Yahoo Autos The Driving Skills You Need to Go Off-Roading
THE UNITED STATES encompasses 3.8 million square miles. Less than 0.1 percent of that is paved roadway. So, to see America, to really know the place, you need to keep rolling after the street ends.
But don't be intimidated. With mild modification, most four-wheel-drive vehicles, including pickups, can handle recreational wheeling. Forty-one states offer Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas, backcountry trails on public land sequestered for motorized play. These are fine places for your first overland expedition. That doesn't mean you should just hop in your truck and head out there.
"Whether it's a day trip or race, leave knowing you're prepared," says longtime driver coach Bob Bower. Bower, 71, is a former executive director of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. He's also won the SCORE Baja 1000, the world's toughest desert race, seven times. Preparation, he says, is mostly about thinking ahead.
Play devil's advocate with your provisions list: Don't assume you'll have access to food, water, fuel, medication, or cell service. Protect anything that's vulnerable to the elements. Paper maps, for example, can go inside a transparent zip bag. Aim to be self-sufficient, Bower urges. He calls this "building a nest." You also want a basic off-road kit.
For vehicle upgrades, Bower recommends focusing on tires, shocks, and lighting. Don't cut corners, but shop smart; a couple grand buys serious capability. Still, Bower says, "they're just tools." Success ultimately rests with the person behind the wheel.
"The biggest mistake is failing to respect the power of the terrain," he says. "You can't hide from yourself off-road. You'll get a report card from Mother Nature, whether you want one or not."
Here, pavement-racing fundamentals, like relaxed inputs and high eyes, carry over. "The guy on a racetrack going sideways, sliding every turn, he's not fast. He's busy. Mr. Boring out there, he's setting lap times. It's very much the same off-road," Bower says. "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast on the trails. You're constantly looking ahead, reading the terrain, making calculations. Speed and obstacles are your big variables."
One challenge for pavement drivers, Bower says, is learning to see those obstacles-boulders, logs, debris-as assets.
"They'll turn away, trying to avoid it, and punch out the sidewall. It sounds counterintuitive, but if there's a big, sharp rock, hit it with the face of the tread, straight-on. That's where the tire's strongest. Think of placing tires like walking. Treads are boots. Don't go ankle-first."
Going off-road means adjusting your mind-set, too.
"You need to pay attention to the smallest things, like the slightest difference in dirt color. That's surface change. Something's going to happen. The prudent off-roader lifts and assesses. But this all happens very quickly, quicker than you expect, even at 10 mph," Bower warns. "It's an intense kind of awareness, and you might be going over all kinds of lumpy stuff for 12 hours. Oftentimes, guys get rolling along so easily, they get distracted or fall into a lull."
Co-drivers help newbies stay vigilant. So read online forums for OHV outings or tag along on a four-by-four owners group meet-up. Find somebody who's experienced, Bower suggests, and let them teach you. But even if you have to go it alone, the going is the important part.
"Just get out there and do it," he says. "Take it slow, starting out. Besides, there's so much pretty scenery in this country.
What's the rush?"
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