tips for an off-road road trip

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Cano

Cano

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Mexico
Cephiro
Ssssoooo I'll go get coverage for one of the mags of an off-road trip to some mountain paths near the Popocatepetl (a giant volcano near Mexico City), which would include also making stops at some other points along the way to see some rivers and waterfalls and such, and of course traveling on tarmac too. I will be riding in one of two Jeeps that are prepared for off-roading (one is even suited for going half car underwater, pretty cool), so it sounds like it will be a hell of an adventure.

But I don't want it to be THAT MUCH of an adventure. I've never done something like this before, like goin' in the wild and such. So I once again trust in GTP's knowledgeable community to enlighten me. Any tips and advice and what to buy and to wear and EVERYTHING you can give out will work, as I know absolutely about such ventures.

Shoot away, adventurers!
 
Sounds like an awesome time. Consider me jealous!

What time of year will you be going and what are the average weather conditions then? How many days will you be out? If multiple days, will you be camping, RV'ing, hotel...?

Items you may/not need, off the top of my head:
Protect your camera gear, but I'm sure you already have that covered.
Bug spray. The more Deet the better.
Dress in layers so as the day gets warmer and the nights get colder you can remove/add as needed.
Rain poncho, weather dependent.
Snacks, preferably ones that don't need to be refrigerated.

More to come later.
 
As TB said, dress in layers.
Bug spray doesn't repel bugs, it just prevents you from attracting them.
Food. Lots of food.
A knife (or a gun, if you can), just in case.
Toilet paper. You don't want to be without it. I say this as someone that once forgot to bring toilet paper to a Baja 500 (Which are awesome, BTW). You can imagine my frustration. :grumpy:
 
I'm a huge advocate of that toilet paper suggestion along with the layers which is likely the most important thing.

Bring extra pairs of socks too because nothing is worse than going all day with wet socks if you get them wet early.

I'd also suggest a little bag of medical stuff. A couple Tylenol, an antihistamine if you have allergies, band aids, etc. Just simple stuff that's nice incase something happens. They'll likely have a first aid kit for anything more serious than that.

Have a good time and remember with all this don't overpack either. Can be a pain in the arse if you have too much crap to pack around with you.
 
eSZee
From personal experience:nervous:, bring:
vaseline
condoms
viagra
tampons
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hahaha dude, wtf. I'm married, so no.

So far pretty valuable all of this. The layer-dressing and extra socks are gold. What else could I try to make the trip more enjoyable? I know, I'll be working, but you know how that is, lol.
 
Most important thing is comms devices. Mobile phones will probably pick up a lot of interference, rendering them useless, so get yourself a walkie-talkie or a CB radio. Also, some decent CDs would be a good idea...
 
Oh, that sounds a quite thriling adventure you're going! But how many days are you going to go on that trip and have you decided where to stay at? It depends on what your travel will specifically be.

In any case, what you need to bring with you would be food, the longer the expedition would be the more food will be required for survival.
And you take some clothes to adapt yourself in change of climate, diurnal temperature so as not to let you go out of shape(health condition)... Noticing that you're going to pass across the path near the mountain, you'll have to take a spray (and a few equipments that can be reliable for you to protect yourself, in case there are wild animals dangerous for humans...) too. 👍
 
  • Socks - Don't bring just any old socks, get wool ones or if you prefer the Smart Wool ones. Your feet will thank you.
  • Flint and Steel - It's small, light and worth every penny if something happens and you get trapped out in the wilderness. You won't have to worry about trying to figure out how to start a fire.
  • Steel wool and a 9V battery - If the flint and steel isn't you thing a 9V battery and some steel wool will get a fire going pretty quick too.
  • Knife - A good one with a sharp blade, there are a million uses for this.
  • Iodine tablets - It you get in a tight spot and need to get water, these bad boys will purify it so it's safe to drink. It'll just taste awful.
  • Clothes - Do not wear jeans at all, they are the worse possible thing to wear in the wilderness. They make outdoor pants which will keep you way more comfortable and if they get wet they will dry pretty quick. As for shirts, dress in layers and have a vaporwicking base layer to pull the moisture off you.
  • Boots - Good, leather, supportive boots will go a long way. The cheaper ones typically don't give you proper protection, support or grip. You'll appreciate proper footwear when you on rocks and uneven terrain. You don't want to twist your ankle and you really don't want a surprised snake to bit through you boot.
  • First Aid Kit - Always a valuable piece of equipment. Pack it according to the area you are going into. Things I would include would be: adhesive bandages, alcohol pads, a bandage roll, space blanket (a million and one uses), aspirin and a pair of tweezer. You could also add a snake bite kit if you are worried about those too.
 
