LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS FEATURED ARTICLE
How Off-Roading Works
BY CAITLIN UTTLEY
For most people , a bumpy , muddy , rocky road would be a driving nightmare . But for some , the rougher the road the better . In fact , for a group of adventurers known as off-roaders , no road is best of all .
Off-roading is a term used to describe driving on unpaved ground . This surface can be almost anything other than typical smooth pavement , including fields , riverbeds , muddy bogs , sand dunes , beaches , mountainsides , gravel , boulders and even roads that have fallen into disrepair . If it ' s not paved ( or paved well ), it ' s fair game for off-roaders .
Some off-roaders enjoy the natural scenery , while others love the technical challenge that driving on unpaved ground presents . Whatever type of off-roading you ' re into , it can be a great pastime as long as you know what you ' re doing .
The natural terrain is uneven and can be unpredictable , so it ' s important that you have the proper equipment for off-road driving . While technically you can go off-roading in any vehicle , trucks , SUVs and other high-riding vehicles are best suited to handle the bumps and bruises found off the beaten path . You might also want to use four-wheelers , dirt bikes , dune buggies or all-terrain vehicles ( ATVs ), which are specially designed for off-road driving . If you ' re taking up off-roading as a hobby , a low-riding compact car probably isn ' t going to cut it .
Depending on what type of off-roading you ' re into , the type of vehicle -- and vehicle modifications -- you will need can vary . For instance , the same tires you use to drive over steep sand dunes probably aren ' t going to be great for traversing boulders .
One of the best things about off-roading is that you get to adopt a new vocabulary . For example , are you into mudding , rock crawling , dune bashing or green laning ? Do you know the break-over angle on your car ? Do you know how to pick a good line ? Find out more
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