Got to do Jeep stuff last weekend, learned valuable lessons

Oh, and for anyone else who's new like me reads this and hears the phrase "lockers before lights" and thinks to themself "but lights look so cool!" Look at my front bumper. Sweet, sweet lights. Know what they did? Allowed me to see how screwed I was without lockers. Don't be like me. Do it right.

Who is this man that speaks with such wisdom and authority??
 
I’m on the fourth that thought that they could put up with my shit… The last three took a while to figure out they couldn’t, and the current one is starting to figure it out now… 😂

"Fifth time's a charm" as the saying goes. 🤫
Full+Jack.jpg
 
Going offroad to get to that remote mine you're working at, to get to your cabin, to get to the transmission tower you're working on, etc. is fine for when you're alone. Something like those is just something that has to be done.

But in my strongest possible personal opinion, going offroad strictly for fun... especially when the temperature conditions are literally freezing as above... is just not a smart decision to do on your own. Fall off something and break your leg or otherwise get seriously injured and it becomes an emergency situation you may just not survive. And in remote offroad areas, cell phone coverage is hit or miss. Where I wheel I seldom have any cell coverage. Which is just one big reason I won't wheel alone. If I got seriously hurt, and shit does happens, and my cellphone was inoperative, I'd be in a world of hurt.

Which is why I will still always recommend never wheeling alone no matter what anyone else's opinion might be. At least if there's no real purpose to the need to go offroad other than fun or to test something out.

I almost always wheel alone and in some very remote areas with no cell service.

If I didn't wheel alone, I'd almost never go wheeling at all because I have no wheeling friends here in NM yet.

To mitigate the very serious concern about an emergency situation, I always have a Spot Messenger satellite communicator with me. I started carrying one for remote Hiking probably 15 or more years ago.

Fortunately, I've never needed to press the SOS button, never had to be rescued, and never been towed!

I wish I had friends to wheel with. But meanwhile, I love exploring on my own. I avoid anything too risky, staying well within my and my rig's capabilities. And I carry a pretty good tool set and recovery gear to hopefully self-recover if needed. And I also carry enough gear and water to safely hike out if it comes to that.

I also try to replace parts before they fail. Preventive maintenance is a good defence against being stranded.

Would I go do hard-core stuff alone in a remote area? NO! But if I decide to go exploring the NM outback tomorrow morning, I'm going, alone without concern.
 
Going offroad to get to that remote mine you're working at, to get to your cabin, to get to the transmission tower you're working on, etc. is fine for when you're alone. Something like those is just something that has to be done.

But in my strongest possible personal opinion, going offroad strictly for fun... especially when the temperature conditions are literally freezing as above... is just not a smart decision to do on your own. Fall off something and break your leg or otherwise get seriously injured and it becomes an emergency situation you may just not survive. And in remote offroad areas, cell phone coverage is hit or miss. Where I wheel I seldom have any cell coverage. Which is just one big reason I won't wheel alone. If I got seriously hurt, and shit does happens, and my cellphone was inoperative, I'd be in a world of hurt.

Which is why I will still always recommend never wheeling alone no matter what anyone else's opinion might be. At least if there's no real purpose to the need to go offroad other than fun or to test something out.

There's old wheelers and there's bold wheelers, but there's no old bold wheelers.
 
I almost always wheel alone and in some very remote areas with no cell service.

I always have a Spot Messenger satellite communicator with me. I started carrying one for remote Hiking probably 15 or more years ago.

For me, It all depends on what you're doing. When I got my first Jeep the purpose was to get deeper and farther away from humans. Get to better hiking spots where no one else would be. Longer I have the Jeep, the more wheeling is becoming the purpose. I still go pretty deep alone. Trails dictate actions. I always carry a PLB/recovery gear/food water, ECT... Have spent a lot of time alone in the mountains, pretty comfortable in the backcountry. Trail difficulty here can be drastically different. If I'm hitting harder trails with intent of wheeling, I always have a buddy. Cool thing about our Jeeps is the versatility. They can be used for so many different purposes.
Here's a link for PLB I carry. It's good for 7 years, just a panic button, no subscription needed, search and rescue will come get you. Same company used on ships for sailors and fisherman. I got mine on sale for $200.... cheap insurance. Not sure if it's national but Colorado has a deal too if you buy a fishing license and need to be rescued they'll come get you. If you don't have one, they'll still come get you but they'll charge the shit out of you for it. Cheap insurance

MrMurdo Fast Find Ranger, Personal Location Beacon. Fast Find 220 and Ranger are allmost identical. Ranger is a little more durable for land use, 220 floats for boat use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K5GIUVE/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
I almost always wheel alone and in some very remote areas with no cell service.

If I didn't wheel alone, I'd almost never go wheeling at all because I have no wheeling friends here in NM yet.

