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@Ale Vallecchi, perfect really looking forward to doing both drives! Pity that I cannot make the Friday one as well, but work gets in the way of that one. My 1st FB+ drive last Saturday was a real eye opener and immense fun. However, the longer exploration style drives are my 1st love.

In sand, in general recovery goes per below split: 75% self recovery with low gear, diff locks and driver skills. 20% with second car tow rope pull out. 5% winch.

That would be great, @Ale Vallecchi- thank you. Looking forward to joining the adventure!

Dear @RiadJL, dear @ChrisW, dear @nithish468, as already done for Day 2, considering the ample availability of remaining open spots for this drive, I'll be happy to add you to the participants' list of this Day 3, if you are OK with it. Thanks a lot.

Dear @Andrew John Melvill dear @RiadJL, considering the ample availability of remaining open spots for this drive, I'll be happy to add you to the participants' list, if you are OK with it. Thanks a lot.

Hey Loop, will remove myself and add again on Thursday. I wanna go on Ale's drive on Sunday too.

Awesome!! It’s been a lot of fun so far. Thanks to everyone who has driven out there with me on these first few drives. I really appreciate the time you’ve all taken to introduce me to this new hobby in a safe manner and teach me the basic skills.

thank you@waqar!

Congratulations @Mahesh_

It all depends on what you value in performance. My two cents are save on weight with the bumper but don't shy away from a winch. Steel bumpers are indeed popular for their durability and ability to serve as solid recovery points. However, modern aluminum bumpers, like the Genright low-profile for example, can offer impressive strength while significantly reducing weight/and adds to your clearance. While it's ideal for every vehicle in a group to have a winch for self-recovery, it's also common for a few equipped vehicles to act as primary recovery assets. It's essential to distribute the load and not overly rely on a single winch for repeated recoveries. In short, the winch is not the bad guy.

💫

Congrats @Adam Black 👏😎

Congratulations @Cesar Chacon Enjoy the new level

Congratulations @Mahesh_ enjoy the new level:)

Congratulations @Adam Black enjoy the new level

Congratulations @Sameer D. enjoy teh new level

Congratulations @Cristian Enjoy the new level

Hi @vinayaknam, off road lights are not mandatory, your normal headlights will be just fine in high beam as you will have cars in front and behind you.

Thanks @Gaurav! Can't wait to join an IM drive and start the learning curve again

Removing the winch is a good idea and also after that you can look at removing this extra heavy bumper. If it is same as your profile pic, it's an Australian-style metal bumper for avoiding Kangaroo hits, as they mostly drive on flat sand. For dunes, you need the best power-to-weight ratio, being JK (slightly underpowered than JL), cutting the weight should be your top priority.

Hi Chris I would go for lightness as far as possible for desert driving, as power to weight is very important. My car is an almost stock pajero only have rear bash plate, cut front bumper and AT tires in the stock size. Learning to self-recover your car from a refusal/stuck is really satisfying, almost as much as making your 1st long climb on the 1st attempt.

Thank you very much. More to learn 😃

Thanks, @Luke K P - that's a helpful perspective. The Jeep has fairly good clearance as is, however having something that won't easily be damaged (i.e. a lighter/smaller metal bumper) will give peace of mind. I'm thinking the winch might be worth shelving for a while. Might take a look at taking mine off for now as a partial weight-saving step. Can always put it back on later.