I have never been a fan of going to most off-road parks. There are a few that are much more than just rock-crawling that I enjoy in neighboring states but I have always wanted enough property to be able to wheel my Jeep in my backyard.
Some of my reasons are professional.
One of the biggest reasons behind wanting land to wheel conveniently is to make running 4WAAM easier. Having to travel hours away to setup a shoot for testing takes a ton of time logistically.
Traffic on the trails, camera locations, and security of equipment are all major concerns. If you live where you test all of these are lessened. I could even preposition cameras along a testing trail to grab photos and videos with minimal setup.
It would also allow me to test equipment on the same obstacles and terrain to show how they work given the same parameters instead of on completely different surfaces and obstacles. It looks cool to do that but it doesn’t give a real apples to apples comparison. The Top Gear track comes to mind when I think about this type of comparison.
Some of my reasons are personal.
I get tired of living close to neighbors who are nosy. The work I do on vehicles can be loud and I am sure they don’t appreciate it just like I don’t appreciate their curiosity. It’s mutually beneficial for me to be less in the neighborhood. This curiosity is the worst when trying to shoot video.
More space means more projects. It’s far easier to have multiple projects with acreage to store them. It’s also easier to have more storage buildings. Some people collect shoes, I like sheds with things in them.
Having the ability to test setup and new ideas on your own land means when you do go somewhere you have an idea of how your vehicle will perform. If you set up your trail right you will know if you have interference issues, suspension bind, or any other problem before you are hours away from home and in need of a recovery.
I will still travel to wheel.
That’s not to say I never want to go to another park to off-road. There is enjoyment in experience new trails and meeting new people. Sometimes though I just want some dirt on the tires and I need to do it in a limited window of time.
Growing up in a rural area and having access to several farms with acreage has spoiled me on easy access to off-road. There’s just something about a morning dew on a field and a bright sunrise that makes me more at peace with everything in life.
I need more of that in my life.
What are your thought?
Would you want your own place to take your 4×4 or do you prefer going somewhere else? Maybe you are like me and want the best of both.
