Off-road tips/tricks

Trail Skills and Etiquette

Location and vehicle are only half the battle; the real adventure begins when you actually head out. Off-roading can seem incredibly intimidating at first. You’ll see highly modified specialty vehicles driven by people with years of experience, but it’s important to remember that everyone started in the exact same place.

There are many unwritten rules to the trail, most of which are learned the hard way.

Knowing Your Limits

The biggest challenge is understanding your vehicle’s capability versus the obstacle in front of you. You only learn these limits by safely pushing into new scenarios. Obviously, having 4x4 or AWD puts you in a better position, but bringing a friend or traveling with a group is the best way to start. Most people in this culture love sharing their knowledge and helping others. While the rigs may look intimidating, the community is built on having fun and helping fellow travelers—regardless of what you’re driving.

Navigation and Passing

When you’re on the trail, there are a few essential guidelines to follow:

• Blind Corners: These are a major concern. If you are climbing or descending a 90-degree bend, always assume someone is speeding around the other side. I take corners slowly and position my vehicle as far to the outside as possible to share the road.

• Passing on Single-Track: Passing other cars on one-lane roads—often with a cliffside—is common. While trails usually have pull-offs or turnaround points, you may need to pass where space is limited. In these cases, both drivers must get as close to the edge as possible and creep past each other. Usually, the driver with the more capable vehicle will do the heavy lifting to get out of the way.

Common Obstacles: Potholes and Rocks

• Potholes: Simple holes are everywhere. Some trails are littered with hundreds of them, ranging from a few inches to a foot deep. The key is to drive slowly and pick your path. This helps you understand your vehicle’s tire width and ground clearance. Moving slowly minimizes the risk of damaging vital components on the undercarriage. If you need to take your time, simply pull over for faster drivers when it’s safe.

• Sharp Rocks: Tires are the single most important upgrade you can make. Off-road tires are a must; a standard tire sidewall can puncture easily even on small, sharp rocks. Rock crawling is a different beast entirely, but for general off-roading, you’ll encounter rocks from a few inches up to a foot high. Even in a 2WD car, your tires determine your grip. Note that tire patching kits generally do not work on sidewall damage, so watch where you place your rubber.

Mud, Snow, and Sand

In the PNW, you are guaranteed to encounter at least one of these. While AWD and 4x4 are essential here, you can manage these conditions with the right tools:

• Recovery Gear: A shovel and a small pickaxe are cheap essentials that can save your trip. If you feel yourself getting stuck, react slowly. Continuing to spin your tires will only sink the vehicle deeper.

• Traction Boards: "Maxtrax" (or more affordable alternatives) are plastic platforms you wedge under the tires to give them something to grab. They can also bridge small gaps or ruts.

• Winches: A winch is the "gold standard" for recovery, especially if you travel solo. While many people buy them for the look and never use them, a winch provides an incredible safety net for less capable vehicles.

Trail Maintenance: Fallen Trees

Trees frequently fall across roadways in the PNW. You can handle these with a small electric chainsaw, an axe, or a hand saw if you're up for a workout. A winch or a heavy-duty rope can also be used to drag logs off the path. If a tree blocks your return trip, you’ll have to deal with it, but on popular trails, you’ll often find that other off-roaders have already performed the necessary maintenance.

Advanced Terrain: Oscillating Bumps and High-Centering

Soil and rocks are constantly reshaped by water and traffic. You will often encounter "oscillating bumps"—a left-and-right pattern where one side of the trail is high while the other is low. These require high clearance and good suspension. I have encountered many scenarios where I chose to turn around because I knew my van’s limits.

• Hill Climbs: These are simple but can be dangerous if the ground is loose. Use a lower gear and maintain a steady, stopping-is-not-an-option speed. In almost every off-road scenario, inertia is your best friend.

• High-Centering: A unique obstacle I’ve tackled in the minivan involves "two-track" paths with a deep valley in between. You have to drive perfectly on the built-up mounds; if you slip into the center valley, you’ll likely get stuck. What pushes a minivan to its absolute limit is often just a simple path for a built-up Jeep.