Wrangeld

And just to add to the mix Pro-Fender have some great solutions that are really well priced compared to the others and worth a look.

OK - Wednesday morning and you're all making weekend plans. Here's my pre-briefing for the drive on Saturday: No dropouts please, because your Friday drive overran or you're tired or the dog ate your homework. If you don't know your weekend plan by now, unless thermonuclear war breaks out, your vehicle got damaged on Friday or there's a real family emergency, any other excuse will be called for what it is. IM drive instructions are pretty simple. If you have a problem, call it out. If you can self recover, take the time needed and do it. If you need help, ask. It's not a race so we are not looking for the fastest recoveries so we can move on. There is a hierarchy in sorting out problems. Drive, dig, rope, winch, helicopter. At IM, you get yourself into trouble, you get yourself out. No excuses, no blame. If you got stuck you got stuck. It's not because the guy/girl in front braked suddenly = you were too close or not in control of your speed. It's not because you did not see the correct line = you're IM so if you don't see the line, make the adjustments needed. Focus on you. Short, implies this will be a technical challenge. It will help your drive skills immensely. Sharp, implies criss cross, ridges and side slipping. Let's see which gives more pleasure. See you Saturday in the Sand.

@Wadepat2 It was a pleasure to be out with you a few weeks ago - but I did not realize then the project was under way. Like my Marshal colleagues all already said, we are big believers in learn to drive with the car stock. It will make you a better driver. There's absolutely no doubt about that. It looks like you are really focused on the hidden areas where most people don't focus, which I always like. I am true believer that what lies beneath is massively more important than what you see - so changing out fluids for more expensive/effective options, replacing the little bearings and mountings that noone sees are much more important most of the time than shiny new stuff. I love the new bumper, having said that, but also because it's designed to improve the off road drive by improving clearance [part of the make you a better driver objective]. Hopefully we can have more drives in the future and we can all watch what transpires and transforms in your car.

Good morning, I'll be short and sharp. @Watteau @varunmehndiratta you've been moved from WL to on the drive. If you're not coming, say so now to save the time of chasing you later.

So - look for a change from 18 to 17 is the solution, and if that comes with some decent tires at the same time, that will be great ... thanks all for the responses, just wanted to check this idea out.

you're right. 18, not 17.

Any views on the relative merits or otherwise of smaller wheel rims on the Pajero. I'm currently running 17", but see other cars with 16". It's visually less appealing to me, but if there is a real advantage to smaller rims (possibly = more tyre surface on the sand as tyre wall will be higher) I will consider swapping out my current rims.

Cutting through the ranks like a hot knife through butter, @Watteau and the invincible Raptor are the epitome of what Carnity stands for. Coming into the club your potential was there from day one when I was privileged to be leading your Absolute Newbie (which was quite an eventful day in itself) and you are doing everything possible to demonstrate that you will live up to the expectations (that you have now set ridiculously high!). Its simply a pleasure to see your giddy enthusiasm every time you arrive at a drive along side the massive contribution that you bring, offering assistance and reassurance to all around you: always humble, never know it all - simply helping to make sure that everyone else on the drive is having as good a time as you. With Suzie by your side (and boy are we glad she started baking) or not, you're an absolute asset on a drive and I am looking forward to your continued ascension up the ranks hoping that I can play what ever small part I may to support and assist you to achieve everything that you can in this hobby and club. Thoroughly deserved. Enjoy the new rank as it might let you finally get the Raptor out of 2nd gear.

You are WL #2

You are WL ... #1

Congrats @Arman well done to get this far.

Drive Brief Lisaili provides challenges that require a skills set behind the wheel that can test the best. So we will enjoy the 'short' small, super-technical dunes and the 'sharp' ridges and high dunes, this drive has to offer. This drive will require our drivers to demonstrate that the small dunes are well and truly under control in the same way that the sharp are approached. The reward for the short, will be the sharp, criss crossing, ridge riding and slide slipping into the sunset as we make our way, into the Solar Park complex, before a return to Last Exit through the exciting challenge of short and sharp all the way back into our destination. General Info This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions 2.0 MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: Ban Post TWO WAY RADIO GUIDELINES Every Off-roader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. SUGGESTED READING: Carnity Two Way Radio Frequencies Drive Details Level: Intermediate and Above (All Levels) When: 24 Apr 2021, Saturday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Lisaili Fort - https://goo.gl/maps/mUgmV43WURfW5iaB7 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, willingness to learn and your own compressor for tire inflation. Approximate finish time: 7:00 PM End Point: Last Exit Limited Spots Available: Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 9 AM. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

@ARAGON technical is defined as smaller, tightly packed dunes with a likelihood of very soft sand in the small bowls that form underneath. In general these need much better control and finesse of your steering and accelerator control. Getting through technical dunes needs your focus to find or follow the line carefully and without deviation because a small error will result in a more difficult recovery because there is little room for ropes (for instance).

Hi Aragon, @ARAGON We delved into some technical dunes last week in our drive, so don't worry. You'll be fine and @Ale Vallecchi is a brilliant lead who will guide you through the dunes superbly, giving you great advice on the best way to approach this type of challenge.

Not correct. You have already driven as an intermediate, but perhaps not driven in an intermediate rated drive. Enjoy, Thomas. You worked hard to get to this level.

