When you hit the road, you’re bound to get into a few sticky situations. Whether it’s a flat tire or something even more serious, you need to be prepared for any scenario.
This is especially true when driving off-road: there are so many obstacles and challenges that can pop up with little warning! I’ve been there myself; my first time behind the wheel was on an ATV trail in New Mexico and my heart was pounding as we bumped along over rocks and through arroyos.
But don’t let that scare you away from exploring nature by four wheels or two feet instead, learn how to thrive in any situation with these basic tips for surviving in the wilderness:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Surviving in the wilderness requires knowledge, preparation, and adaptability. |
| Important survival tools include first aid kits, maps or GPS, and appropriate clothing and gear for the terrain and weather. |
| Off-roading safety tips include wearing seatbelts, driving cautiously, using appropriate gear, and having insurance. |
| Knowing how to navigate through different terrains, such as mud, rocks, and sand, can improve your off-roading experience. |
| Upgrading your off-road vehicle, including its suspension and other components, can improve performance and safety. |
Expect The Unexpected
If you’re prepared for the unexpected, then it will be much easier to stay calm and think clearly when things go wrong. This means that you need to have a plan for every possible scenario. You must consider all of the things that could happen, and have ideas for how to handle them.
You should also make sure that you have a backup plan in case your first one fails or if something unusual comes up.
The second part of this principle is having a way to communicate with people back home or nearby if needed.
Making sure that someone knows where you are and what your plans are will help them know how best to help if there is an emergency situation or if they need information about where their loved ones are located after an accident occurs on the road (such as being lost).
Off-roading involves more than just driving on a flat surface. Learn important off-road driving safety tips to ensure your safety while exploring the wilderness.
Plan Ahead
You should plan ahead of time. Planning is the key to a successful trip. You need to know what you are doing, where you are going, and what you will need with you before leaving on your trip. If something goes wrong, then having a plan in place can help get everyone out safely.
For example, if someone gets hurt during an off-roading trip, it’s good to have extra supplies in case they need medical attention quickly. It’s also a good idea to bring along some first aid kits just in case anyone gets hurt while out there on the road or trail.
When planning for an off-road adventure make sure that everyone understands what they are getting themselves into so that everyone feels comfortable with their decision before heading out onto any trails or roads together as a group.
Pre-Trip Planning
| Checklist Items | Brand Names |
|---|---|
| Research the Area and Route | Google Maps, AllTrails |
| Check Weather and Conditions | Weather.com, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Book Campsite or Lodging | Airbnb, Camping World |
| Prepare and Pack Food | REI, Mountain House |
| Bring Plenty of Water | CamelBak, Nalgene |
| First Aid Kit | Adventure Medical Kits, VSSL |
| Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance | Midas, Jiffy Lube |
| Bring Tools and Spare Parts | Craftsman, Snap-On |
| Navigation Gear | Garmin, TomTom |
| Emergency Gear and Communication Devices | SPOT, Garmin inReach |
Dress Right
You need to dress right, and that can be a difficult task when you’re in the wilderness. There are a lot of factors to consider: weather, terrain, and even the situation at hand.
How do you know what to wear? The most important thing to remember is that no matter where or when you find yourself out in nature, comfort should be your number one priority.
If your clothes are too tight and restrictive or too bulky and heavy for your body type your blood circulation will suffer from poor blood flow, which increases your risk of hypothermia or heat exhaustion.
Don’t worry! Here’s a quick guide with all the basics on how to dress for both warm and cold climates:
Navigating through mud during off-roading requires a different approach. With the help of our guide on off-road driving in mud, you’ll become an expert in driving through challenging terrain.
Communicate
Communication is a key part of surviving in the wilderness. You want to be able to communicate with other people who are lost and/or injured, as well as those who are at home waiting for news of your situation.
You can use two main methods of communication: talking or yelling into the wilderness, and writing or drawing on things like trees and rocks.
Talking or yelling into the wilderness is good for communicating with other people who are close by – like from one side of a lake to another – but not so good for long-distance communication (like across an ocean). It’s also hard to tell what direction they’re coming from when you hear their voice; they could be anywhere.
Pre-Trip Planning
| Checklist Items | Brand Names |
|---|---|
| Research the Area and Route | Google Maps, AllTrails |
| Check Weather and Conditions | Weather.com, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Book Campsite or Lodging | Airbnb, Camping World |
| Prepare and Pack Food | REI, Mountain House |
| Bring Plenty of Water | CamelBak, Nalgene |
| First Aid Kit | Adventure Medical Kits, VSSL |
| Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance | Midas, Jiffy Lube |
| Bring Tools and Spare Parts | Craftsman, Snap-On |
| Navigation Gear | Garmin, TomTom |
| Emergency Gear and Communication Devices | SPOT, Garmin inReach |
Pack For Survival
This is no time to be cheap; you are risking your life, so treat it as such. Make sure you have more than just band-aids on hand. Include antibiotic ointment, gauze pads and rolls, instant ice packs (for sprains), and pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen (I like Tylenol).
You should also pack tweezers in case of splinters or ticks (which can carry Lyme disease). And if you’re allergic to bee stings, add an EpiPen.
- Pack a survival kit:
This should contain everything from matches to a compass to water purification tablets and anything else that may be helpful in the wilderness! If there’s room left over after filling up with food and water items mentioned below, throw in some extra supplies like rope for building shelters or traps for catching food animals.
Whatever makes sense for the terrain where you’re going camping will work fine here; just make sure everything fits inside your bag before heading out into nature so nothing gets lost along the way!
When off-roading, it’s important to be aware of the dangers and take precautions. Our guide on navigating dangerous terrain provides a comprehensive list of safety tips that could save your life.
