blackjeep02
New member
A worth while read from Long Island Off Road
For this long winded rant, we apologize beforehand. Its just a trend we are seeing lately here in the NE, and across the country via friends of ours. And we think it needs to be said.
Below in the quotes is a statement from another longtime, highly respected offroader. They really ring true. Since a few years ago, all of a sudden, jeeping and offroading has become pretty mainstream. We'd probably say right around 2007, when Jeep introduced the JKU. The mass appeal of that vehicle made people who probably never thought about offroading, interested in jeeping. We're not knocking that at all. Maybe you'll agree or disagree when this phenomenon happened, but thats the not the exact point of this discussion.
Alot of people watch a few youtube videos, go on a run or 2, maybe they spend alot of money on upgrades, and magically think they are "offroaders" and know it all.
They want to lead groups of people(usually also with little to no experience themselves) through the woods in vehicles with no recovery experience, or mechanical experience or first aid training. So, this is not meant in anyway to demean or call out the newbies to the sport. It's simply a wake-up call or encouragement to all those new to the sport to seek proper training and advice from experienced, well respected groups and trainers. Do your homework. Seek them out, absorb their knowledge and do it correctly and safe. Look to established clubs. Look to organizations like NOVA4x4( Northeast Offroad Vehicle Alliance) NEA4WD (North East Association of 4WD Clubs) or NORA4x4 (Northeast Off Road Adventures). These are real, established organizations. Filled with people that live, breathe and eat this "offroad" sport.
These are not Facebook jeep groups. These are long standing clubs and organizations. There's nothing wrong with FB jeep groups. Hanging with other jeep enthusiasts and like minded people is fun and can be a hoot. But when you're looking to hit the trails, do your research, seek out those with actual experience and knowledge doing what you want to do and then humble yourself, and go listen, learn and absorb.
From our friend...
"I’m making this post public. Hopefully it gets shared and reaches someone who needs to see it. Lately our feeds have been flooded with mishaps. We all crack our jokes and hope nobody was injured when we see them, but this is quickly becoming a very serious problem.
The internet opened up a whole new world to people who don’t necessarily need to be out there. What you read in our posts and gather from the pictures we all share is not a substitute for first hand knowledge or magically obtained experience. We make a lot of this stuff look easy. Rest assured, it’s not. It looks so easy that people honestly believe that anybody with an internet approved trash bag on their spare tire, a flip open tent on the roof, and some internet recommended all terrains can safely get there and back home in time for work. PLEASE! Be careful, take it slow, stay on the trail, and THINK before you act. Start small, and learn your vehicle. Not just what the internet says about it. Know where your tires are planted. Know how your vehicle sounds. Know how it feels in different situations. Climb obstacles at low elevations and learn how to operate it where the risk is minimal. In an offroad park for example. Do this BEFORE you risk taking a 500’ fall off of a shelf at 12,000’. Help can’t quickly get to you up there, that is IF your (internet approved) devices even have a signal to cry for help with. Take those beautiful pictures once you’ve safely stopped.
Please stay focused on the task at hand (safe operation of your vehicle), be courteous to other trail goers and above all else, be safe y’all.
I know I speak for an awful lot of guys and gals out there when I say that I preferred seeing pictures from successful trips more so than these."
So, please read, and read again. We enjoy nothing more then seeing happy, smiling faces of new offroaders after a good first day on the trail. Most importantly, know who is leading you onto the trail. Your safety and that of your vehicle's is in their hands.
Thanks for reading.
For this long winded rant, we apologize beforehand. Its just a trend we are seeing lately here in the NE, and across the country via friends of ours. And we think it needs to be said.
Below in the quotes is a statement from another longtime, highly respected offroader. They really ring true. Since a few years ago, all of a sudden, jeeping and offroading has become pretty mainstream. We'd probably say right around 2007, when Jeep introduced the JKU. The mass appeal of that vehicle made people who probably never thought about offroading, interested in jeeping. We're not knocking that at all. Maybe you'll agree or disagree when this phenomenon happened, but thats the not the exact point of this discussion.
Alot of people watch a few youtube videos, go on a run or 2, maybe they spend alot of money on upgrades, and magically think they are "offroaders" and know it all.
They want to lead groups of people(usually also with little to no experience themselves) through the woods in vehicles with no recovery experience, or mechanical experience or first aid training. So, this is not meant in anyway to demean or call out the newbies to the sport. It's simply a wake-up call or encouragement to all those new to the sport to seek proper training and advice from experienced, well respected groups and trainers. Do your homework. Seek them out, absorb their knowledge and do it correctly and safe. Look to established clubs. Look to organizations like NOVA4x4( Northeast Offroad Vehicle Alliance) NEA4WD (North East Association of 4WD Clubs) or NORA4x4 (Northeast Off Road Adventures). These are real, established organizations. Filled with people that live, breathe and eat this "offroad" sport.
These are not Facebook jeep groups. These are long standing clubs and organizations. There's nothing wrong with FB jeep groups. Hanging with other jeep enthusiasts and like minded people is fun and can be a hoot. But when you're looking to hit the trails, do your research, seek out those with actual experience and knowledge doing what you want to do and then humble yourself, and go listen, learn and absorb.
From our friend...
"I’m making this post public. Hopefully it gets shared and reaches someone who needs to see it. Lately our feeds have been flooded with mishaps. We all crack our jokes and hope nobody was injured when we see them, but this is quickly becoming a very serious problem.
The internet opened up a whole new world to people who don’t necessarily need to be out there. What you read in our posts and gather from the pictures we all share is not a substitute for first hand knowledge or magically obtained experience. We make a lot of this stuff look easy. Rest assured, it’s not. It looks so easy that people honestly believe that anybody with an internet approved trash bag on their spare tire, a flip open tent on the roof, and some internet recommended all terrains can safely get there and back home in time for work. PLEASE! Be careful, take it slow, stay on the trail, and THINK before you act. Start small, and learn your vehicle. Not just what the internet says about it. Know where your tires are planted. Know how your vehicle sounds. Know how it feels in different situations. Climb obstacles at low elevations and learn how to operate it where the risk is minimal. In an offroad park for example. Do this BEFORE you risk taking a 500’ fall off of a shelf at 12,000’. Help can’t quickly get to you up there, that is IF your (internet approved) devices even have a signal to cry for help with. Take those beautiful pictures once you’ve safely stopped.
Please stay focused on the task at hand (safe operation of your vehicle), be courteous to other trail goers and above all else, be safe y’all.
I know I speak for an awful lot of guys and gals out there when I say that I preferred seeing pictures from successful trips more so than these."
So, please read, and read again. We enjoy nothing more then seeing happy, smiling faces of new offroaders after a good first day on the trail. Most importantly, know who is leading you onto the trail. Your safety and that of your vehicle's is in their hands.
Thanks for reading.
