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I am writing a book on vehicle
based expedition travel through The United States and Canada
This page contains a draft excerpt from the section about trail driving
Copyright 2007 - 2009 by TeriAnn Wakeman all rights reserved.
No part of this page can be reproduced without expressed permission of the author
Trail and camp site etiquette, the art of learning how to play
well with others
People always seem to work together and get along best when they
have a common set of expectations from one another. Over the years
a set of etiquette guidelines have come into common use to help
people traveling together in groups work together harmoniously.
Most of these are common sense safety and politeness guidelines,
others have grown out of increased land usage and the need to minimize
overall impact on the land. With ever increasing pressures placed
upon delicate ecosystems it is every traveler’s responsibility
to minimize their impact if we wish to continue using the land.
Knowing and practicing trail etiquette not only separates the newbees
and thoughtless yahoos from seasoned overlanders it helps us all
get along on the trail more safely and minimizes negative impact
on the world we travel through.
Don’t bring a vehicle that
is not trail worthy out on the trail
People traveling together naturally need to look out for one another
and lend a hand when someone gets stuck or breaks down. A breakdown
caused by a poor condition vehicle is guaranteed to irritate your
traveling companions who would much rather be out enjoying the
trail than helping you fix overdue maintenance items on the trail.
Doing this is a good way to loose your welcome on future group
trips. Also many mechanical breakdowns can cause dangerous situations
for both yourself and your traveling companions.
If
your vehicle is not ready for the trail do not put it on the trail.
Never leave a disabled vehicle or a person
behind
When a vehicle breaks down or gets stuck everyone in the group
is responsible for getting it going back on the trail again.
This can mean lending tools, parts or helping with the work.
If the vehicle can not be field repaired it means towing the
stricken vehicle out to a place a tow truck can reach. Sometimes
this means sending a vehicle out for additional parts while others
wait with the stricken vehicle. This may feel like a big imposition
but left behind vehicles tend to get stripped and vandalized.
People left behind can easily find themselves in a life threatening
situation. We depend upon each other for everyone’s safety.
If it is your vehicle that is getting worked on remember you
are the primary person responsible for fixing it and any help
you get is purely a moral obligation. Be sure to offer to pay
for any parts others contribute and spread thank yous all around.
If you choose to stop along the trail to do something without
the group be sure that someone in another vehicle is aware of your
plans to leave the group. Missing people and vehicles tend to elicit
an emergency response. No one wants to call search and rescue because
you decided to make a detour and did not bother to tell anyone.
Be at a group start point on time and ready to go
When you say you are going to meet a group to start a trail ride
or to convoy someplace make a point of being there on time and
ready to go. If there is a problem that may prevent you from
being on time contact someone else in the group and let them
know. Groups often tend to wait a while for missing members and
no one wants to wait an hour or two because you decided not to
come at the last minute or stopped at a restaurant for breakfast
and didn’t bother to tell anyone.
Inform others of medical conditions
If you have a medical condition that may possibly cause a problem
on the trail make sure at least one other person in the group
knows what the condition is and how to assist you in case it
occurs.
When traveling in a group you are responsible
for the vehicle behind you making the correct choice at all trail
intersections.
If the vehicle behind you is out of sight when you reach a trail
intersection, wait at or just past the intersection until you can
see the other vehicle and you are reasonably sure that they see
you before proceeding. Keep them in view until you are sure they
made the correct choice.
The leading vehicle and the last vehicle
in the group should maintain radio communication
Being able to communicate with others in your
group adds another dimension to group travel and aids in group
safety. The lead vehicle can warn followers about oncoming traffic,
obstacles and trail forks. The tail end vehicle can let the lead
vehicle know if there is a problem with one of the following vehicles
so the lead vehicle can stop the group.
Leave gates as you found them
Much of the land is used for livestock grazing and sometimes trails
pass through private lands. Always make a point of leaving any
gate you travel through in the position you found it unless there
is signage that states otherwise.
Never press a vehicle in front of you to
take an obstacle faster than the driver is comfortable with
Remember each of us have different
skill levels and different trucks may have different capabilities.
What is safe for one may well be unsafe for another. Never pressure
a driver to take an obstacle that they feel is dangerous.
Don’t be shy about examining an obstacle
before going through it
If you have any concerns about the obstacle in front of you or
which approach to take through an obstacle pull over, get out and
take a look at it. If there is someone behind you who wants to
pass, let them through but do not let anyone bully you through
an obstacle faster than you feel is safe. Conversely if someone
in front of you feels a need to look over an obstacle, they are
doing it for safety and not to slow you down. Not everyone has
the same skills an not every vehicle has the same capabilities.
The bottom line goal is to arrive at your chosen destination safely
and with your vehicle intact.
If at second you don’t succeed try
something different
When you attempt an obstacle and do not make it through, it is
easy to get into the mind set of trying the same approach over
and over again. Never try the same unsuccessful approach more than
twice and if you did not come close to making it through the
first time don’t even try it the same way a second time.
Trying something that doesn’t work over and over again
is a good way to overstress your vehicle and damage it. Repeated
unsuccessful trys at an obstacle is probably the single most
common cause of on trail vehicle damage. Often it is best to
stop, reaccess the obstacle then come up with a different tactic.
This is a good time to pull your vehicle out of the way and let
someone else in your group tackle the obstacle Often watching
another vehicle go through provides you with insight that will
allow you to get through as well. And never be afraid of what
people might think if you ask to get winched through or take
a bypass. Good sense beats a broken rig in the middle of a trail
every time.
Don’t attempt an obstacle
if someone else is still driving through it.
Even if you think it is safe to pass another vehicle part way through
an obstacle you will cause concern in the other driver and you
may be placing your vehicle into the other vehicle’s intended
path fouling their attempt. If you are at the top of a climb intending
to go down when another is climbing, wait out of the way until
the ascending vehicle is past you. And certainly never follow a
vehicle up a steep climb until it has cleared the ascent. You do
not want to be part way up when the vehicle ahead of you fails
the climb. Failed assents have a high proportion of uncontrolled
or barely controlled rapid rollbacks. If you are next in line waiting
for the climb keep well back unless you wish your vehicle to become
a back stop for a run away vehicle. If you are outside your vehicle
watching a climb from the bottom stay well out of the way of likely
rollback or tumble paths.
Once you have cleared an
obstacle get well out of the area that following vehicles may
need
If after clearing an obstacle you decide to stop and watch the
vehicles behind you transverse the obstacle, park well out of the
way with adequate space for everyone behind you to drive past and
to stop on level ground.
Make sure at least one other person in
the group who is not with you knows where you are at all times
Accidents happen and people
can get lost. If you are going off on your own, make sure that
others know your intended path and when to expect your return.
Carry a whistle with you. They can be heard from a distance. Three
short blasts is the standard emergency signal. If you are traveling
alone and leave your vehicle or take a long hike, leave a note
in your vehicle with time left, expected route and expected time
of return. It would be a great help to anyone who has to search
for you. If you are leaving the group make sure someone in
the group, preferably a group leader if there is one is aware that
you are leaving and your intended plans.
Sign any registers that you encounter
Trailside registers help search and rescue trace you in case you
do not return when expected or if they are searching for people
out in a major storm or local disaster. There is normally a space
for comments next to the name line. Your expected route and date
you intend to complete it would help people find you in case
of emergency.
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