To mitigate the very serious concern about an emergency situation, I always have a Spot Messenger satellite communicator with me. I started carrying one for remote Hiking probably 15 or more years ago.

Fortunately, I've never needed to press the SOS button, never had to be rescued, and never been towed!

I wish I had friends to wheel with. But meanwhile, I love exploring on my own. I avoid anything too risky, staying well within my and my rig's capabilities. And I carry a pretty good tool set and recovery gear to hopefully self-recover if needed. And I also carry enough gear and water to safely hike out if it comes to that.

I also try to replace parts before they fail. Preventive maintenance is a good defence against being stranded.

Would I go do hard-core stuff alone in a remote area? NO! But if I decide to go exploring the NM outback tomorrow morning, I'm going, alone without concern.

For me, It all depends on what you're doing. When I got my first Jeep the purpose was to get deeper and farther away from humans. Get to better hiking spots where no one else would be. Longer I have the Jeep, the more wheeling is becoming the purpose. I still go pretty deep alone. Trails dictate actions. I always carry a PLB/recovery gear/food water, ECT... Have spent a lot of time alone in the mountains, pretty comfortable in the backcountry. Trail difficulty here can be drastically different. If I'm hitting harder trails with intent of wheeling, I always have a buddy. Cool thing about our Jeeps is the versatility. They can be used for so many different purposes.
Here's a link for PLB I carry. It's good for 7 years, just a panic button, no subscription needed, search and rescue will come get you. Same company used on ships for sailors and fisherman. I got mine on sale for $200.... cheap insurance. Not sure if it's national but Colorado has a deal too if you buy a fishing license and need to be rescued they'll come get you. If you don't have one, they'll still come get you but they'll charge the shit out of you for it. Cheap insurance

MrMurdo Fast Find Ranger, Personal Location Beacon. Fast Find 220 and Ranger are allmost identical. Ranger is a little more durable for land use, 220 floats for boat use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K5GIUVE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

A ham radio with a decent antenna would also be a good thing to have. No license needed if using it for an emergency.
 
A ham radio with a decent antenna would also be a good thing to have. No license needed if using it for an emergency.l
lol! srsly? tune antenna select band yada yada. not CB!

extra class here. funny stuff. you realize decent antenna needs to be tuned right?
And need to pick freq for propagation. and that more tuning/

i take it you are not a ham?
 
lol! srsly? tune antenna select band yada yada. not CB!

extra class here. funny stuff. you realize decent antenna needs to be tuned right?
And need to pick freq for propagation. and that more tuning/

i take it you are not a ham?

Yes I am. Licensed ham and GMRS. I don't claim to be an expert. The only antennas I've bought are for the Yaesu I have in my Jeep, and one I bought for a Baofeng UV-5R. Neither needed to be tuned.

Even with my ham installed, I still wouldn't wheel alone. If someone wants to, obviously up to them. I'm not going to try to talk them out of it unless it's a good friend or family member.
 
Oh, and for anyone else who's new like me reads this and hears the phrase "lockers before lights" and thinks to themself "but lights look so cool!" Look at my front bumper. Sweet, sweet lights. Know what they did? Allowed me to see how screwed I was without lockers. Don't be like me. Do it right.

I was very, very much like you. Thats why my build thread is titled "The Lights before Lockers Build"😆

Took me a bit to un-fuck my earlier decisions.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: L J and inkedrose
Going out alone really deserves it’s own thread- it is such a worthy topic-

People are going to do it so I’m going to make a few comments based on some experiences that I’ve had-

First, make sure somebody knows generally where you are going and when you plan to be back. Someone that cares enough that they would check on you.

Secondly, if you have any kind of medical condition make sure there is some way of telling someone that if you’re unable to speak - wear the bracelet or anything you’re supposed to.

Have a spare key to the vehicle so that you or someone else could get into the vehicle- I know it sounds crazy but people have died over lesser things such as the people that died out in the desert stuck in sand and someone came along and simply lowered the tire pressure and drove the vehicle out. It is possible to simply lose or break your key. Have a spare.

If you leave the vehicle leave some kind of instructions as to which direction you’re walking- Give the search and rescue people a fair chance. A pen and paper can be a life saver.

Nothing is more important to survival them water.

Have something that can stop massive bleeding- We nearly lost one of my best friends simply trail riding dirt bikes when he had a freak accident- a belt saved his life.

I’m probably not saying anything that you guys don’t know but it does make my conscious feel a little bit better to empty my head on this topic.

I dearly love my friends at the same time I enjoy the solitude- Fortunately we live in a pretty connected world- be safe out there.
 
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Have something that can stop massive bleeding- We nearly lost one of my best friends simply trail riding on dirt bikes when he had a freak accident- a belt saved his life.

This is the main reason not to wheel alone!!!!!

Any injury 40 miles from pavement can be life ending!!!!!!