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Hi @Ahmad Quadri Welcome to the club! To be honest, as your very first Newbie drive, people in the club will be very accomodating. That air compressor you posted won't really be up to the task of inflating all your tires from sand pressures. Just check with someone is okay sharing their air compressor, and if you have a lot of fun and want to do it again, look to get a 'real' compressor. The problem with the one you linked is, unfortunately, it will overheat quickly, and cut out, and the inflating will be slow. Painfully slow. Great for emergency tire changing, not so great for offroad useage. But you also don't want to spend several hundred AED on a decent one until you've even given the hobby a real try 😃 The flags... many of us have mounting brackets we can buy for our specific vehicle make and models, you can probably just google for your own vehicle. Or get a custum bracket made to fit from a local fabricator. Both are very popular. Another option is suction cups that will suction to your rear windows... this is quite non-intrusive, and maybe a direction you take for your first run. (amazon search: 'desert flag' for a flag and mount). For an absolute first time experience... I would say the non-negotiable items would be a radio, recovery points, and flag. The club can help support in other gear, just check first with the marshall and club members on the drive you sign up for. After that first dip in the pool, if you're excited and keen for more, build up the recommended club gear, but with gear that will do the job (ie, a decent air compressor). Hope this helps!

Welcome to the club @Ahmad Quadri ! Below article might be of help:

I finally bought the Michelin LTX Force today and will update the sand review after the Liwa crossing. Below is the key information that I like to share as of now: Tire size: 275/70/R16 Yokohama Geolander - AT: 17.20 Kgs (Half-life used) so 18 Kgs (New). Michelin LTX Force - AT: 19.10 Kgs (New). Michelin XLT - HT: 17 Kgs (New) - Road & Sand friendly but not an AT. I wanted to move away from Geo since G015 didn't live up to the G012 longevity and since all other AT were heavier than Geo so based on that plus based on my previous LTX (now XLT - HT) sand experience, I went with Michelin. They come with 5-year warranty or 70,000 km, so the steep price will be justified eventually.

Dear desert expeditioners/ dune surfers! @Waqas Parvez @ASAD. @Vaibhav @Sunil Mathew @Anoop Nair @munkybizness @Santoso Marjuki @Mario Cornejo @Imran Kashif @Gaurav @Dodi Syahdar @Pacific@Ranjan Das welcome to the Liwa Expeditionary Adventure Drive “LEAD” ! We are all looking forward for this weekend with utmost excitement in anticipation of the thrilling adventure ahead! Please ensure that your mean machines are in top condition with any known issues sorted out and tested. I advise you all to be properly rested with sound physical and mental preparedness for this drive. Hence i suggested to avoid long drive on Saturday morning from Dubai to meeting point. i am planning to reach the starting point around 5 pm (while we still have daylight) on Friday and then find a suitable camping spot. Hi Anoop, I believe that you would be joining the drive..

@Gaurav, I've also switched over to the Michelin LTX Force ATs recently. I've done a lot of highway driving with them taking them to Liwa in December, and a fun-run through the Yellow Truck area. They were pretty capable overall. I'm running the 275/65/R17 variant. On road, I definitely find them to be about the same noise as the Geolandar GO15s, but less stickier after warm-ups than the Geos. Through corners, a warmed up set of Geos would hold a cleaner line than the Michelins. I've noticed that the LTX brakes much better though. Off road, the sidewall flexes much lesser than the GO15s on the Y61, which even at 13psi would sometimes look they were almost flat. But the flex is still a lot more aggressive than those that I've seen on Cooper AT3 4S and BFG KO2s. Visually, I find the Michelins appear taller than they are. It's probably because the shoulders of the Geos were a bit more rounded than the Michelins. Currently, I have no complaints but I've barely given them about 1,000kms of run-in. Let's swap notes in Liwa

@Zed sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident... Alhamdulillah you are safe and... Hope to see youbsoon with you monster LC soon. 👍 Hope @Haitham KhattabKhattab. Is an expert in dealing with abu dhabi police now... 😜

Hi Everyone Just registered myself here - been a part since 2020 and really never was able to decide to actually test the waters. Finally Happy to take the plunge. I have put myself on the waitlist for "Morning Newbie Desert Drive - Flavours of Faqa - Dubai - 21 Jan 2023" . Don't think I will get the opportunity though. Already 9 more people on the waitlist. Maybe next time. I was going through the a lot of reading material on the site and its absolutely amazing ( thank you for that). I understand that on the first drive an absolute must is to have your own tyre deflater and inflater. Any recommendations? I can see a lot of options on Amazon but not sure which one to pick. Any suggestions would definitely help. The one I saw and liked was https://www.amazon.ae/gp/product/B09W8SMB6R/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A1RQBI3BED2YVU&psc=1 - any comments on this one if anyone has used this one? Also for the flag pole - Where can I get one and how does that fix into the car ? Appreciate any guidance here.

hi @GauravSoni my car is still in workshop for repair after Siri's drive this Saturday. I will keep my rsvp for now since i dont see anyone in waiting list. Situation will be more clear by tomorrow hopefully.

