Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Sue Mead has driven enough off-road trails and four-wheel drive racing miles to circumnavigate the globe—twice. The photo above shows Mead in action, at the Baja 100 with Team Centrix. Mead, who won the Open Production class at 2011 Dakar, generously offered eBay Motors these out-of-the-box off-roading tips for driving enthusiasts who like to stay off the grid.
Off-Roading Tip #1 – The Power of Chocolate
Mead suggests bringing one of your favorite candy bars along in your emergency kit. If you find yourself in a high-stress situation, such as a breakdown or losing your bearings, sit down and eat the candy bar before you do anything else.
“I was on a trail in the rainforest in Belize and lost my sense of direction,” Mead recalled. “My colleague, Camel Trophy veteran and off-road driving expert, Tom Collins had suggested bringing along a candy bar and sitting down and eating it before I did anything else. I was really stressed out because in the rain forest, the canopy of trees makes it difficult to find your location if you get lost and I knew that I couldn’t depend on anyone coming to rescue me. So I sat down on a rock and ate my candy bar. Doing that calmed me down enough to be able to reestablish my bearings by retracing my path back and forth a couple of times.”
Sue Mead driving the Ford Raptor in the world’s longest toughest off-road rally.
Off-Roading Tip #2 – Clean Clothes
Carry a separate set of clothes with you to use if you need to do an emergency repair. “That way you can keep your racing suit clean for the remainder of the event,” said Mead.
Off-Roading Tip #3 – Air Jack
Mead suggests bringing along an inflatable air jack, since traditional jacks don’t work properly on surfaces such as loose sand and mud. The jack is compact to carry, and you can use it to get under the vehicle if you become crossed up or need to perform a repair.
#4 – Rubber Mats
If you get to a section of trail with a lot of loose sand or deep mud, putting rubber mats under the wheels is an easy way to regain traction.
And One More from Mead …
If you happen to find yourself stuck on a remote trail in the middle of the Mojave Desert with an oil pan leak, how are you going to fix it? Well, if you have a tampon in your repair kit, you can easily plug the leak and be on your way.
“I love four wheeling and off-road racing,” said Mead. It has taught me a lot about driving and getting the right vehicle for the right situation. Plus, it has taken me to some of the most beautiful places on the planet.”
