by Ann Job

Don't start your off-road experience by charging into the wilderness like a Baja 1000 racer. Experts advise a lot of preparation, an understanding of your vehicle's capabilities and skilled driving techniques.

Off-roading doesn't look that hard, does it? Why, all you do is jump into a four-wheel-drive vehicle, steer it into the wilderness, step on the gas and never look back. . . .

The real story about off-roading—good, capable, safe off-roading—is far different. Capable off-roading takes skill, knowledge and smarts—about the terrain, about the vehicle, and about you as a driver.

Try It, You'll Like It . . .

Bob Burns, who has been Land Rover North America's chief off-road instructor for more than ten years, recommends that people interested in going off-road visit a four-wheel-drive club in their area and join the group on some outings before attempting to venture out on their own.

Not only will a novice get to observe off-roading with experienced drivers, he or she also will begin to learn how to drive off-road, get advice about vehicles and vehicle capabilities, and hear about good off-road venues in the area, etc.

For a more formal experience, consumers can attend Land Rover off-road training classes available year-round at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., and at the Equinox in Manchester, Vt., as well as at some general driving schools.

Pack for Emergencies

Drivers in a Baja race might be willing to beat up their race vehicles. But most truck and sport-utility owners aren't interested in destroying their personal vehicle during an off-road adventure. Many also are increasingly sensitive to environmental issues, too.

"Preservation of the vehicle is a key focus," Burns said. "Besides, if something breaks [on your vehicle] out there [while you're off-road], it's going to be a long walk out."

Thus, just in case, off-road experts also advise packing basic tools and supplies such as cell phone, gloves, water, a shovel, a flashlight, a tire gauge, food, warm clothes, a sleeping bag and a first aid kit. Make sure your vehicle's jack is on board and you know how to use it.

Remember to have lots of fuel, too, since vehicles can burn more fuel, mile for mile, in off-road exercises than they do on smooth highway.

And always wear your seat belt.

Burns recommends telling people where you are going and when you expect to return, so if you do not return someone will be able to tell authorities where to look for you.

Know Your Vehicle

Four-wheel-drive systems are not all alike. Vehicle gearing differs, too. So do vehicle ground clearances and approach and departure angles.

All these variables—as well as the dimensions of your truck or SUV—affect how a vehicle works off-road.

Read your owner's manual to learn how your mechanicals work. Test them out in less-rigorous terrain first. For example, get a sense of how low gear operates and what it feels like before you need to rely on it off-road.

Work to visualize the dimensions of your vehicle, so you will know whether it's too tall to fit under a tree branch or too wide for a narrow pass.

Inspect the vehicle's undercarriage so you know the location of sensitive mechanicals; that knowledge will help you protect them from rock and ground damage.

Don't Go It Alone Burns and another lifelong off-roader, Tom Collins, urge off-roaders to travel with others, at least in pairs.

In The Authoritative Guide to Compact Sport-Utility Vehicles, published by Land Rover in 1997, they explain that if one vehicle becomes disabled, "the other can assist."

You also want a partner who can help "spot" you—someone who gets out of the vehicle at times and provides hand signals to guide you in tight quarters and treacherous situations where it can be difficult for you to see your line.

Pick Your Own Line

On off-road trails, it's often tempting to just drive your vehicle on the same tire tracks and ruts as the vehicle that went before you.

But you should pick your own line, your own path, which will let you and your vehicle pass with minimal difficulty.

Why? "Just because tire tracks went down into that pool of water doesn't mean the vehicle came out. It could still be down in there," Burns says with a laugh.

But he's not joking about visualizing and selecting exactly where your vehicle tires should tread when you're off-road. Each vehicle, combined with its driver, has different capabilities and different comfort zones that affect how well both will perform.

A {Hummer H1;Hummer;H1}, for example, is wider than a {Toyota 4Runner;Toyota;4Runner} and may need to find a different way to negotiate a tight curve next to a tree. A {Ford F-150;Ford;F-150} 4X4 may have enough ground clearance to pass over a large rock on a trail, but a {Chevrolet TrailBlazer;Chevrolet;TrailBlazer} may find it better to put one tire on the rock and go over it that way.

Remember that you want your wheels to be straight as you descend a hill. Otherwise, there's a danger the vehicle could roll over.

Slower Is Best

Veteran off-roader Daphne Greene, who operates an off-road instruction school called Twende out of Ross, Calif., shares with her students some sage advice: When off-road, "drive as slow as possible, as fast as necessary."

The point is it can be very easy at high speed to get into trouble off-road—maybe by plunging over a hilltop without seeing what's on the other side, maybe by rolling willy-nilly into unstable soil or mud, maybe by flooding the engine by splashing headlong into a pit of water that is just too deep.

By driving slowly, a driver has a chance to observe the conditions coming up and consider whether the area is safe and what driving techniques and vehicle gearing is needed.

Besides, as Burns says, if you go too slow and don't make it up the hill the first time, you can back down and still try again. But if you race up and over a hill smack into a rock on other side, you may have damaged your vehicle and ended your off-road adventure for the day. Or worse.

Off-road expert Tom Sheppard puts it another way in his 1999 book Off-Roader Driving: "Good off-road driving is achieved with the minimum of drama. Huge water splashes, spinning wheels and flying clods of earth are rarely necessary."

Use Engine Braking

Burns contends that many mishaps—off-road and on—occur as drivers are too quick to stab the brake pedal.

Brakes can destabilize a vehicle, send it skidding as wheels lock up on downhill slopes, for example.

Smart off-roaders learn to use engine braking as a way to control those downhill speeds and minimizing the need for brakes.

And with more electronics in today's vehicles, some new models, including the {Land Rover Range Rover;Land Rover;Range Rover}, can be had with Hill Descent Control (HDC)—electronic braking programmed specifically for off-road conditions.

But remember: Never go down a hill with the clutch pedal pressed or the vehicle in neutral. You have no engine braking at all under these circumstances.

In addition, if you do start to skid when going down a very steep hill, don't use the brake. Instead, apply a little gas and steer in the direction that the rear wheels are skidding.

Proper Hand Positions

Don't rest your hand on your gearshift lever when you're off-road. An abrupt bump could jar your hand and inadvertently force the lever into another gear.

Also, don't curl your thumbs around the steering wheel. If the vehicle hits something hard and the steering wheel moves sharply to one direction, your thumbs could be injured.

And remember that most steering inputs off-road are slight. You shouldn't need to be working the steering wheel aggressively. Rather, try to steer—as well as brake and use the throttle—gently and smoothly.

No Time Clock in the Outback

Don't go off-road if you're pinched for time. Off-roading should be at a more easygoing pace.

Sometimes, for example, you will want to get out of your vehicle to examine and touch the soil ahead, grab a stick and measure just how deep that upcoming bog is, etc.

You don't want any pressing deadlines forcing you to make rash decisions out in the wilderness. The same thing goes if you begin to feel fatigued. Fatigue can lead to poor decision-making.

It's best to stop and rest, get refreshed, before carrying on.

Developing Technique

Practice is a wonderful teacher for off-road driving. The more exposure you have and the more experience, the better you will become.

And as your memory bank of experiences fills, you will be able to recall different techniques that worked well in different situations and begin to select them.

Lastly, when you're out there, remember there is always the option of not going down a specific path or route if you are not comfortable.

"There's nothing wrong with saying, 'That's not the way to go today, maybe I'll do it another day,'" Burns said.