Shamil

Although these points are usually taken fro granted, it is ncie that we have it all charted out in a format like this so that we can always refer in the future also incase we forget. Thanks @Gaurav

Another exciting and fun drive. I must say, this being my 3rd night drive, I am slowly beginning to get a hang of driving in the night as I found it a bit challenging at first. I would like to take this opportunity to say that us newbies/fewbies are surely learning a lot under the tutelage of the marshals - @Gauravbhai, @Rahimdadbhai, @Srikumar and @Emmanuel - Thanks for your support and patience. It is truly and highly appreciated.

Oh yea. Xterra all the way. I have been driving SUVs for about 15 years and I have tried quite a few brands and models. There’s something about the way how an X just handles and you should take a test drive to see what I am talking about. Glad to chime in and help.

i would call upon the seniors to ask about what kind of shoes would be required. @Gaurav bhai, @Rahimdadbhai, @Emmanuel?

I received an interesting video the other day and I realized it would be a good idea to share the same to enlighten our off-road community about the importance of wearing shoes during our off-road drives. In the video, you can see a desert rattlesnake making its way into a gas station and bear in mind that this is a venomous breed. An unsuspecting fuel attendant then, accidentally steps over the reptile after which, it attacks the man on his foot and since he's wearing shoes, he's out of harms way. It made me realize that this scenario could happen to us whereby we may come across a snake or another aggressive desert creature. They could attack us in a similar fashion and if we happen to be barefoot or wearing slippers, flip flops or anything that keeps our feet exposed, we could be running the risk of being on the receiving end of a nasty sting/bite. So in conclusion, I'd say - its better to be safe than sorry and protect ourselves by wearing shoes. WhatsApp_Video_2019-06-02_at_11_49.15_AM.mp4

It was yet another amazing drive indeed. I think one of the most exciting parts of the drive was when we were heading for Suhoor, we tackled some dunes with a little bit of speed and that part was a lot of fun. When we finally stopped by Faya to freely play about and climb that massive dune, i realized that I still have a long way to go before i can become half as good as our marshals - @Rahimdadbhai and @Emmanuel Looking forward to more exciting drives

i really want to join for this one but sadly i cannot since i am not yet intermediate level.

This drive was indeed a special one as is most drives with this group because there’s always a unique take away from each drive. I reached late but I realized there was a “late latheefs” convoy which I happily joined with a little less guilt. @GauravBhai led us to the spot which he had already picked prior to us reaching there and although this was a short drive, I enjoyed every bit of it because I realized how much I had missed driving during daytime. We reached the spot, broke our fast, prayed and relaxed for a bit after which I was tempted to attempt the much talked about - iftar bowl climb. This was the height of dune bashing(pun intended) in my point of view and I knew although I may not be that experienced, I should give it a try nonetheless. I told @Rahimdad Bhai and @Gaurav Bhai that I would like to attempt but I’ll need a little hand holding. @Rahimdad Bhai came along with me and showed me a couple of times the right technique to do this climb. When I however attempted, despite trying to do everything that @RahimdadBhai showed me, I was not successful. Whilst he was teaching me, we climbed the dune from the right side which was the steep side and that was probably one of the most exhilarating experiences ever. After this, when we descended and decided to proceed with the convoy drive is when we realized that one of my tires tore from the inside. @RahimdadBhai and @Gaurav Bhai rightfully assessed the situation and helped in replacing the tire like superheroes whilst I stood there scratching my head. It was then decided, that it would be in my best interest if I exited as the condition of my spare tire was compromised. @Emmanuel very kindly guided me to exit and that pretty much concluded an unforgettable drive with this amazing group.

will join for sure

I would love to join. I was just wondering about 2 things though. First, suhoor is at about 4am so i assume thats when the drive would end right? So not sure why finish time is 6am. Secondly, i havent fixed any offroad lights on my car yet. Is that ok as i assume visibility might be limited with stock lights.

My first fewbie drive was 2 weeks ago(26th Apr) which was led by @Gaurav. It was a real test for me as I wanted to see for myself, if I had what it took to deserve this newly earned title. When the drive kicked off, I was a bit nervous, because I was not sure if I could keep up. But as we progressed, I realized that this is definitely next level stuff but doable nonetheless. I did get stuck once whereby I had to be recovered and I realized that was due to lack of momentum during the climb. The highlight of the trip was a side slope which I managed to pull off which led to a great feeling of achievement. Towards the end of the drive, we were at the pink rocks and I attempted a long climb, but however during the run up, I came across a few bumps which affected the momentum and half way through the climb, I lost power, due to which I had to back down straight to base after which I didn’t attempt again. I later realized that I should have perhaps requested @Gaurav to sit with me in my car during that climb and he would have walked me through the essential steps (Will definitely do that the next time though). All in all, it was a great drive, probably one of the best for me till date and I look forward to more drives and more challenges as I would like to climb the ranks with this amazing community and eventually become a capable off roader.

congrats @Emmanuel

thanks for the reply, 150 is pretty much the standard market price for the AOR models, even in ACE, souq etc. I am looking for something a bit cheaper. I wont need the entire set though, as i have a kinetic rope already, so will only need the soft shackles, preferably a pair like in your picture. Do let me know if you have any other source who sells it for cheap. I know a guy who is selling a pair for 120 but then again i have heard reviews whereby people used it and it snapped in the first recovery attempt

hi - i want to get soft shackles. Any idea where i can get it for reasonable price?