and towing points. Watch others who are happy to drive difficult sections and only join in when you have plenty of confidence. If you do become stuck, then I'm sure there will be helpers to ease you out of your predicament. It is often safer, and more controllable, to be winched out.

Woodland areas are brilliant to drive through, but trees, even small ones, can cause vehicle body damage if you slide off the track. So keep your speed down, and watch out on wet, grassy banks - they can be lethal.

Index [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

(c)Goodwinch Limited 2006