Safety

The Ocala Jeep Club of Florida

All Things Considered by Ron Tyrie, II

The items one would bring for a trip to a place like Tellico varies upon the level of trail that one wishes to partake in. The time of year the trip will take place also has an effect on the packed items. However, given the trip coming up, we will concentrate on a June outing.

A good place to look for what to bring would be your “Safety List”. This list is included in your membership packet and is chock full of useful items that have the potential to come in handy. The way in which these items are stored does become critical, given the constant camber changes of trail, and the remote possibility of a rollover. The best way to view the items that are in your Jeep is to think of anything that is not tied down as a potential projectile. There are countless hours of video in circulation of vehicles both rolling over completely and tipping further than they ever have before resulting in the ejection of items that have found their way to the Jeep’s floor. While being pelted with your own litter is a minor embarrassment, spare parts such as driveline components can be downright dangerous to the vehicles occupants.

Provisions for item security is a subjective issue. The method for storage space depends greatly upon the number of passengers the Jeep will be having. If the vehicle is going to have back seat passengers, fender mounted storage boxes and a behind the back seat box becomes a necessity. The purchase of these items can initially be costly, in the long run; it is impossible to put a price limit of safety.

The thing to keep in mind is that once you have entered the ORV area, places to get more supplies such as fuel and food are rather far away. While it is not really necessary to bring 30 gallons of fuel on the ride, it is a very good idea to top off your fuel tank before hitting the trail. Many people will not use more than a quarter tank of fuel throughout the day, but it is always a good idea to have enough fuel to be prepared. Given the potential of breakage in Tellico and the unpredictability of the mountain weather, it is best to plan for a worst-case scenario. A cooler filled with food and beverage that can last for well past dinnertime is almost a must. Nothing would be worse than being hungry and thirsty standing next to a broke down Jeep late into the night. The weather up north can be both beautiful and nasty all at once. Even though daytime temperatures will be around 70-80 degrees during the day, if the group has a late return from several hours of climbing (alt) 2, and school bus all in one day, the drive home in the dark with the top down will be downright chilly. A long sleeve shirt or nylon windbreaker will not take up much space, and will keep you warm enough to be comfortable for the trip back to the hotel.

The last issue I will mention that is not on our Safety List is spare parts. It would be impossible to make a list for every Jeep that will be there. Weak links on a vehicle varies greatly depending on the amount of power the engine provides, and the modifications the vehicle has. Universal joints are a good idea, but for the sake of time on the trail, it is best to bring full assemblies of drive shafts and front axles. The other items to bring are fully subjective to the individual.

The last items to bring would be cameras, spare film, and spare batteries. Also, do not forget to bring an appreciation of the area and the fact that places like this are still open for travel.