As SUV ownership has increased, so has the level of off-highway recreation.  There is no special license required to drive off-highway, even though there are many different techniques and practices involved.  There has been an often unspoken etiquette that is practiced by old-school four-wheelers, which developed not just so that everyone can get along on the trail, but, primarily, for safety considerations.  But, with the availability of trail-ready 4x4’s, like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the Nissan Xterra, and the Toyota TRD, the slow and steady progression of four-wheeling initiation through involvement and comaraderie has been bypassed. The honor-by-association process misses the chance to be taught to the enthusiastic guy who just bought his first real 4x4.  Not to sound like a snob, but it has become grimacingly obvious. 

Let me whine a little bit.  During a recent weekend Jeep outing in Sedona, Arizona, I encountered all of the following bad trail manners: one parked 4x4 partially blocking the trail at the bottom of a steep climb, who had simply not bothered to drive an extra twenty feet to park out of the way; two vehicles who were not properly equipped for the ruggedness of the particular trail on which they were attempting to travel were creating a bottleneck of 4x4’s who were properly equipped for that particular trail; another 4x4 tailgated me up a steep, rocky incline; and on an access road, I was maliciously dusted by a speeding 4x4. 

All of this made for a remarkably unpleasant backcountry experience for both me and for my out-of-town guests.  I believe that most people want to play nice and do the right thing.  So, I took all of this as a prompt to outline the basics of off-road driving etiquette.  Whether you are an experienced four-wheeler, or an exuberant newbie, enjoy this article as a fun and friendly rallying call. 

Before I start the list, let me preface it by clearing up some things:

First, some of my four-wheeling buddies don’t even know what the word “etiquette” means, but they practice it.  Etiquette, by Webster definition is “the forms, manners, and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in social relations.”  The definition is just a stuffy way of saying “play nice”.  In our ever-busy world, a little good old-fashioned courtesy still goes a long way. 

Second, in most cases, there are no laws regarding off-highway etiquette.  Etiquette is simply courtesy practiced for the comfort, safety, and enjoyment of all participants.  Although safety is really at the heart of trail etiquette, superficially, it is good manners.  There are no Trail Etiquette Police who will jump out of the bushes to fine you for an infraction, nor pat you on the back for a good deed.  But a good neighbor attitude will engender the sense of community among those who engage in off-road recreation.

Third, I make no claim to exhibit perfect trail etiquette at all times, but I am mindful of other people, and that is all we can ask of each other.  I apologize ahead of time if I become blunt and scathingly direct.  I hope that everyone will catch the fun mood of the piece as well as the main message--let’s all play nice in the sand box!  The focus of this article is limited to the activity of four-wheel-drive recreation, and is by no means exhaustive, especially in the area of land use etiquette--which will be featured in a later article.  So, here follows Off-Road Etiquette 101.  Not preachy, not enforced, just a little common sense and courtesy:

1. Prepare

If you don’t have the time to prepare for the trip, then don’t go.  In extreme environments like Arizona, it can be a life or death decision.  You can get in serious trouble for not bringing a very simple item, like water.  Other basics include: tow strap, jumper cables, shovel, jack, spare tire--you would be amazed at how many vehicles I have had to rescue for simply not having a suitable jack and spare tire on board.  For a more complete list of things you should consider bringing, see the 4-Wheel Drive Guide by Tread Lightly, available on their website--you can even download a PDF copy for free.

Also, research your intended trip route.  Not only are there various public land management systems to deal with, but also road conditions can vary widely from year to year.  If you are not traveling with someone who is familiar with the trail, at least talk to other four-wheelers ahead of time, and research the trail’s rating and conditions.  Never go alone into remote country, and especially if you are attempting a trail that is going to challenge your capabilities or the capabilities of your vehicle.  A good rule of thumb is how far are you willing to walk back?  Always leave details about where you are going and when you plan to return.  Don’t count on someone coming along to rescue you by chance.

2. Be a Good Samaritan

If you come across someone who is in trouble, help.  Signs of someone in need of assistance include: someone walking along a 4x4 trail, a vehicle parked with the hood up, or someone looking under their vehicle, or waving at you as you approach.  If you encounter someone on the trail who is stopped, it is cool to just say “Howdy, how y’all doing today?”   If you see a parked vehicle and no occupants, someone is on foot nearby, either intentionally or unintentionally, so be alert.  Offer to call someone for them.  If the vehicle requires towing, do so only if you are willing, able, and the vehicle has proper recovery points.  Learn first aid and CPR.

3. Dusting

If you drive by someone on a dry dirt road at 10 mph or more, you are DUSTING them.  Many 4x4’s are open-air, so a big cloud of dust is not just inconvenient, but hazardous if the driver’s eyesight or breathing is momentarily impaired.  Be considerate and mindful of what your actions cause.

