Off-Road Essentials
Whether you just got a new Jeep or you’ve decided it’s finally time to do some exploring, we’ll discuss the off-road essentials to prepare you for your next trail adventure.
Find a Buddy
The first and most important thing you need to remember: never go out alone! Even if you have a well-built rig and you plan to run an easy trail, going off the grid alone is never a good idea.
Trails can often be unpredictable and their difficulty can vary based on weather conditions, you don’t want put yourself in a position where you’re stuck or have an issue with your vehicle and there’s no one around to help you.
If you don’t know anyone that has a Jeep, simply hop on social media and look for a local Jeep club near you. This will enable you to go out and explore in groups while giving you the chance to wheel with Jeepers who are familiar with the trails in your area.
Along with having someone to join you on your adventure, you should always inform someone on your plans. Whether it’s a friend, spouse or other family member, letting someone know where you’ll be travelling, and your expected time of return will provide an additional safety net for you.
Communication
Once you found some vehicles to join you on the trail, it’s time to think about comms. Having a communication device on board gives you the ability to keep in touch with your group, and in some applications offers you the ability to radio for help if you need it. Plus, it’s just fun!
We recommending using walkies or a CB radio. Another communication option is a HAM radio. However, It is worth noting that if you are planning on running a HAM radio in your rig, you will need to obtain a license as they have a much greater range.
Talk amongst the members of your group to determine the option that’s best for your needs and to make sure you’re all running the same equipment.
If you’re traveling frequently or going on extended trips, a satellite communication device like the Garmin InReach may be a worthy investment. They offer yearly plans allowing you to contact people via text message and also feature an SOS button that will send help to your location if you have an emergency.
First Aid
When navigating difficult terrain, there’s always a chance that someone in your group sustains an injury.
Whether it be a small cut or a major laceration, you want to be prepared in the event that someone does get injured. Every vehicle in your group should carry a basic first aid kit and also familiarize themselves with the contents inside the kit.
We personally recommend the MyFak first aid kit from MyMedic. It’s a very complete kit that comes with a durable molle style, buoyant bag containing everything you need to ensure everyone makes it off the trail safely.
Basic Recovery Gear
A basic recovery kit is a necessity when running any trail and at minimum at least one person in your group should carry one.
A recovery kit should consist of a tow rope, tree strap, shackles, gloves and a snatch block. It’s important to ensure that the contents of your recovery kit are properly rated for the weight of your vehicle.
If you plan on running a winch that uses steel cable and value the lives of those around you, make sure you carry a winch damper with you as well.
Additionally, investing in a kinetic recovery rope is a great idea if you don’t want to experience whiplash. The first time you yank someone out of a sticky situation with a tow rope, you will quickly pull out your wallet and add one of these to your recovery kit.
Winch
Preferably, everyone in your group should have a winch on their vehicle. It may not be the most exciting mod to add to your Jeep, but it is certainly one of the most important.
Your winch is your best friend on the trail and can be used in a variety of different recovery situations. If you currently do not own a winch and plan on going off-road, we definitely recommend buying one as one of your first mods.
Next to bringing a buddy your winch will be the most important piece of recovery gear you have, which is why it’s important to buy a high quality, reliable winch.
Here at Omega Off-Road, we use and recommend Warn winches. There’s a reason they are so popular in the off-road world as their quality and reliability is unmatched.
There are cheaper options on the market, none of which are poor quality, but we have also seen them fail their owners on the trail. Given the importance of having a reliable winch we recommend buying a Warn; their durability is unmatched.
Basic Tool Kit
You don’t need to carry the entire hardware store with you, but it’s important to have some basic tools in your rig.
We will go over some essential tools to carry with you in a future post but everyone should have some basic hand tools available in their vehicle.
You never know what you might need or when you will need it on the trail and having some tools available at your disposal can help you patch up your rig and limp of the trail in the event that you break something. It’s a good idea to spread the tools out amongst all the vehicles in your group so that everyone isn’t carrying the same thing.
Let’s face it, Jeeps aren’t known for their excessive amount of storage and the lighter you are on the trail the better.
However, with thousands of aftermarket parts available to customize your Jeep, make sure you’re carrying some tools specific to your rig and the custom parts you’ve added.
Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is one of those things that you probably won’t need, but when you do need it, you’ll sure be happy you have it.
We recommend that everyone carries a fire extinguisher that is safely secured and easily accessible in your vehicle.
Make sure you frequently inspect the fire extinguisher to ensure none of the parts have been damaged and the gauge is still showing that it’s pressurized.
If you have an old fire extinguisher at home and aren’t sure how old it is, it may be in your best interest and peace of mind to purchase a new one.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the products above, head over to our shop page where you can compare and save on the best parts for your rig.
