1st Offroad trip ever. Sand, mud, rocks, water

[PR 4wd]

Hey guys. I wanted to extend a big thanks to the members here. I think I read every post out there looking for 4x4 tips and advice before I purchased my first off-road vehicle.

I had a million questions like, what should I buy 1st, how do I pick my lines, and how much customization do I need for my use case that fits my skill level.

In the end I only bought an air compressor and stem removal kit. Thats it. No more.

I knew I was new to all these conditions. The best advice I got was to just get some seat time and take it easy. I started on the beach after a rain. The next day I aired down and hit the deep dry sand. No issues as long as you keep momentum.

The day wouldn't have been complete without hitting some mild mud pits. These were fun but counter intuitive. I needed to keep momentum and wheel spin going to navigate some more challenging sections. Overall the most fun too.

In terms on water crossings here in Puerto Rico we have muddy backroads, streams, rivers, beach water crossings. I have only attempted the fun muddy puddles. When it comes to mudding the one thing I wish I would have known is:

He who should play in stinky mud shall have a stinky Jeep. Next up is I want to extend Wayalife here and post some cool videos. To follow my progress search PR 4wd.

 

[JessL]

You have an environment like we have here in Florida. Momentum is everything in the sand and mud.
See your lines and take the time to walk a route before diving in... sometimes soft sand can eat a Jeep...

Welcome to Wheelin'

 

[PR 4wd]

You have an environment like we have here in Florida. Momentum is everything in the sand and mud.
See your lines and take the time to walk a route before diving in... sometimes soft sand can eat a Jeep...

Welcome to Wheelin'

Thanks for the warm welcome. Honestly the advice I have gotten here has been much better than endless YouTube searches. And an update I got eaten by the sand. Everyday I’ve been trying new things. I found out a day after a long rain the really deep loose sand turns into a dense sticky mud like substance. So one more thing to consider is how long after a rain and how deep the sand is will go on my checklist.

Jess your so right. The momentum is key!! Thanks again!

 

[JessL]

You bet Kris,

You may think about a winch and a ground anchor if you do a lot of dune running. No trees to lash to, but plenty of getting stuck. Make sure your boots are sealed and keep everything greased. Spray things down after wheelin on the beach because the salt is throughout the sand and will eat your rig inside out.

 

[PR 4wd]

You bet Kris,

You may think about a winch and a ground anchor if you do a lot of dune running. No trees to lash to, but plenty of getting stuck. Make sure your boots are sealed and keep everything greased. Spray things down after wheelin on the beach because the salt is throughout the sand and will eat your rig inside out.

I can honestly say I’ve never heard of a ground anchor but I want one!!

Usually I get home late after beach runs but I always spray it down immediately afterwards. The winch is one the items on my never ending list on upgrades I’m planning.

I spend about 30% of the vehicles drive time off-road and 90% of that time is on sand. I’m a beach bum. I thought I would do the lift and bigger tires next to get more traction on the loose sand. After that the bumpers and winch combo. Just empty every pocket. The struggle is real!!!!

since the primary function of my Jeep is to get to the beach and over the sand any other upgrades that you would suggest besides the winch and ground anchor?

 

[JessL]

Getting stuck happens in the sand and being able to recover from getting stuck, for sand environments, is important. Taking a buddy is better than anything for this, but if you have to roll alone, a winch and a land anchor don't hurt. But you can also use shovels and Maxtrax, or lots of other ways. I'm old and don't like to dig much.

You can use all sorts of anchors that burrow deep into the wet sand and spread the weight out across the ground. Something to get yourself out. You can avoid a lot of the need for these things by being smart and getting out of the Jeep and scouting the area. Take a rake handle or other pole and you will figure out what is too soft for your rig pretty quickly.

Check out the post @wayoflife just posted: https://www.wayalife.com/threads/recovery-gear-a-must-have-before-hitting-the-trails.2953/

For reference, this is a land or ground anchor example:

 

[GP NOIR]

Get a good air compressor and air hose. Learn about airing your tires down for improved traction and flotation.

 

[Breer]

Enjoy the ride! Sounds like your starting off right. Taking your time to make purchase decisions and determining actual needs vs throwing a bunch of stuff on the jeep off the rip will work out great for you in the end and save you money! You will end up with a better build by taking your time to buy once! There is an endless wealth of great knowledge here so start searching!

As far as upgrades for the beach/sand, @GP NOIR pretty much nailed it. Airing down will help tremendously and getting comfortable with driving in soft sand will just take time in the seat as you mentioned. You could also look into traction boards to keep in the jeep and a shovel which would be a another option for self recovery, but more work.

 

[AZ_JLUR]

JessL said:

"Getting stuck happens in the sand and being able to recover from getting stuck, for sand environments, is important. Taking a buddy is better than anything for this, but if you have to roll alone, a winch and a land anchor don't hurt. But you can also use shovels and Maxtrax, or lots of other ways. I'm old and don't like to dig much.

You can use all sorts of anchors that burrow deep into the wet sand and spread the weight out across the ground. Something to get yourself out. You can avoid a lot of the need for these things by being smart and getting out of the Jeep and scouting the area. Take a rake handle or other pole and you will figure out what is too soft for your rig pretty quickly.

Check out the post @wayoflife just posted: https://www.wayalife.com/threads/recovery-gear-a-must-have-before-hitting-the-trails.2953/

For reference, this is a land or ground anchor example:

"


Up until I saw this post, since I off-road in the desert (so far) I thought a winch would be a waste of money as there are no trees, and the boulders are few and far between.

Then I saw this post and I am rethinking that. It looks very similar to a danforth anchor I used when sailing and anchoring the boat.

Thanks.