Pre-Offroading checklist

[GTO]

Preparation is key to the success of an outdoor adventure; especially when you are out there in the middle of nowhere.

Some basic tips:

• NEVER go offroading alone when the terrain is even moderately challenging. Take atleast one other 4x4 along for company, and to pull you out in the event that your vehicle gets stuck. Or breaks down

• Good idea to let your family know which location you intend to go offroading, and the expected time of return

• Basic check on your 4x4, especially on the areas critical to its operation (Engine, transmission, braking, electricals, suspension etc.). Have an expert look over the condition of your hose pipes, drive belts and tyres

• Atleast one proper spare tyre. Jack, spanner, basic tools (screw driver for example), tool kit, some spare fuses, hose pipes, belts, bulbs (if night OTR), lubes, extra tyre tubes and a torch light. Some of these are of particular importance if you drive an old-school Jeep

• Towing rope. Also, a solid hook installed front and back on your 4x4 is mandatory

• Full tank of petrol / diesel at the point where you start offroading

• Fire extinguisher

• Air-pressure gauge : Always drive at the recommended air pressure on tarmac. If you intend to inflate / deflate as required by the terrain, take along an air compressor as well.

[GTO]

MUST-haves:

• Water & fluids : Lots of it, water / nimbu pani etc. are never enough. Carry atleast 3 bottles per person for every 4 hours of offroading

• Munchies & bites : For 4 – 6 hour sessions. If longer, take proper meals along

• Fully charged Mobile Phone : The network coverage is ever expanding in rural India as well. Chances are, you will have cellphone coverage wherever it is that you are

• Walkie Talkies : Extremely convenient to communicate with others of your group. Good thing is, many reasonably priced models can accommodate 10+ devices (i.e. communication between 10+ 4x4’s). This has proven to be a very useful tool. You and your regular offroad gang can invest in one radio each

• First-aid kit : Must include band-aid, crepe bandage, anti-septic ointment, gauze pads, anti-microbial hand cleaner, snake bite kit, insect repellant and pain killers. Throw in some hand towels, paper towels and toilet paper. Take along an anti-allergy pill in case you have an encounter with a nasty insect or plant

• Caps, sun glasses and sun block

• Plastic bag (to wrap your cell phone & other electronics in. Else when it rains, you will be left with an expensive paper weight). I carry a neat sling bag to dump the oddities in

• Fully charged digital camera (the larger the memory stick, the better)

• Comfortable clothing and grippy shoes are imperative. You WILL walk around a lot, ensure that the pair is easy on your feet

[GTO]

May-Haves:

• Spare keys : In case you lose the original set of keys

• GPS Device : One of the best features of modern GPS devices is that they can track the same path back and show you the way home

• Compass & maps

• High-powered winch

• A ground-mat (putting under the tyres for traction etc.)

• In case you are going off on a long excursion, carry extra fuel with you. Tips on carrying extra fuel (Carrying Fuel... How?)

• WD40 & Duct Tape

• Puncture repair kits

• Air pump

• Rain or winter jacket, as per the climatic conditions

• Binoculars

• Ice box / cooler / car refrigerator : To keep the beverages cool. Believe me, nothing like a cold drink in the middle of an OTR under the afternoon sun

• iPod / Music

[GoSlow]

Good Checklist GTO, considering we have many new jeepers in new regions.

I always get my vehicle checked over by my mechanic before and after the OTR.

I also carry the following:

• Spare wheel, Jack, Jack handle and wheel nut spanner
• Tow Rope (never leave without it) and have found it used in all OTRs be it my or another vehicle
• Drinking Water
• Radiator Water
• Basic tools
• Snack & food - bit extra for others also
• Fully charged cell phone
• Some Cash

Cheers
Ankit

[revtech]

thats good stuff GTO.

but i feel the air pump/compressor should be in the must haves depending on the terrain because if you need to deflate your tyre for sand there will be no way to inflate them back again once you hit the road.


rev

[Steeroid]

Hi GTO - am cutting and pasting from the other forum where I had compiled a list for newbies going offroad.