I'd recommend against against a gas cooker if you're in the middle of nowhere for a while. They're harder to replace in rural areas. A good liquid fuel burner will help, because you can sub anything into it and the set up will usually let you swap solid fuels in also. Yes it's less convenient, but there's nothing like missing out on a hot meal. But I do like cold tinned fuel...

Water is a given. Lots of it.

Instant noodles are easy food, but damn you get sick of it. Tinned food is heavy, but nicer. Pasta is great but get it in a as quick to cook set up as possible (macaroni?).

But, Australians are pretty good at knowing what to take when camping 10,000s of Clicks from a city, 1,000s of clicks from a house, and 100s from a road. Find some outback forums if you can.

Joey D

  • Flint and Steel - It's small, light and worth every penny if something happens and you get trapped out in the wilderness. You won't have to worry about trying to figure out how to start a fire.
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  • No good unless he has the first clue how to prep tinder and fire wood.

    Clothes - Do not wear jeans at all, they are the worse possible thing to wear in the wilderness. They make outdoor pants which will keep you way more comfortable and if they get wet they will dry pretty quick. As for shirts, dress in layers and have a vaporwicking base layer to pull the moisture off you.
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    Disagree. Jeans are simple, tough, and you can look presentable in a pub/restaurant/civilisation.

    Yes they get wet, yes they get heavy, but dammit, they beat scruffy tracksuit bottoms when you're trying to pretend you're a civilised person.

    Boots - Good, leather, supportive boots will go a long way. The cheaper ones typically don't give you proper protection, support or grip. You'll appreciate proper footwear when you on rocks and uneven terrain. You don't want to twist your ankle and you really don't want a surprised snake to bit through you boot.
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    Trainers work. But for less time. Honest.

    First Aid Kit - Always a valuable piece of equipment. Pack it according to the area you are going into. Things I would include would be: adhesive bandages, alcohol pads, a bandage roll, space blanket (a million and one uses), aspirin and a pair of tweezer. You could also add a snake bite kit if you are worried about those too.
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    The truth.
 
From my experiences camping and such, I highly suggest LOADS of bug spray and something to defend yourself with- pepper spray, a 4-inch knife, a pistol, etc. First aid supplies and a toolkit are necessities. (You can fix yourself and the car at the same time) And don't forget your camera. The most gut-wrenching feeling in the world is when you recognize you forgot to take your camera.

Just noticed this is my 400th post. :gtpflag:
 
ExigeEvan
No good unless he has the first clue how to prep tinder and fire wood.


Disagree. Jeans are simple, tough, and you can look presentable in a pub/restaurant/civilisation.

Yes they get wet, yes they get heavy, but dammit, they beat scruffy tracksuit bottoms when you're trying to pretend you're a civilised person.


Trainers work. But for less time. Honest.
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Anything the least bit flammable will get going with a flint and steel, even paper, pocket lint, or whatever else you have around. And chances are someone in their party will know what to do, it's just good to have it. But the steel wool and battery work just as well and is easier to use....just not reusable.

Jeans for being out in the wilderness can really turn into a problem if you get into a survival situation. If they get wet they don't dry, they rip pretty easy and keep ripping if you have just a small hole. Not to mention chafing if you have to walk a long distance in them. I just use a pair of khaki hiking pants that work excellent.

And I would never wear tracksuit bottoms into the woods, they are probably worse then jeans. Yes they dry quickly but they tear if you look at them wrong. Plus when you come out of the woods, at least here in America, and you are wearing track pants you look a homeless person.

I'm not so sure about trainers. You really need to make sure they have good grip on uneven, wet terrain and proper ankle support. The last thing you ever want to do is roll and ankle, if you are not in a survival situation and just out to have fun it'll make the rest of your trip unbearable and uncomfortable. If you are in a survival situation, you just decreased your odds of making it out alive pretty low.

Although this all might stem from I had my wilderness survival course with a former special-ops guy who was a lot like Bear Grylls without the pee drinking.
 
Joey D
Anything the least bit flammable will get going with a flint and steel, even paper, pocket lint, or whatever else you have around. And chances are someone in their party will know what to do, it's just good to have it. But the steel wool and battery work just as well and is easier to use....just not reusable.
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But it's useless unless he knows how to get pocket lint to work in harmony with wood he's found. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but he's going out on a one off trip with prep'd off-road vehicles, he doesn't need to be spending money on a flint.