This is without doubt, one of the best written reports by an AN I have seen in my time at Carnity. Thank you for taking the time to put all of this in writing because it will help so many other drivers in the future. It is really pleasing from my side to see that the lessons we wanted to get across came across - momentum, gravity etc. I think that you will find Rahul that unfortunately these is only so far you'll be able to go in terms of drives with the Explorer, because your skills will be better than the capabilities of the vehicle - but until that time, enjoy every drive, and please keep on sharing your experiences.

Hi Mohammad Imran Kahn. This needs to be arranged direct with Gaurav in the Carnity office. Desert Driving Masterclass - Desert Driving Course - Carnity.com

Current speed ....117.2 kph

Post Drive Report Our first night drive of the season, and a great drive it was. We briefed and explained the techniques and additional safety considerations for night driving and got under way. We drove off into the dark and straight into our frist patch of construction sand which led to our first recovery (a winch from @Alexander Alcala for @Arman That sorted, with @Watteau in second lead [doing a Sterling job throughout] the real adventure began. It started quite tentatively as getting used to the way the light plays on the sand and lights up a few meters here and a few meters there invited caution. Intentionally, I started the route in an area that I had driven in the morning with the Absolute Newbie convoy. Knowing that in general we would not find any rocks or fences meant that the worse that could happen is getting stuck in some soft sand ... which is exactly the problem that presented itself quickly and continuously through the drive. In the day time it's a lot easier to read the sand and see if the sand is ridiculously soft. I guess as I practice more in night drives I will get more expert at seeing the patches of soft sand in the night in the same way as in the daytime. This meant that there were a few more reroutes than normal and a chance for me to use all of my self recovery skills to the full! Implementing the buddy system of fewbie/intermediate through the convoy worked well. The team work was great and as a lead it was excellent to get feedback from more experienced drivers about the less experienced so that we could offer real time feedback to help everyone through the drive. @Gaurav Soni @Thomas Varghese @Shehab Alawadhi @Ahab Shamaa, @Ehab @Pacific @Sinol and @armaan all benefitted from your line through the sand. Our biggest general problem through the night? Crests. There were quote a few stucks where drivers misjudged the momentum needed to get over a crest or make a it through a crisscross. This is a quite understandable because depth and distance perspective changes in the night and whereas in the day it's possible to see the height of the dune and have an idea of the descent, in the dark ... I was also a bit surprised about the softness of the sand. My expectation was that as the sand cooled it would be less soft than during the day. Perhaps it's just where I drove, but it felt to me that the sand was softer in the dark - I am sure it is not, but all your senses are heightened in the night so the feeling was a bit different. As expected we saw quite a lot of wildlife, Gazelle and Oryx feeding quietly suddenly disorientated and unsure what to do faced with bright lights and noise coming in their direction. Sorry if you did not see them by the time the convoy came through, but I promise, they were there. Unique moments? I loved seeing the whole convoy riding a long the top of the long range dunes seeing the long line of lights lighting up the dunes was quite mesmerizing. Watching the same lights snake their way down some stepped dunes and finally the way that the technical section was handled with (almost) everyone getting through without incident. The swooping virgin sand Sweihan style dunes we found were quite puke inducing from the driving seat, never mind a passenger seat. The roller coaster section was amazing as we literally swooped through one dune and onto the next. And then there was Arman's spearhead in the tire. Take a look about to see what he managed to impale into his tyre in the post above. We did out best to repair this which let Arman continue thanks largely to the foresight of @Jeepie in equipping us both with a repair kit. [We did not check before we left, but frankly there is a rule that says don't drive without a spare tire in good condition on your vehicle] which was a chance for @watteau to bring out the big guns in the 'jack' stakes. Frankly I think that this Jack could lift the Burj Khalifa a few feet off the ground. As the temporary repair failed we had to make a direct run for the exit point. My Marshal colleagues reading this will all understand what I say if I refer to the exit following @Pancho rules, but even so we have to reinflate a few times to get to the exit. Those who needed to leave quickly left and with massive thanks to @Thomas Varghese a recovery was arranged that got Arman home. Conclusions: At the end of 4 hours, the confidence of everyone was much higher and we were moving at a great pace and I had normalized to reading the sand, as had all the drivers. I imagine that at the back of the convoy it was fast paced and challenging due to the softness of the sand and that it was churned. Night driving is different, scary at times, massively adrenalin pumping and I cannot wait for the next lead. Oh, and if by some chance you know that poor camping trip that was convinced they had found themselves that amazing secluded camping spot to which no one would arrive where we drove through their living room. Sorry! See you soon in the sand.

Wadepat2 @Wadepat2 Morshedi @Morshedi Badar Tariq @Badar Tariq @Mohammad Imran Khan ARAGON @ARAGON @Rahul kumar Lucas Neo @Lucas Neo Redza Jamil @Redza Jamil Imtiyaz Ali @Imtiyaz Ali @Christopher Assal Myself and @Shamil were very impressed with the AN drivers today. 45 km through different types of terrain not too many problems or recoveries, a lizard, some gazelle and excellent cool weather. We covered around 45km driving west from our start point and then North to reach last Exit - a fantastic achievement for an Absolute Newbie drive. All of you can now continue your journey with Carnity and are free to join any Newbie drive. Looking forward to seeing you al soon in the future.

Congratulations @Lakshmi Narasimhan

Hey guys, it's not a competition 😂

I have made the change in the convoy list. @Gaurav please confirm the membership is in order etc. @Badar TariqBadar has been removed from the drive leaving an RSVP position for Mohammad Imran Kahn

We will check in the morning, but I assume an unmodified Super Safari has these hooks