Off Road Check List

"Have thy tools ready. God will find thee work"

            Charles Kingsley

 

 

 Heading out where civilization has yet to sprung is exciting, peaceful and a wonderful way to get away from it all. However being far away from population centers means that if something happens to you or your vehicle; you are on your own. That being the case it is important to be prepared.

 

   Whither you are planning a week long outback trip in the middle of no where or you are heading out on a leisurely day trip. There are certain items that are necessary to take with you. The following is a list of what I take with me every time I go out into the "waste lands" even if its just a day trip.

 

 

 

 

What to Take With You

 

1. Like our bodies, engines require certain fluids in order to operate properly. Extra fluids are a must. I always take with me oil, radiator fluid, and distilled water. If I am going some where very remote I will also take with me some extra gas (has come in handy before).

 

2. Extra engine belts (helpful if one snaps)

 

3. Jumper cables

I keep the belts in a canvas bag so they don't crack

 

4. I like to take two spare tires. If one goes pop! You can continue your adventure without worrying about not having a spare.

 

Use a real spare...never a donut!

 

 

5. Tools to work on your vehicle.

If something breaks it will take you a while to find a tow truck (and they will charge you a bucket load). By bringing your own tools you may be able to solve your own problem.

My bag of tools. I have included: wrenches, a flash light, Wd40, and pliers.
 

 

6. Towing straps or a wench (to pull you out of the mud)

 

 

7. Air compressor (handy with flat tiers)

 

 

 

8. High lift Jack (to get over difficult terrain, put on the spare, or use as a wench

 

Love this thing!

 

Know How to Use Everything!

Test your gear, know its condition, and understand how it operates before you have to use it.

There is nothing more stressful than trying to figure out your gear while trying to solve a problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wookie

"She may not look like much but she has it where it counts" Han Solo.

     This FJ60 has been called a minivan, gas hog, and a rust bucket. When such a name was given it always provided me with the opportunity to say one of my favorite quotes from the movie Star Wars "She may not look like much but she has it where it counts" and she does have it where it counts.

   This 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser is built to smash through the toughest terrain. It is the Japanese military truck, once in a bidding war with hummer over the American military contract.It is an awesome strait six crawling machine designed to get the job done. I have owned it for five years and it is older than I am and still running strong.

   Through out this blog I will be referring to "The Wookie". The Wookie is my trusted co adventurer, that will be taking us on our future journey.  It got its name from its brown body, its reliability, and its ability to overcome (not to mention the Chewbacca bobble head on the dash). For the sake of this blog we will be taking this Wookie through the deserts, mountains, and trails of Utah in search of adventure, glory, and rare antiquity's.

   It is my pleasure to welcome you to this blog. It is my hope that you join us in the driver seat, as the Wookie and I take you on these adventures. As the bumper sticker and Back to the Future so elegantly put it "Where we're going we don't need roads".