Jeans for being out in the wilderness can really turn into a problem if you get into a survival situation. If they get wet they don't dry, they rip pretty easy and keep ripping if you have just a small hole. Not to mention chafing if you have to walk a long distance in them. I just use a pair of khaki hiking pants that work excellent.
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Again, he's travelling in vehicles, if he was backpacking it then they are un-needed weight but I cycled for a month and a half and was grateful for the denim jeans.

And I would never wear tracksuit bottoms into the woods, they are probably worse then jeans. Yes they dry quickly but they tear if you look at them wrong. Plus when you come out of the woods, at least here in America, and you are wearing track pants you look a homeless person.
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But no doubt he has a pair in his wardrobe and they'll do for a vehicle excursion excursion.

I'm not so sure about trainers. You really need to make sure they have good grip on uneven, wet terrain and proper ankle support. The last thing you ever want to do is roll and ankle, if you are not in a survival situation and just out to have fun it'll make the rest of your trip unbearable and uncomfortable. If you are in a survival situation, you just decreased your odds of making it out alive pretty low.
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And again, he's in vehicles, probably owns an okay pair of trainers and the number 1 bit of survivable gear when travelling with vehicles is...

Don't leave your vehicle in an emergency. Stay with your vehicle, it is easier to spot, provides shelter and will hold most your equipment.

Although this all might stem from I had my wilderness survival course with a former special-ops guy who was a lot like Bear Grylls without the pee drinking.
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Great. But he's not trying to go feral. He's going off-roading.
 
I've just always been told prepare for the worse and expect the best. Just because there is a very low chance you'll need the stuff you bring with you, doesn't mean it won't come in handy if, knock on wood it doesn't, there is an accident or mechanical failure that takes their trucks out of commission.

I don't know, I just like to be prepared for anything that could happen so I'm not royally boned.
 
Joey D
I've just always been told prepare for the worse and expect the best. Just because there is a very low chance you'll need the stuff you bring with you, doesn't mean it won't come in handy if, knock on wood it doesn't, there is an accident or mechanical failure that takes their trucks out of commission.

I don't know, I just like to be prepared for anything that could happen so I'm not royally boned.
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Completely agree with the qualifier of 'within reason'. If they're travelling with vehicles then worst case scenario is it goes up in flames with all their kit. But they won't be needing a flint in that scenario.
 
Joey D
Although this all might stem from I had my wilderness survival course with a former special-ops guy who was a lot like Bear Grylls without the pee drinking.
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hahaha this explains a lot of things. The trip won't be too extreme, really, it's a family kind of event with guys taking their wives and children and stuff like that, the only extreme parts are what we'll be doing with the vehicles, such as mountain crawling and river-crossing and such and such.

Which also rises the question: I'll of course try to drive one of those things. But I don't have the slightest idea of how... I mean yeah, steering wheel, pedals, but you know what Im talking about. Help!
 
ExigeEvan
Disagree. Jeans are simple, tough, and you can look presentable in a pub/restaurant/civilisation.
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In general, cotton is a dead man's fabric in the wilderness.

I've been on a few short treks with friends where we didn't prepare at all and just wore whatever, but 4 hours in a Jeep through the mud will teach you that you should dress different next time, much less having to stay out there for long periods. Proper shoes, socks, and pants are extremely important. 95% chance you'll have to get out of that Jeep into a foot of mud at some point, so you might as well bring a change of clothes or two.

As for shoes, gotta have tall boots with stiff ankle support. We're not running through the woods here - dealing with powerful machines on sketchy surfaces is work, especially when you're down to manpower to get the thing unstuck. They get stuck, believe me.

Don't forget camping gear if you're staying through the night. It doesn't take much to pack a tent, sleeping bags, and a lantern. Use the aforementioned fire starters to cook you some beans 'n weenies or whatever you brought for food.

Rule of thumb: We're not flying planes with weight limits here, so pack a bunch of ****. You might only use half of it, but then you wouldn't want to end up on the Discovery Channel because you didn't pack what you actually did need. Think practical - clothes, food, water, shelter, fire, a knife or two.
 
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I don't know how long the trip is, but if it's a long one, I'd bring something to purify or filter water with. Emergency measure really, but if it's a long trip on a off road trail, you'd be smart to prepare for it. Don't forget map and/or navigation either. I'm sure the drivers will bring them though.

TP, knife & other recommendations are all very good. I hope you have a great time on this trip, Cano. Have fun & stay safe! 👍

P.S. Personally, I'd bring like 4, 5 LED flashlights. :P
 
Lol, Cano, are you off on a Photo Safari or is this apocalypse now? Good advise from everybody here, but if you run short of anything look around for a tourist. And yes, don't forget to take plenty of spare photo media.
Good luck, man, enjoy, stay safe, and bring back lots of pics.
Vaya con Dios!
 

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