Pre-Trip Planning
| Checklist Items | Brand Names |
|---|---|
| Research the Area and Route | Google Maps, AllTrails |
| Check Weather and Conditions | Weather.com, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Book Campsite or Lodging | Airbnb, Camping World |
| Prepare and Pack Food | REI, Mountain House |
| Bring Plenty of Water | CamelBak, Nalgene |
| First Aid Kit | Adventure Medical Kits, VSSL |
| Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance | Midas, Jiffy Lube |
| Bring Tools and Spare Parts | Craftsman, Snap-On |
| Navigation Gear | Garmin, TomTom |
| Emergency Gear and Communication Devices | SPOT, Garmin inReach |
When you’re out in the woods, it can be tempting to drink your fill of whatever water source is available whether it’s a lake, stream or even a puddle. But before you do that, think about this:
- Drinking water from any of these sources could cause severe gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration and death if untreated.
- When a body of water gets contaminated by animal droppings or chemicals from nearby factories and farms, it can make its way into groundwater that feeds into streams and lakes used for drinking water supplies upstream of where you are now standing.
Eat Well
“Eat well.” You’ve no doubt heard this advice before. It’s simple, but it’s also true: Maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of staying healthy in any situation. And when you’re living off the land, this advice becomes even more important than usual because your only source of nutrients is what you bring with you or find around camp.
But what does “eat well” mean? What foods should we be eating? How do we know if something is safe to eat or not? These are all questions that will be answered below.
Different terrains require different driving techniques. Learn how to tackle off-road driving on different terrain with our guide, and you’ll be more confident taking on difficult terrain.
Navigate Wisely
Navigate Wisely: While it is important to know how to use a compass and map, some may not want to carry the extra weight of such tools. In this case, you can use the sun, moon, and stars as your guide.
If you have a GPS device, great! Be sure that it is charged up before heading out on your adventure and that you know how to use it properly.
Know Your Environment: If you are in an area where heavy snowfall occurs during winter months, then make sure that you learn how extreme weather conditions can be dangerous for your health.
You should also understand what poisonous plants look like so that if one were ever ingested by accident (for example), then proper medical treatment could be sought out immediately within reachable distance from where one was located at the time when ingestion occurred.
Navigation Best Practices
| Navigation Tips | Brand Names |
|---|---|
| Know your Route | Google Maps, Waze |
| Use GPS Devices | Garmin, TomTom |
| Bring a Paper Map | National Geographic, DeLorme |
| Use Landmarks | Compass and Map |
| Follow Trail Markers | Blaze Orange |
| Use a Compass | Suunto, Silva |
| Use Mile Markers or Waypoints | GPS-enabled watch, smartphone |
| Plan Ahead for Water Crossings | Jeep, Superwinch |
| Be Prepared for Getting Stuck | Hi-Lift Jack, Warn |
| Be Familiar with the Terrain | Hiking or Off-Roading Group |
This table provides best practices for navigation during off-roading or wilderness adventures. The tips include important aspects such as knowing your route, using GPS devices, following trail markers, and planning ahead for water crossings. Additionally, important brand names for items such as compasses, winches, and jacks are included as reference.
Find Shelter
Your next step is to find shelter. A shelter can be a cave, a natural shelter, or a makeshift structure that you build yourself. You should consider these factors when choosing your shelter:
- It should offer protection from the elements (rain and wind) and wildlife.
- It should be high enough off the ground to avoid snakes and other wildlife.
- It should not be in an area where flash floods may occur (such as by rivers).
While off-roading is fun and exhilarating, emergencies can happen. Being prepared with first aid for off-roaders is crucial to ensure you have the tools and knowledge to handle any situation.
Preserve Your Energy
The next step is to preserve your energy. As long as you have the ability to do so, try to keep moving. If you’re stuck for some reason and can’t move, then don’t expend your energy by working against it just conserve it until you can get moving again.
Avoid overexertion at all costs, even if that means taking a break in the middle of a hike or an activity that requires physical exertion. Taking breaks every hour or two will help regulate body temperature and prevent dehydration (see below).
Drinking plenty of water and eating high-energy foods such as nuts is also important when trying not to overexert yourself out in the wilderness; this will give your body fuel for continued movement while staying hydrated and avoiding dehydration.
Build A Fire
Now that you have a good idea of where to go and what to bring, let’s talk about how to start a fire. There are a few different ways to build one, but the most foolproof method is using matches or a lighter. If you don’t have either on hand, there are other ways of making fire without them; we’ll get into those in a minute.
First things first: keep your new campfire small and manageable! A little cook stove can serve as an excellent backup heat source while giving up very little fuel or light.
You should also consider the direction of your campsite when choosing where to put it if possible, place it against something that will reflect heat back towards you (like another tree) instead of away from you (like an open field).
This will help keep critters away from your site as well as give off more warmth for less work.
Signal For Help
In the wilderness, there are many ways you can signal for help. Remember that your health and safety should be your top priority. Once you’ve ensured that, you can then focus your energy on getting rescued.
First, consider what kind of signal device would be best in a given situation:
- A signal mirror is an effective tool for sending signals over long distances and works best when sunlight is reflecting off of it; they’re also lightweight and easy to carry around
- A fire or smoke signal can transmit signals across large areas of land if used correctly (it’s important not to give away your location)
- A whistle or flare will work well if there’s no available light source or if wind is interfering with its effectiveness
Conclusion
Overall, the key takeaway should be that there are many tools and skills at your disposal. You can learn how to use them on your own, but it’s always helpful to have some extra knowledge from someone who has been there before.
Hi there! I’m Hellen James, and I’m the author of Unified Off-roads. I’ve been driving off-road for more than ten years, and I’ve had a lot of fun in that time—and a few not-so-great experiences too. But I’ve always wanted to help other people get started off-roading, so I decided to start this blog to share my knowledge with others.
