15 Off-Road Tips You’ll Actually Use

Being off-road in the backcountry can be an amazing experience, but there are some unwritten rules that should be followed and so we stepped out of our Jeep Wranglers on the side of the trail to share a little knowledge with you to help make sure you are off-roading and overlanding like a pro.

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0:00 Introduction
1:21 Vehicle Behind You
2:09 Vehicles Approach on a Hill
3:00 Vehicle on the Trail
3:46 Communications
4:34 Large Convoys
5:20 Breakdown
6:13 Bathroom Etiquette
7:05 Obstacles
7:48 Motorcycles
8:12 Hand Signals
8:54 Gates
9:31 Vehicle Distance
10:32 Stopping
11:07 Hikers and Campsites
11:49 Pack it in, Pack it Out

[huntinbob]

Great video Brad. I would add that when you encounter a hiker or hikers, I always ask them if they need any water and may I take any of your trash for you. I've turned a lot of hikers into being ok with motorsports in the mountains.

[AssMcBlast]

I love that you're including Regina more often. Being with my partner while off-roading is so much fun and I can't imagine her not being there.

[Mdozaaa]

Went off-road for the first time and “stop to assist” is genuinely so important and was glad I came across the people I did I wasn’t stuck but I was with someone who was and being my first time well I couldn’t really help but a few others stopped and helped

[billveder]

Just to clarify: All toilet paper is in-fact biodegradable. Normal toilet paper takes about 1-3 years to fully decompose. This is longer than most people would guess, but it does take time for those strong wooden fibers to fully biodegrade. Biodegradable toilet paper, on the other hand, only takes about 1-2 months to fully decompose. Toilet paper is not harmful to the environment. Since it’s designed to break down in water, animals do not care about it, it doesn’t do anything to the soil, and plants are not affected whatsoever. I agree; I would not leave biodegradable toilet paper behind either, that just seems rude however, you can bring a small shovel and bury it, there is no harm in that. In-fact choosing to bury it is actually better than all the wasted (plastic) bags being used and then discarded to haul out biodegradable toilet paper and biological waste out of the woods. I hope this wasn't too intrusive, I treat county water for a living, it's what I do.

[stevej]

Good list ! Most of those things were learned when in the scouts as a kid but it seems like scouting has gone away for the most part these days so learning these things only come from community now . When I'm out alone or with my kids we always take out more than we brought, typically we clean camp when we arrive and again when we are about to pull out plus we don't leave trash out at anytime during the camp, very important . I have a pop up privacy tent and a porta-potti so anything that needs TP is only about a minute away . The only other thing I would add to your list is keep the noise level low, no blasting music .

[nealjohnson]

Brad I cannot thank you enough for taking the time at the Expo yesterday morning to let me record your message to my friend Jeff.
Words cannot say how much that meant to Jeff and his wife !!!
Thank you so much Chief
Neal

[milescorp]

Great tips. I learned these years ago but this was a good refresher. I am glad you mentioned cleaning up trash. As a former park ranger, it really bothers me when people leave trash in nature. Enjoy the place where you are but don't trash it. Respect nature and preserve it for others to enjoy.

[MaximusWilliams]

Great information. Somehow, I came up with sixteen rules 😊

Off-Road Trail Etiquette:
1. Always keep the vehicle trailing you in sight
2. Stop at intersections so trailing vehicle sees where you turned
3. When two vehicles are approaching each other on an incline the vehicle going uphill has the right of way
4. Stay on the trail!
5. Practice good radio communication. No foul language. Don’t “clog” the channel on trivial stuff. Communicate difficult obstacles, broken down vehicle, etc.
6. Give way to larger groups
7. Stop to assist. Don’t leave anyone behind.
8. Bathroom break. Boys to the left and girls to the right.
9. Two attempts and then it’s time to move on
10. Yield to motorcyclists
11. Communicate with hand signals how many people are in your convoy to oncoming traffic
12. Look for a sign at gates. If no sign then leave it how you found it.
13. Maintain safe distance between vehicles. On steep inclines let the vehicle in front of you crest the hill. On steep declines let the vehicle in front of you get to the bottom before you start down.
14. Don’t stop in the middle of the trail.
15. Slow down when you encounter hikers, campgrounds and horses.
16. Leave it better than you found it.

[DixieOverland]

Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING upsets me more than people who throw trash on the trail. People who are too lazy to even put the trash into a bag making it someone else's issue to fix....(This post was made without swearing).

[GATORADDAM]

You guys are great.
I knew most of these except the Boys to the left - Girls to the right. Never heard that one before.

[Chris.starfleet]

The world needs more people like Brad and Regina.

[RandomStuffGarage]

I used to wave like a dummy until I realized what it really means haha
Great vid! Everyone needs to know these things!

[Chardister]

Great tips! Thanks for putting this out there. Nice seeing you and your wife together more often on the channel. Keep the videos coming!

[RobertJl]

Excellent tips, I watched this awhile back. My wife has recently got into Trailrecon videos and I came in and she was watching this one and taking notes. We have a Jeep trip coming up and are new to leading large groups and your video will help us communicate good off-roading procedures.

[FlawedOffroad]

Good tips, the one about 2 tries makes sense in a large group, non optional stuff. But if its optional obstacle or a small group I'm going till I either make it, break it, or give up haha.
Also Id like to add one. If you stack rocks to get up something, remove them when done.

[enemyfleet]

Great video... I'd add one thing about motorcycles. Yes faster and more nimble, but also more vulnerable. Keep up the great videos!

[everymanoffroadadventures]

Great video! Only thing I would add is SLOW DOWN for water crossings. Especially in the mountains. I can't tell you how many Jeeps and sxs I saw blasting through water crossings. Doing this seriously erodes the banks and damages the environment.

[andysolorzano]

Awesome video Brad and Regena. This should be mandatory viewing for every person driving an off road vehicle before they hit the trail. Even within our small group of off roaders, we have weekenders that we have to remind before each ride of these trail etiquette rules. Always look forward to your vids. Entertaining, informative and always a bit of humor. Hope to see you out on the trails.

[WesternBlazer]

Bring a fire extinguisher. One of my good off-road buddies took a ride in my truck the other day and asked why I had a fire extinguisher. I was shook. I thought it was common sense for everyone to have a fire extinguisher

[Montanaoffroad]

Great video as always! Let’s keep our trails safe and clean for everyone! Thank you for making this.