Ok. I'm new at this. I drove my new yellow "Off Road" through Buldog Canyon and had a great, and at moments an exhilerating time. When I got home I asked myself, "What would I have done had I broken down?" Is my spare a full sized spare? What precautions can I take to go off-roading by myself?

Ed

Yes, you have a full size spare.

And to go offroad alone isn't the brightest thing a person could do.

Water, food, blankets, flares, survival radio, shovel, matches, tools and I carry a gun.

Keeping a charged cell phone is OK, but most times, you're out of range.

Tell folks where you are going, giving good details, and letting them know when to expect you back. Call your contact person when you get back safely. Let them know that if you don't call them, to wait 24 hours, then call the BLM or the police to let them know what's going on, and where.

Plan to be wherever you get stuck (if you can't fix it on your own) for at least a minimum of 3 days! Possibly even a week.

Here in the mountains, we could roll over a cliff, and not be spotted by the casual observer for a long, long time. It's something those who do venture out on their own know about, and actually plan for. If you don't, you're in trouble.

Try not to go off on your own if at all possible. Sometimes, cabin fever sets in, I know. But the best thing is to be with someone. Hey, you never know, you might have to eat them!

The most important thing you could do is to join AZXC ( or similiar group ) and go out with other 4x4 owners.
If you do go alone. Tell some one else you are going, when, where, and when you will be back. So if you don't come back somneone will look for you...

Bulldog isn't a bad walk to civilization at least.

Go in numbers. Post up where you're going or that you want to wheel and chances are you'll get an AZXCer or other to tag along.

And get to know your truck, how it works, and have spare belts, hoseclamps, tire plugs, duct tape, vehicle fluids, and a good set of tools with you

Duct tape....Rob knows when you need Duct tape.