TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:51 pm

I am fairly new to offroading and was wondering if you guys could help me compile a list of things that needs to be taken on any offroad adventure. Any tips and tricks that you find helpful. I am not talking about a week treck or anything, but more of an afternoon of heading out to play. Safety and convenience items. I know bottled water and maybe a non perishable snack or two, small shovel to dig, maybe a couple blocks of wood for traction or jacking in soft stuff, jack & Spare if possible, tow rope, general first aid kit, cell phone. Anything else you guys have found works well to have. I saw a show on Rockcrawlers on Discovery Channel where the spotter used a ski rope to help pull the car and keep balanced over rough stuff. Nice handle and all to pull. I think that would be a great thing to have in a baja. You could probably pull the whole front around in dirt or keep it from tipping over if you get in a tight spot. Any other thoughts. Thanks in advance for any input, I am simply trying to be well prepared and share any cool tips anyone has with others. Also, do most baja users not have a spare tire? I dont. I would like to, but where can you put it?

Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:49 pm

We try and travel in packs.
A general tool box (this is what I carry in my rail...not for me BUT for my friends) :lol: I try to do all my wrenching at home :) (vise grip/various wrenches and assorted screw drivers/ratchet/assorted sockets(lug nut socket)/zip ties/ratcheting straps/fuses and volt tester/tow rope/flash light.

If I had a bigger tool box(In the new rail I will) I would add...A can of fix a flat?/duct tape/hammer/small compressor??

Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:51 pm

Good call. I have a little automotive toolkit with flashlight and a roadside kit with jumper cables, gas siphon, fix a flat, etc. Anything else? What about the spare tire situation?

Sat Mar 19, 2005 11:08 pm

Tire repair supplies
Accelerator cable
Clutch cable
Fire extinguisher
Duct tape and a Swiss Army Knife (Damn the Mac Gyver!!)

Sat Mar 19, 2005 11:34 pm

even a stock sized spare will work. its better to be able to limp home on a small tire than on a flat one

Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:06 am

I carry a sleeping bag. Granted it doesn’t get that cold in California but when I was living in Utah the cold can and will kill you. My car has stranded me enough times and always in the most inconvenient places that I felt is was a matter of basic survival. Of course in California sun block seems more appropriate.

Personally I like the photo in the Baja Bible where the guy just stuck a log in between the front torsion tubes instead of a tire to get back. Who needs a tire? Apparently wood works just fine.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:16 am

you can even remove the entire K+L assembly and use the trailing arms as a suspension skid :lol:

Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:50 am

I cant believe no one has mentioned a spare fan belt. :( I also carry extra fuel hose and fuel filter. If you have a full flow setup never hurts to carry extra oil hose. I run a doghouse cooler as well as an external cooler,so if I ever have a leaking hose, I just run the hose in and out of the full flow oil pump. I also carry spare cv bolts and one spare axle. Later, Mitch.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:10 am

I got this list off a webpage but cannot find it again. I used it to make up my list of things I take. I take an extra alternator mounted on a fan housing, starter and coil over shocks in case I break a Tbar. If you check around online you will notice a lot of bajas have the spare tire mounted on top of a rack or over the rear window on a fabricated mount.
Cap
Rotor
Points
Condensor
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
Duck tape
Bailing Wire
Electrical Wire
Electrical Tape
Oil
Solderless terminals
Throttle & Clutch cable
Fire extinguisher
Fan Belt
Hose clamps
Fuel Filter
Fuses
Fix a flat
Bottle jack
First aid kit
Drinking water
Flash lights
Extra gas can
Fuel Pump
Coil
Fuel Line
Oil Line
Brake Fluid
Spare tire
Lug wrench
Jumper Cables
Tow Strap
Come along
At least one Manual
Assorted Bulbs
Zip Ties
Matches
Paper Towels
Loctite
3 in 1 oil
WD-40
RTV Silicone
Hacksaw & Blade
Assorted Files
Vise grips
Razor knire
Hammer
Pliars
Assorted Screwdrivers
Assorted Metric wrenches & sockets from 8mm-36mm

Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:10 pm

Now thats a list. I do have a fire extinguisher and fan belt, forgot about those. I agree that even a small spare is a good idea to have, but even then where do you put it. Most bajas have no or a small trunk at best. I guesss signal flares are a good bet too. Just dont start any california wild fires.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:13 pm

I saw some website a while back where a guy had a small really small box trailer rigged up with flotation sand tires which housed a complete engine w/ transaxle. I thought that was hilarious. Cant remeber where I saw it though. Anyway, thanks for your help. I was just trying to make sure I get the basics covered and you always seem to forget that one stupid thing and of course that ends up being the one thing you need.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:13 pm

depending on what kind of front end you have, i've seen some 1pc with enough room for a spare underneath. you could also get a roof rack and put it up there, or build a mount to hang it off the back of your engine cage

Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:42 pm

Second that H-B-B. Have a spare with you and what you need to change a flat out. I've seen lots of guys stuck on a flat that they were trying to nurse back to camp. I'm building a roof rack so I can have a full size rear also with us (front spare under the hood)... Keep an extra spare back at camp so you can trade out the flat for a freshy (great insurance for long weekends - we HATE having to run into town).

Good ideas all.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:46 pm

lots and lots of cold beer. i don't drink and drive. i use a funnel. just kidding, of course.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:23 pm

Don't leve home without a sleeping bag. Keep it away from the ice chest and gas cans because they will no dout spill all over it. Even a three hour tour can get ugly. :wink:

Sun Mar 20, 2005 8:43 pm

I would love to rig up some kind of nice rack on the roof to put crap in. A spare, maybe a jack and some room for other goodies. I would alo love to be able to put my surfboard up there. The problem is that I have a light bar with offroad lights on there that sit really high. My rack would have to be pretty huge to do do what I want it to do. Definately a custom deal.

Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:31 pm

why not just build light mounts on the rack?

Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:45 pm

Lights mounted on the rack are definately what I plan to do when the time comes. My problem is that my rack would have to be very tall as I would like to be able to tie down my surfboard which would have to be above the lights. So the rack would have to be like 8 inches tall or more from top to bottom. That's a down the road a ways project anyway, just getting some ideas.

I thought of something else for the list. Throttle return spring.

Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:52 pm

Have you checked out some of the 5 cars on the Race-Dezert site? You could have a rack built with the lights coming down over the top inch or so of your w/s that would cut lots of inches out of the overall rack height. Some of those race cars have some really great ideas for the lights. Try to keep them tucked down low so some sneaky tree doesn't grab them...

Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:18 am

High lift jack,come along, chains, 50 ft cable.