Please ignore references to shops and prices in Dubai.



I'll try and summarize what everyone has said (and they've said pretty much everything) so its useful for all newbies:

MANDATORY KIT

1. AIR COMPRESSOR

a. Bush Ranger Black Max, ACE @ Festival City.
Also available Pro Air, Max AirII at different price points.
b. ARB Air Compressors from ARB Abu Dhabi (call up and order, will deliver C.O.D)
c. Chinese stuff at Dragon Mart - if you're feeling lucky.

Other compressors at Carrefour/other Hypermarkets or car accessory shops are not really recommended.

2. RADIO/WALKIE TALKIE

(a) Motorola, allegedly 20 mile radius, from the small Sabka shops Dhs.325
(b) Dragon Mart, higher output (will fry your ears), cheaper, clearer.

3. TOW ROPE/SNATCH STRAP

(a) Bush Ranger heavy duty tow (dhs.200 or so) or Pro snatch kit (Dhs500+) from Ace
(b) Viking rope from Robbie's Garage (to the left of Times Square, Shk Zayed Rd) Dhs265, I think.
(c) Kinetic Rope from International Trading Co. Opposite Everhot Water Heater - Al Qusais.

4. SHACKLES

Are available at ACE, 3.0 T to 4.75 T very reasonable rates

5. GPS

Garmin 276c Dhs.2,400 + extra for Maps
Garmin 60CSx Dhs.1,300 + extra for Maps

6. SHOVEL

(a) Fancy chome-plated stuff rom ACE or other accesory shops - expensive & of debateable utility.
(b) Bushranger tri-fold shovel with its own cover - about as expensive, easier to carry.
(c) Regular construction shovel from a hardware or construction material store - Dhs.25 and much more effective but not so compact.

7. BASIC FIRST AID KIT

Available at all pharmacies, auto kits available at ACE and some specialized offroad joints, you can also put one together yourself or your vehicle may have one supplied with it. Should contain:
a. Gauze (Large, Medium & Small sizes)
b. Sticking Plaster & Adhesive Strips (Band Aid variety)
c. Surgical Cotton
d. Surgical Spirit/Antiseptic
e. Basic medication/ointment for minor cuts and bruises
f. Burnaid other burn treatment
g. Scissors & Forceps
h. Cotton Buds

8. BASIC TOOLKIT + FIRE EXTINGUISHER + JUMP STARTER CABLES + USABLE STEPNEY

9. HYDRAULIC JACK & STRONG WOODEN PLATFORM/PLANK (or HiLift Jack base)

An alternative is the very expensive and equally heavy but neatly packaged Exhaust Jack Series II (dont buy Series I) from ACE, its upwards of Dhs.800.

Obviously a Hi-lift jack would be great, but this is not expected from newbies - marshals should have this piece of kit.

10. DEFLATION KIT

(a) Valve remover for tyres - most tyre shops Dhs.10/-
(b) Pen-type pressure gauge (marked in PSI, not LbFt) - Dhs.25/- most car accessory shops. Other gauges are also available, the pen-type stuff is considered good. Use trusted brands like Milton, PCL, ARB, Victor, Rolson or Monkey grip.
(c) 4 Spare Tyre Valves to replace any lost while deflating.

PS: YOUR VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE RECOVERY POINTS - FRONT AND REAR, else you will be left behind at the starting point.


OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

1. Collapsible water can from ACE (Dhs.35 or so).
2. Cool box with ICE (also useful for medical emergencies) and fluids of your choice (for more guidance, ask Kash).
3. Cargo Net & Elastic Tie-downs to keep things securely fastened.
4. Safety Flag (not sure if this should be optional - think it should be mandatory) - available from shops that sell Quads, alternately use Fishing Rods fastened with a bolt to the spare tyre rig, also available is the FireStik range at Robbies which is very expensive but very neat and professional). You may also want a gutter-mount for the same (if your vehicle has a rain gutter).
5. Miscellaneous stuff that you should never need, but would want to keep handy - tire sealant gel/foam/goo, radiator leak-stopper (powder that you pour into your leaky radiator), exhaust leak fix (for small leaks, not cracked exhausts), flashlight, etc from ACE.
6. Just to be on the safe side, one small 5 litre fuel can (Dhs.25 from any petrol station) and a manual siphon hose to borrow fuel from others (15-20 bucks). Also keep aside Dhs.200 as fine for the same if it happens on one of our trips.
7. Duct Tape, Insulation Tape, Bush Knife/Pen Knife & Plastic Zip Ties.
7. For camping trips - collapsible chairs/tents/sleeping bags/lanterns/BBQ kits/use your imagination.
8. Small bottle of concentrated liquid Camp Soap or Dettol Hand Sanitizer + lots of Kleenex/tissue rolls.
9. Working gloves to handle hot stuff in the engine bay + cloth/cotton waste.
10. AAA or IATC Assistance as a sort of insurance for major breakdowns.

If you guys think of anything else, please copy this list and add.

[adishell]

Here are few i always carry apart from those already mentioned.

-Spare cylinder head gasket

-The all important a copy of Engine Manual

[GTO]

Originally Posted by revtech

but i feel the air pump/compressor should be in the must haves depending on the terrain because if you need to deflate your tyre for sand there will be no way to inflate them back again once you hit the road.

Thanks. Added.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

FIRE EXTINGUISHER

I don't know how I missed this in the original list, a fire extinguisher is a permanent fixture in my Jeep. MUST HAVE and added. Thanks

HYDRAULIC JACK & STRONG WOODEN PLATFORM/PLANK (or HiLift Jack base)

You betcha. Very useful.

Originally Posted by adishell

-Spare cylinder head gasket

Which car? Pretty unusual to carry an additional gasket around, don't you think?

[Ym-enjn]

Most important - a trailer to keep all of that..

But on serious note, its a much needed thread for all new entrants like me as well as seasoned ones. Thanks GTO very useful.

[Ricky_3007]

with you Ym-enjn .

This is the best thread for all of us. GTO - Big Thanks for this. The list is most needed and very practical .


Tarkesh

[adishell]

Originally Posted by GTO

Which car? Pretty unusual to carry an additional gasket around, don't you think?

An old Land Rover Defender 110, one never knows out there.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Also add:
One hunting/utility knife. Gerber is a good brand.
One adjustable plier & adjustable wrench.
One calibrated compass, if you dont have gps. Can be part of the fixtures in your vehicle but must be removable.

[Gasolinejunkie]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

9. HYDRAULIC JACK & STRONG WOODEN PLATFORM/PLANK (or HiLift Jack base)

An alternative is the very expensive and equally heavy but neatly packaged Exhaust Jack Series II (dont buy Series I) from ACE, its upwards of Dhs.800.

What is series 1 & series 2?
Aren’t they all just an inflatable bag with a non-return valve that can be connected to the exhaust or air compressor? I have a 4 ton exhaust jack that I haven’t used as yet but I believe its worth it’s weight in gold when your stuck bad. I bought mine after I had to recover my friend who bogged his Landcruiser in 2 and a half feet of mud.

The issues I see with them are 1) punctures, especially under my truck because I have auxiliary tanks and other stuff underneath. 2) To deflate the jack you need to unscrew the filler pipe, and to reach it you’ll almost certainly be under the vehicle which means it will drop strait on top of you. To get around it I’ll use a stick or an old coat hanger.

I don’t like a hi-lift jack, its heavy, big and really unstable.

['72 Bullet]

Hey all,

Very important thread, all of you gentlemen organising OTRs/off-road events should check that everyone has the mandatory equipment. One piece of equipment that I think was missed out was a ground-mat. Useful for putting under tyres to generate traction and for laying on the tow-cable as ballast while towing (an important safety practice). Also in case of a break-down or even a tyre change, it would be useful to lay on the ground.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by '72 Bullet

One piece of equipment that I think was missed out was a ground-mat.

Thanks '72 Bullet. Added to the original list!

Also, your Jeep's rubber mats (if XL size) can also work in some situations.