Packing: Thorough, rattle-free packing of equipment not only ensures its safety and durability but also allows the driver to feel easy and comfortable at the wheel. A rattle-free vehicle tends to be driven well and a vehicle driven smoothly and sympathetically lasts longer.

Vehicle-recovery equipment: Two shovels per vehicle. Five-foot, closerunged aluminium ladders (sand ladders) are excellent for putting under the wheels when you bog down in soft sand. They are light and effective and you may have to use them repeatedly to get through a long soft patch, picking them up and running in front of the vehicle to lay them before the wheels again.

In bad static bogging, do not skimp on the digging — five minutes more with the shovel before restarting the engine can be well worth the effort if it results in first- time extraction.

A really long tow-rope — about 50 metres — with a second vehicle and coordinated clutchwork on the towed and towing vehicles is best. People pushing are far more effective than you’d expect. Lower tyre pressure as recommended but make sure you reinflate the tyres as soon as conditions permit.

Related Articles

• All About Wadis
• Animals of the Desert
• Bird-Watching in the Desert
• Camels
• Customs and Habits
• Date-Palm Oases
• Desert Plants
• Fruit of the Desert
• Khor Kalba Nature Reserve
• Photography