Hi everyone! Thanks @Frederic for questions. Yes , indeed this is my first time being behind the wheel for a desert drive:) I was a passenger a few times previously - that was truly great so decided to try myself. Summary: 1) Jeep Wrangler 2011 ( 2 doors) 2) Only passenger experience 3) Yes, car has all necessary equipment since it participated in multiple carnity desert drives. Excited to meet everyone on Saturday and will definitely watch the shared video.

The shoveling has paid off @Ishak !

Land Rover LR2 is not bad at all in the desert. It's quite powerful and at least you will be unique !

Tire shop said the same thing, if spare is always covered and never used, years doesnt matter that much as it's the usage that depletes the rubber life and quality. So keeping G012 back where it was. Thanks guys.

Good morning Carnity Friends ! It promises to be a busy weekend. We have less drives available unfortunately due to our yearly pilgrimage event (Liwa Crossing), but we will make the best of it. Attendees Arsalan Ehsan @Arsalan Ehsan Juan R @Juan R Tom V @Tom V Naim Aoun @Naim Aoun FARAZ MOHAMMED @FARAZ MOHAMMED fayez @fayez Natalia Koryakovtseva @Natalia Koryakovtseva babaski @babaski Ahmad Mehwi @Ahmad Mehwi L. Petelczyc @L. Petelczyc essam ibrahim @essam ibrahim Sammy Six @Sammy Six You all have confirmed spots for this drive. Waitlisted Attendees lucas amat @lucas amat Patrick van der Loo @Patrick van der Loo Sajan.S @Sajan.S Quresh. @Quresh. Joseph Sebastian @Joseph Sebastian sohinik @sohinik Nicholas Cox1 @Nicholas Cox1 Misha Puskar @Misha Puskar Dorian Zissi @Dorian Zissi Ahmad Quadri @Ahmad Quadri You are all in the waitlist currently. Usually we will have couple of dropouts, so keep an eye out, and perhaps we can add 2-3 waitlisted members. @Natalia Koryakovtseva this is probably your first club drive according to our data, so kindly introduce yourself and provide us the following info: 1. Which 4x4 are you bringing ? 2. Any prior offroading experience ? 3. Is the 4x4 equipped with front and rear towpoints ? In the meantime, please take your time to go through our Absolute Newbie briefing video: See you soon !

Did you clone yourself ? Ale his drive is on the same morning and you are in support there as well 😁

Dear @Ali Abbas How have you been ? It has been been a very long time .almost more than a year and a half or more since you drove with carnity regardless of the level and as a matter or Intermediate level And as from your profile you did the only one IM drive in April 2021. for your own safety I highly recommend you not to join such level and instead join a lower in difficulty level like Newbie or maximum fewbie level couple of times till you become synchronised back with your vehicle to the sand driving . There is no place I am afraid to take any high risk please . Please I am afraid to ask you to remove your self from this drive . I hope you can understand. Thank you 🙏

Dear zeddy @Zed happy to learn that you are Good bro . All the best and take care . 🙏

@Gaurav i am a big fan of Michelin for the comfort conditions that they offer for onroad; for offroad, i do not have experience. so i will be waiting for your update over the coming months. i am currently running with Geo - am happy with the drive conditions, up to now. cheers

Vulcanized rubber to get deteriorated takes a lot of time. I have read all the comments here. The reason for the tire to get cracked after years is due to ply separation. Rubber compound when masticated with chemicals to become a tire compound has oil also added to it. After years the oil starts to evaporate making the tire more brittle. Also when the tire is vulcanized in the tire mould the outer parts of the tire get more heat and vulcanizes more. The inner parts of the tire where the ply's are arranged are not vulcanized fully as heat reaches there less. So a tire which has aged is more likely to fail as the bond between the ply's gets weaker after years. Another reason is the addition of synthetic rubber in tires. Synthetic rubber is added to the compound to give it more abrasion resistance. But if u have stock of old synthetic rubber, you see that the tensile strength of the rubber has deteriorated a lot and if u pull it will just tear off. I can say this with 100% confidence as I had a rubber mastication unit which was handed over to me through generations. @gaurav I would keep the 50% tread life tire and throw the 6 year old tire in the garbage.

