Typically, when you think about road trips, you might be thinking about those multi-city, weekend-spanning adventures from place to place. If you’re a sports fan, you might be thinking about the stadium cities you might hit along the way. However, if you love the thrill of motorsports as much as anything else, then going offroad could be just the thing for you. Here are a few tips for planning a great weekend offroad adventure.
Finding the right place
You can’t just drive off into any woods and start offroading through it. Simply put, not all wilderness is well suited for driving. What might look like a trail could end abruptly, or the terrain might simply be too tricky and dangerous. However, there are online offroad trails maps that can help you find the best trails near you or near wherever you want to plot your road trip off to. If you’re planning on spending the night out there, be sure that you choose a spot that has a campsite nearby, too.
One of my favorite places is Knoxville Recreation Area. This is 51 acres of offroading located in Napa, California. The only requirement is to have your OHV sticker. Yes, it is open all year long.
Make sure you have the right wheels
After you’ve chosen your site, then it’s all about making sure you have the right vehicle to tackle the landscape, as well. Naturally, most normal cars aren’t going to be able to handle offroading. However, if you can find an ATV for sale, almost any trail can be conquered. A few things should go into consideration. Size is important as, if you plan to have one passenger or more, you’re going to need a bigger vehicle. However, there are also distinctions between entry-level and more experienced ATVs, so be sure to get advice from the seller on ones that best suit your experience level.
Be ready for all scenarios
Preferably, things will go as smoothly as possible and you will get from one end of the trail to the next with your heart beating, but no real danger. However, you need to be prepared for all kinds of possibilities out there, like cars and get flooded, stuck, can tip over, and more, even the best ATVs. Make sure you have an offroading emergency kit, including a first aid kit, seatbelt cutter, fire extinguisher, and a winch with which you can help pull out the vehicle.
Practice makes perfect
If you have never gone off-roading before, then you might want to try it out a little closer to home, first of all. Find some relatively light terrain that you’re pretty sure you can handle and go at as a beginner, first. You need to build a good understanding of your vehicle, how it handles different surfaces and changes in level, and so on, to achieve a smooth ride. You don’t want to be entirely new to off-roading by the time you go out for your first big adventure far away from home.
Offroading is the perfect combination of driving vacation and adventure, the excitement of high-speed thrills versus the peace and beauty of nature. With the tips above, you, too, can easily enjoy a top-quality offroading experience.
