PREPARE BEFORE YOU RIDE
A practical checklist for preparing the machine, the people, and the recovery plan. Use machine-specific procedures from the correct owner’s manual.
On this page
7 Days Before
- ☐ Read the owner’s manual and complete the scheduled inspection for your machine.
- ☐ Inspect tires, wheels, lug hardware, steering, suspension, and visible damage.
- ☐ Check fluids, leaks, brakes, battery, cooling system, and belt or driveline items where applicable.
- ☐ Confirm fuel plan, maps, navigation, permits, helmets, water, clothing, and weather outlook.
- ☐ Check trailer, tie-downs, tow vehicle, lodging parking, and secured cargo plan.
- ☐ Review the current official map, posted rules, closures, direction, and vehicle restrictions.
- ☐ Talk through the route, daylight, communication, fuel, pace, regroup points, and emergency plan.
Night Before
- ☐ Fuel the machine and tow vehicle according to your plan.
- ☐ Recheck tires and visible leaks; use the owner’s manual for machine-specific settings.
- ☐ Charge phones, radios, GPS units, batteries, and lighting.
- ☐ Pack helmets, eye protection, water, food, layers, rain gear, first-aid supplies, and medications.
- ☐ Pack tools, tire-repair supplies, compressor, spare parts appropriate to your machine, and recovery equipment.
- ☐ Secure cargo so it cannot shift, fall, or interfere with controls, belts, passengers, or visibility.
- ☐ Confirm meeting time, trailhead, parking, permits, route/daylight plan, weather decision, and return plan.
Before Leaving the Trailhead
- ☐ Walk around each machine and check tires, wheels, fluids, brakes, cooling, battery, belts or driveline where applicable, and visible damage.
- ☐ Confirm helmets, restraints, doors, mirrors, lights, communication, and weather gear.
- ☐ Confirm everyone has water, navigation access, emergency contacts, and a way to communicate.
- ☐ Verify the current official map and posted signs at the trailhead. Note closures and restrictions.
- ☐ Confirm the group has enough fuel, daylight, recovery ability, and time to return.
- ☐ Re-secure cargo and make sure nothing can contact hot, moving, or steering components.
Recovery & Spares
- ☐ Owner-manual information for service, recovery points, and machine-specific procedures
- ☐ Plug or patch kit appropriate to the tire; spare valve cores and tools as needed
- ☐ Portable compressor and pressure gauge
- ☐ Hand tools sized for the machine, gloves, flashlight, and spare fuses where appropriate
- ☐ Recovery rope or strap, soft shackles, and other equipment appropriate to the machine and group
- ☐ Communication backup and a written emergency contact plan
- ☐ Water, food, layers, rain protection, first-aid supplies, and a way to stay warm
- ☐ A conservative plan for a disabled machine, including who can help and how the group will return
Important Limits
Do not rely on universal tire pressures, belt part numbers, winch ratings, towing procedures, or machine-specific service instructions. Use the correct owner’s manual and provider or official instructions for the exact machine and situation.