Congratulations @Nadeem Ansari for reaching the Fewbie Level with Carnity Offroad Club. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the latest Emergency contact details. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. FEWBIE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 5 Newbie drives are required within last 3 months for Fewbie promotion. What you'll learn Basic dune and sand reading Self-recovery techniques Shoveling at right place Crawling out of difficult situations Blip Blip - Coordinate steering and gas control Basic side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving Ability to manage stuck/refusals with radio Learn to control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Presence of mind and attention to detail Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie and Fewbie drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Insta 360 X2 had a premium lens guard which was removeable (USD 44) but they have not come out for X3 - so it would be interesting to see how it works. Will wait for user reviews of other uses before going in for this one. The lens guard is most important for all the sand that keeps hitting the camera. I always mount the screen side facing back so that it won't get scratched. There is a scratch on my lens guard already and you will be able to notice in a few of the videos.

Hej, i am a happy owner of insta360 x3 too:) about lens protection i have got this model but didnt use it yet. Lens Guards for Insta360 X3, Transparent Protective Case for Insta 360 ONE X3 Panoramic Action Camera Accessory https://amzn.eu/d/d0MIo3q have you ever used it? What is your experience? my first try:) without lens guards yet. @Looper gave me a feedback to use a shorter stick. Thank you for it, definitely i use it next time.

Typical age of rubber until it starts degrading is about 5-7 years depending on how well it is stored.. spares kept outside the car.. underneath the chassis or hung on the boot door tends to degrade faster even if they are protected from direct sunlight (UV). They may seem good from an outside view but tend to be degraded inside.. i once used a spare wheel after about 5 years and in about 500 kms the cracks started to appear on the shoulder

I would vote for the tyre that has had the least amount of UV or heat exposure. If the 2017 one has seen little to no sun, i would expect the rubber compound integrity to be better. Some telltale signs of ageing could be colour fade and small micro-cracks in the rubber. What is rubber deterioration? Most elastomers undergo rubber degradation over time and the most common rubber deterioration causes are exposure to light, oxygen (ozone) and heat. The molecular changes brought about by these environmental conditions can significantly impact the mechanical properties and therefore service life of rubber products like seals and O-rings. Oxidative and thermal ageing of rubber are accelerated by stress and reactive gases, like ozone, resulting in cracking, charring and colour fading. However, the addition of antioxidants, UV stabilisers and antiozonates can slow or prevent these types of issues. Oxidative rubber degradation can cause hardening or softening, depending on the structure of the elastomer. Hardening is more common because free radicals produced due to heat, oxygen and light combine to form new crosslinks, which reduces the flexibility of the rubber.

@Looper @Waqas Parvez @Vaibhav @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler thank you guys for all your insights. well - my kids and wifey surprised me with an X3 (Insta360) and not the car on my birthday. now i need to start looking for the accessories to get it ready for my next drive. i have noticed that the suction mounts (ones with 3 suction mounts) are most probably best suited for the off-roading; i am still deciding whether to have it mounted on the side (as all of you guys do) or on the sunroof (yes - i have a sunroof). which product do you recommend for the mounts? @Looper i will go through your above list in Insta360 website and try to buy these. anything i need to know gents before i starting digging through my wallet? thanks

I am absolutely new to driving off road - been thinking for last two years - and now finally decided to jump in. Tried to book for the 21st - but looks like there are no slots yet for me. But I am absolutely certain to do this

Congratulations @Bravoecho.. 👏👍

@Zed glad to hear that you and the car are in good shape. Looking forward to our nxt drive as the A-team. salaam bro

@Zed you have inspirational spirit. But more than you, i want to salute your wife who still lets you drive 😅 See you and the LC soon InshAllah.

