What are some precautions you make when exploring new/unknown territory? Such as puddles and hill climbs. There's some legal trails around me and have gone a couple times but haven't fully explored which is what I'd like to do this weekend and I know there's at least one decent size water crossing, on a service road but don't know the depth. And i'm going with a friend in his bronco which is why i'm exploring more for saftey

 

I drive real slow.
Always have a buddy in another vehicle or be in an area with cell phone reception.

 

I'm going with a buddy and he'll be right behind me, i've just read of some things like walk in it first, i'll walk along it but defiantly not in it. I find myself exploring most spots on my own so i'd like to get some advice on what others do

 

Going with a friend is a good idea.Always carry a good first aid kit a shovel a axe and your normal stuff high lift jack some of every fluid your jeep can need.Let a friend know where your going and what time you should be back as a last ditch.Have you done any water crossing mods to your jeep like raise the breathers?

 

Besides my lift I haven't raised my rear breather, i have an assortment of tools that can be used for any occasion, a 280 set tool box and a cardboard box full of different things. I doubt these puddles are that deep for the breather though would be a good future "to-do" these are game lands so they aren't extreme trails

 

Whenever I am going on a trail for the first time without anyone who has previously been on it, I take it real slow, any water or mud that isn't clearly very shallow, I hop out and use a stick or something to help gauge how deep it is.

 

Drive slow, dont go alone. Have a Hi Lift jack with you, if you have to, you can winch yourself out with it (if you dont have a winch). Have basic recovery tools, including a shovel and good ****** straps. On water crossings, walk through them first, or at least poke a stick in it every foot or two to check the depth. If you're unsure about a section of trail, get out and walk it if you have to, to figure out the best line through. Use common sense, and stay on designated trails.

 

I figured with a giant dump site full of tires on the trail (thrown off the side of the hill by rednecks) just before the water crossing I'll grab a tire that's closest to a 31" i can find and push it through with a stick to see the depth and comparison to my tires

 

only time i've had to seriously check water depth by getting out of my jeep is when i was crossing an actual river. if you're with a buddy just go slow and 90% of the time you'll know its "bad" before you get yourself in a bad situation and your buddy can pull you out.

 

If you're crossing water that may be deeper than you are comfortable with, attach tow straps to both vehicles and go slow. That way if it gets hairy you can get out before it gets serious.

 

^x2

 

I'll let y'all know how it goes and take pics, this would be a good thread for anyone else going out exploring since i couldn't find any threads like it even though i suppose it's mostly common sense

 

exactly. could i have driven my XJ through the 3 ft snowdrifts a few miles from home with nobody around to help if i got stuck when we had a giant blizzard? probably. but i didnt take the chance bc i didnt feel like walking.

 

It's like i was telling my friends, it's all about "smart wheeling" think before you do

 

Of course I agree with this but I just wanted to touch on something in the opposite direction. I think sometimes we completely lose the ability of self reliance. We become too dependent. We all should be able to take care of our own problems on our own. I sometimes hike alone and intentionally without a cell phone. A whole new level of "be careful" must to be practiced. But at the same time I always let somebody know where I'm going.

Now the argument could be made that lone exploration is dangerous. Yes it is. But so is wheeling even if somebody is with you. Who's to say X is acceptably dangerous and Y is not acceptably dangerous.

Anyway, I don't know what all that means. I just blabbed it out there while trying to work here in the relative safety of the office.