4. Tailgating

Always allow each vehicle to traverse the tougher obstacles one-at-a-time.  Closely following another vehicle is dangerous in any situation.  In off-pavement driving, braking distances and maneuvering is significantly affected.  Keep distances of at least thirty feet between vehicles.  This allows vehicles room to brake and maneuver, as well as sufficient distance to read the terrain and pick a line.  On steep four-wheeling hills, downhill vehicles could be struck by debris flung from spinning tires, or worse, a rolling vehicle.  All of us have experienced failed climbs.  You do not want to be tailgating someone up a hill when he fails his climb.

Another good reason to wait for other vehicles to finish traversing an obstacle: I have seen multiple vehicles get stuck simultaneously in the same mud hole.  I am sure the guy in the last 4x4 wished he had watched the other guys go all the way through first.  Sorry, but that was hilarious! “You might be a redneck if...”  No offense intended to rednecks, as I come from a proud line of them.

5. Passing on the Trail

Passing involves getting by each other, either in nose-to-nose situations or when one driver wants to proceed more quickly than another.  As with dusting and tailgating, above, passing on the trail requires a sense of safety.  If someone obviously wants to go faster than I do, I find a wide spot and pull over to let them by.  Always look for a place wide enough so that neither vehicle will have to drive over vegetation or lean into each other.  I have seen four-wheelers scrape each other’s roofs as they tried to get by each other in a V-ditch.  Remember, four-wheeling is three-dimensional.

When you come nose to nose with someone on a one-track trail, whoever has a wide spot behind them backs up.  But, safety dictates that if you are on a hill, the vehicle driving uphill has the right-of-way.  This is because backing down uneven terrain poses the problem of poor visibility, with the driver potentially backing down a ledge off-camber and rolling.

Once I encountered a driver who was very considerate of other vehicles, but in his eagerness to get out of the way, he drove over live shrubs, and high-centered on a rock.  Please do not drive over shrubs or off the trail.  In most cases, it will only take about three seconds of calm analysis for both drivers to quickly find an easy route.  In tricky situations, it is not a bad idea to get out and discuss the best way to proceed, or have a knowledgeable passenger spot for you.

5. Wheel spinning

Usually, wheel spinning that lasts longer than a few seconds can mean two things.  One, driver error: you may be going too fast or picking a bad line; or two, inferior equipment: you may need heavier-duty equipment than you currently possess in order to effectively traverse the particular terrain you are attempting.  Either way, the results are obvious: flying rocks and dirt, trail rutting, or even an equipment failure.  Let your common sense dictate your course of action instead of your ego.  Try another line, a bypass, or turn around.  Stop spinning your wheels.  Yes, the pun was fully intended!

6. Rock stacking

Okay, time to touch on a very touchy subject: Rock Stacking.  All of us stack a few rocks from time to time in order to get through a particularly nasty spot.  But, if you have to do this repeatedly, you are on the wrong trail for your equipment.  Not only are you disturbing the environment by taking rocks from one place and moving them to another, but also you are ruining the fun of the guy who comes up the trail in his more-modified-than-yours 4x4.  There seems to be a general attitude among homo sapiens: everyone with rigs less modified than yours is a wimp, and everyone with a rig more modified than yours is a lunatic.  Give everyone respect for where they are in the four-wheeling world.  Besides, if everyone had similarly-built Jeeps, then trails like the Rubicon, Poison Spider, and Broken Arrow would require stoplights to deal with all of the traffic.

7. Trash

I have always espoused the Leave No Trace ethic: “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.”  Catchy phrase, but it isn’t quite enough.  With the increase in outdoor recreation, we have some catching up to do.  I know I said I wasn’t going to get preachy, but this might cross the line.  Read about the Tread Lightly principles.  Not only should you not take anything from the environment, or leave anything that was not part of the environment, but leave the area better than you found it whenever possible.  That means pick up trash, disassemble rock stacking, and clean up vehicle fluid spills, even if they are not yours!  Your efforts don’t count if you leave the trash bag by the Forest Service sign, either.  Carry it out with you, and dispose of it properly.  If we want to continue to have trails for four-wheeling, we must take responsibility for them.  End of sermon.

 
To conclude, remember, as your mother would say, just because someone else does not exhibit good manners, should not preclude you from doing so.  Set the example.  Referring back to one of my weekend experiences above, the kid who viciously dusted us had parked by the side of the road a few miles beyond where he had sped around us, and was out of the truck with the doors open.  My first devil-on-my-shoulder impulse was to speed up and dust him back, but I chose to exhibit good trail manners, and slowed down to ease by him with as little dust as possible, and even gave him the one-finger off of the steering wheel Jeep wave--the index finger, not the middle finger.  Did he get it?  Will he be more polite next time?  I don’t know, but I do know that the newbies in my Jeep learned something about off-road manners that day.  Unfortunately, most of their lessons came by examples of what not to do. 

As I mentioned before, I am certainly no perfect example of trail etiquette, but please, remember my message here is intended to get the entire off-road community on the same team. 

More than ever, I mean my usual sign off: “HAPPY trails!”