Offroading and traveling in the back country is inherently a dangerous activity. Even if you are just tackling an easy drive down a scenic two track dirt road, there are things that can cause you to have a bad day or will run a weekend. This article will highlight five things that will help you be safe during this Memorial Day Weekend and during all you adventures. Each of these points could really become a full blown article in itself and you could spend all day coming up with potential risks and ways to mitigate or avoid those risks, but the idea here is to encourage you to consider risk assessment during your adventures and your daily life.
1. Drink water. The next time you are marking a tree or bush, check bout the color of your urine. If its clear then you are well hydrated. The darker that urine is, the less hydrated you are. I keep a Camelbak with me but my wife and both kids also have their own. Watch out for signs of heat cramps or exhaustion like headaches, nausea, excessive sweating and dizziness. If you or someone in your group begins to experience any of these symptoms, then take a break, cool off and get some water inside.
2. Alcohol and driving doesn’t mix – ever. Each state and country has their own laws regarding legal limits but I’d like to encourage you to completely abstain from consuming alcohol if you are expecting to operate a vehicle within 8 hours. Driving down an empty paved street while impaired is dangerous. How much more dangerous do you think is is rock crawling, driving a shelf road or blasting through the desert is while impaired?! Don’t drink and drive.
3. Conduct good preventative maintenance on your vehicle and your gear. If you’re like me, then you’re likely to be pushing the limits of your equipment at some time. Spend some time going through your equipment in the driveway where you have control of your surroundings so that you aren’t broken down in an area where you don’t have control of the environment and access to all your tools and parts.
4. Don’t travel alone. If something does happen while you’re out then having a buddy to help assist you, you’ll be in much better shape. Traveling alone requires you have have a well thought through contingency plan or two (or more). Know what to do when things go wrong before they do so that you are prepared with a solid plan of action. But I understand how enjoyable it can be to get out and experience Creation, which leads me to the last point.
5. Tell someone your plans. In the military we use an acronym – GOTWA.
G – Going; as in where you are going.
O – Others you’re taking with you.
T – Time. Let sometime know when to expect you to come back or at least check in.
W – What to do if I don’t return or check in at the pre-designated time.
A – Actions to take if things go wrong.
Please consider these safety suggestions and be safe! If you have any experience in these areas, please let me know what happened or if you have some other safety suggestions.