well it's now over 48hrs, and I did go to the doctor per @Gaurav & @Srikumar's recommendation. Doc said since no vomitting, no broken ribs, no blurry vision and no pain whatsoever, she declared me fit to drive & work again 🙂 I would rather focus on the positive things and the good lucks, so here they are: alhamdulillah I managed to return home unharmed, thanks to every single one in the convoy, I pray God bless you all for your kindness. thanks to my trip marshal @Srikumar for leading the team during the incident. There were other younger blood he could direct & delegate to, but he chose to unroll his sleeves and in the process hit his head against my rear bumper (luckily it's stock fibre... imagine if it's the Y62 with 4mm steel 😱) it was good luck @Haitham Khattab pushed himself to join the drive eventhough he overslept and started driving at 5:30am. For his presence helped a lot, as we needed an Arabic speaker to translate and bridge the communication with the police. i had a nice recovery driver who shared me his Naan & vegetables lunch in short, eventhough it was an unfortunate incident, I am thankful and happy with the people who surrounded me & helped. Thanks for asking @Tom B @Rob S @ASAD. , not my first rollover with perfect landing on all 4 wheels, so the shocks were subdued a bit 😅, but nevertheless humbles and amazes me how we're given second..eh i mean... fourth chance. My wife reminded to watch the latest Puss in the Boots movie 😂 And this is the finale good news: only Windshield (500dhs second-hand) + Front Right Fender (300dhs second-hand) + Front Right Passenger Door (300dhs second-hand) are badly damaged. According to the Denting Specialist, the roof can be fixed without replacing the whole roof. I'll probably start a thread on the LC 10K bring-to-life restoration project 😄

Which spare tire one should keep? 1) 50% treadlife with 3 years of age. 2) 100% treadlife with 6 years of age. I have 1 geolander G012 in unused condition as my spare tire since 2017. Now while getting new tires, should I replace unused G012 with half life G015 or keep G012 even if its 6 years old?

Yes ofc, only if you rem the order and frequency. I thought the same in 2017 when I got 5 new tires, never rem after that.

Congratulations @Ishak keep it up

Well yes exactly, that’s how we all progressed 😜

Great to see that !

Congratulations @Ishak - enjoy the new level!

Well done @Ishak, congratulations!

Congratulations @Nadeem Ansari!

Congratulation @Ishak.... see you on Fewbie drives.

Congrats @Bravoecho Enjoy the new level

So the 50% used one has been one of the main 4 tyres right ? In that case i believe the 100% 6 year old tyre would still be better.

Yes my spare is always covered with plastic tire cover

Newbie Drive This is an easy-level off-road drive designed to help beginners get comfortable with the basic techniques of driving on sand dunes. Drivers will learn how to safely go up and down dunes, perform small side slopes (“sideys”) and rainbow arcs while driving in a convoy. The drive focuses on mastering throttle control and smooth acceleration while negotiating the dunes. Participants will also receive an introduction to ridge riding, side sloping, and crisscrossing broad dunes — all in a safe, controlled, and beginner-friendly environment. Who can join: Any Newbie or first-time member with a 4x4 vehicle having 8–10 inches of ground clearance and front & back tow hooks. Fewbie Drive This is a moderate-level drive where drivers will further develop and practice ridge riding, side sloping, and crisscrossing techniques on more challenging terrain. Participants will learn how to handle different dune situations while understanding vehicle limitations and working with gravity rather than against it. This level teaches drivers to become more calculated, disciplined, and technically aware, going beyond simply being a capable off-roader. The pace, terrain, and challenges are several steps above Newbie-level drives. Who can join: Any Fewbie and above level off-roader. Fewbie Plus Drive Fewbie Plus is an extension of the Fewbie level, designed for more experienced Fewbie off-roaders who want to tackle greater challenges at a faster pace and with increased technical difficulty. This level serves as a bridge between Fewbie and Intermediate drives, helping off-roaders transition smoothly while building confidence, control, and technical driving skills. Who can join: Any Fewbie Plus and above level off-roader. Intermediate Drive This level combines and refines all previously learned skills on more technical terrain and smaller, sharper dunes that demand precision, vehicle control, and advanced driving techniques. Drivers will also be introduced to larger dunes and learn how to safely navigate and connect dune lines while maintaining momentum. Intermediate drives require a high level of discipline, patience, awareness, and consistency, all while driving at a significantly faster pace than Fewbie-level drives. Who can join: Any Intermediate and above level off-roader.

Congrats @Bravoecho well done. Enjoy the new level.

Congratulations @Bravoecho on your promotion. Enjoy your new level.

Congratulations @Bravoecho

Thank you @Gaurav for the promotion and @Looper, @Hisham Masaad and @Vaibhav for your kind words. I look forward to developing my driving skills with the Carnity team

Congratulations @Nadeem Ansari well done

@Arsalan Ehsan you need to trace the end of the sensor cable I highlighted in Yellow Circle Red below. Just choose one: Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left, Rear Right, no need to disconnect all 4. All ABS systems use wheel speed sensors, and if one is disconnected, the ABS error light will turn on (signaling that ABS cannot function properly. What @Lawrence_Chehimi and @Rawad may be correct too, when my Y62 rolled-over, no air bags (front or side) were deployed... although that made me think whether my Y62 was made in DragonMart.. ( @Srikumar's poke at my fake Patrol 😂 )

Welcome to the insta360 club!