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Three days in the desert, what to bring?

WhoAteMySoup

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
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For my friend?s birthday we are planning to venture up to the Black Rock Desert, NV for three days to do some random off-roading, shooting, drinking beer, well, you know the drill. I have taken my Avy off the beaten path before, but not to such remote areas and not for such a long time. There will be two other cars (a lifted outback and a 4Runner), while my Avy has just the basic mods: 33? Toyo tires, 2.25? leveling kit, and a bad ass off road bumper. Any advice on any equipment I should bring? Tire repair kit? Some rope to pull the Outback out of trouble? Should I be worried at all?
 
I would bring the following ....

tow strap
shovel - I have one of the little military fold up version I got at an army/navy surplus store
some type of air tank incase you get a flat ....
tools in case you break down ....
fluids ... extra oil ... tranny fluid .... antifreeze ....
fuses ....
walkie talkies
 
:laugh:  As if your truck is ever going to see any offroad rougher than a golf course fairway, LOL!

Intimidatoruag said:
I would bring the following ....

tow strap
shovel - I have one of the little military fold up version I got at an army/navy surplus store
some type of air tank incase you get a flat ....
tools in case you break down ....
fluids ... extra oil ... tranny fluid .... antifreeze ....
fuses ....
walkie talkies
 
Intimidatoruag said:
I would bring the following ....

tow strap
shovel - I have one of the little military fold up version I got at an army/navy surplus store
some type of air tank incase you get a flat ....
tools in case you break down ....
fluids ... extra oil ... tranny fluid .... antifreeze ....
fuses ....
walkie talkies
Thanks man,
tow strap - check
shovel - good idea, will have to pick one up
air tank - I have a 12V tire inflator
tools - check
fluids - Not sure about that, I can add oil pretty easy, but if I am out fluids, I have a bigger problem, right?
fuses - why?
walkie talkies - check
 
fluids ... just incase one gets low ... I always carry spare fluids ... all the time ...
fuses .. same reason I carry fluid .... if I blow a fuse for whatever reason ... I have spares ...

and then just have fun ....
 
Don't forget  a First Aid kit and duct tape....

Food for thought and a more complete checklist in this link :

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/Offroaders_Checklist.htm
 
Thanks for the replies. Quick recap of the weekend: did some light off-roading (with an occasional o poop moment), beer, shooting guns, fun times. Towards the end of our second day we decided to stay at hot springs, the shortest way to which was by crossing a playa for about 20-30 miles, it looked pretty dry and solid, so we went for it. Around a mile or so away from hotsprings I start noticing that my tires are starting to sink a bit too much for my comfort, so I slow down. My friend, driving a Subaru Outback, plows right into the wet section of the playa, spinning tires like crazy. Instead of stopping, he attempts to turn around, and leaves his car sunk to the belly at an odd angle. Both of us had tow straps, but he managed to get himself maybe 60 ft into the wet stuff, where I did not dare to go for the fear of getting stuck myself. We tried to improve some extra tow straps out of tie downs, but after around 3 hours of trying different combinations, we pretty much ripped them to shreds. Finally a couple of dudes show up, apparently a part of an outdoor trance party taking place a few miles away from us, they did not have ropes, but they did mention that one of the people at the party has a military truck with enough straps to pull us out, and that they will send him our way when he comes over. Figuring that I got this truck as a last resort I went ahead and drove deeper into the wet stuff so we can use proper straps and rely on jerry rig?ed ropes. I promptly got stuck, properly stuck.  Anyway, I walked to the outdoor party, waiting for the guy on the military truck to show up and he helped to pull both of us out. We spent the rest of the night at that party because why not.
Moral of the story: carry more than one tow strap and don?t drive far into the mud.
 
That's the double edge sword with AWD or 4WD, it either helps you out of a sticky situation or it makes your sticky situation even worse.  Either way its fun
 
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