Gaurav

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.

Thanks Thomas for your valuable input, I actually threw half-life 4 tires in the garbage just now. lol. Btw, I have been using my spare tire for 2 weeks and didn't notice any issues on-road and off-road, but will change to a newer one soon.

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.

Yes

Yes my spare is always covered with plastic tire cover

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?

Congratulations @Ishak 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

Congratulations @Stan 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

Congratulations @Bravoecho 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

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

Congratulations @Marco B. 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

Hi Shahid, due to the previous confusion, we have rewritten it to make it very clear now. For Fewbie level you must have driven at least 5 Fewbie drives with Carnity in the last 3 months.

Nobody knows, that's the fun, lol. Its working fine, maybe clear google cache as per many users google maps isnt loading correctly. Blue line tarmac route on google maps. Red line is the tentative Liwa crossing plan.

Hi Mohamed Sherif, transferring your experience requires you to join the Newbie drive and then do the self-declaration so that the support team and lead can gauge your experience accordingly. Then you can apply for your Fewbie promotion. You cannot self-declare and join Fewbie level, as we have no control over your private drives.

Go go go, push push push, left left left, OMG...!

Congratulations @Andrew McCarthy for reaching the Fewbie Plus 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 PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected 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, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Stumpy Paj for reaching the Fewbie Plus 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 PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected 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, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Almost ready...!

Well done Doc and everyone to get out of the Pajero bowl without any external help. Really so proud to see all cars flying out of the mighty Pajero bowl, finally.

Out of all the balloon tires I have seen with friends and drove their cars to test, Sumitomo Shaheen stood far safer for the road as they have a tiny bit of grooves in straight line tread that offers reasonable traction for the road. Stumble upon a better explanation while searching for balloon tire images

Sorry for the late entry. Ballon tire started with Tisamia (means 900 in arabic) 900mm is the height = 35.4 inches since 2002. Later Sumitomo launched Shaheen in 2012, then a few more companies later on. They are primarily designed for the soft sand track, climb, and general desert usage with an "UNUSUAL" aspect ratio of up to 85-95 profile - 245/85/R16 to even 245/95/R15. This means when deflated you will have a "SUPER AWESOME" footprint due to a lot of rubber between the rim and sand. Along with a higher aspect ratio tread is a straight line that enables sand driving and climbing more easily and higher. However due to straight-line treads, self-recovery sucks big time, and cars with balloon tires are sitting duck even on the slightest of stuck. Yes, they are legal. Yes, they are highly unsafe for the wet road. Yes, they are very tipsy on curves.

Congratulations @Waqas Parvez for reaching the Advisor 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. ADVISOR This Advisor level is the cornerstone of Team Carnity Structure as you will always remain an "Advisor" first even when you attain a Marshal rank. As an advisor, you will, constructively help, support, and advise other advisors with "respect" being part of this big multi-cultural family. You can discuss or even question ideas at any level but respectfully and professionally by keeping all the dialogue exchanges confidential for internal use only. Your biggest transformation from an off-roader to a leader will be done at this level. With solid experience in supporting drives and handling recoveries, you will join the most comprehensive and power-packed Leaders Lead sessions. The Leaders Lead Sessions, which consist of 3 drives and significant homework and preparation in advance of the drives, will eventually teach you all about leading and navigating in the desert, extreme recovery scenarios, and learning to lead the convoy in the various terrains UAE has to offer. These sessions are conducted by a crew member, tailored specifically for you, and be done for a handful of members only at a time. This is invaluable information and exclusive training that you will only receive at the Advisor level with Carnity. You will be learning the basics of leading the convoy in the desert in three different steps: Advance sand reading, planning your lead, terrain, level, and emergency exits. Lead with navigational software to systematically scale the lead for all the cars in the convoy. Ability to lead, recover and manage the convoy in the most extreme desert available in the UAE. Once you complete these 3 sessions then you will be eligible to lead drives under supervision: Minimum two partial leads for any daytime Fewbie drives under Expert/Marshal/Crew supervision. Plan, post, and a lead minimum of four daytime Fewbie drives under Expert/Marshal/Crew supervision. You can extend above two partial or four full leads if you need more time to develop confidence. Once you successfully, complete the minimum of two partial and four full leads under supervision, then you will be eligible for your Expert promotion. Carnity Contribution Committed to driving with Carnity off-road club only. Lead/Support: Minimum 6 drives per quarter (3 months). Forum contribution to earn Carnity points. Skills required Meticulous planning and preparation. Ready for new challenges or unexpected situations. Leadership skills to always put the team before yourself. Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with a low range gearing. Suitable approach and departure angle. High profile tires. Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 rated shackles, GPS, Floor jack and jack board, tire repair kit, toolbox, tie-down straps, fluids. Drive Joining All Levels. Forum participation Active participation on the forum. Share drive experience + feedback. Share drive pictures in the gallery. Post trip report after the drive.

My advice is not to go for the lower lip in the first place if you intend to go close to sand or sandy patch or beach. It will be cracked or broken even on roadside sand if it's a little deep. Been there, done that. I have broken my LC lower lip on the very first entry to sand dunes before I could hit the first dune.

Very good way to introduce yourself, wish many new faces do the same. You can also paste all of the above in the "About me" section of your profile.

Congratulations @Gerrit Bus for reaching the Intermediate 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. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie Plus drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Clear radio communication skills Advance recovery skills Self recover from dune crest Soft sand recovery Pop-out fixing Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle High profile tires Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 rated shackles, GPS. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Learn to lead small portion of Intermediate drive under Marshal supervision Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Intermediate and Exploration drives only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive