Desert recovery

Sooner or later you will get stuck. The key thing to remember when you’re headed out on your maiden dune bashing jaunt is that you must have the right equipment for staging a full-scale recovery. Don't try to convince yourself that you won’t get stuck. It is inevitable Back in 2008 I was still not a member of the Mahindra clan when I had participated in one of India’s longest running and toughest off-road championships ― the Palar Challenge. Back then, the championship used to be conducted over a week, on the dry sandy bed of the Palar river where 42°C was considered pleasant. No AC, no power steering and the rock-hard mechanicals of my 1989 MM540 4WD meant a thorough workout in the sweltering heat. It was a surefire way of losing some of that ‘idli belly’. Being a team-based format, I was driving my unmodified MM540 while other teammates included, Sanjay David with the more powerful MM550 XD and Patrick with his lighter CJ3B powered by a 2.1-litre Peugeot diesel.

Driving my MM540 4WD required careful calculations as every bit of the juice available from the engine had to be extracted. We played by our strengths and had to strategise. The best recovery equipment we had was a rudimentary tow strap. Obviously, we had to be extra careful to not get bogged down badly. And we won! Winning over relatively more powerful, lighter and well-equipped teams was particularly satisfying. Winning aside, it taught me nuances and techniques that only got further cemented and enhanced with my career at Mahindra Adventure the following decade.

Sand driving is unique. There is no substitute to power and torque on sand. When neither is adequately available, you need skill. Sandy terrain as a surface is unforgiving on the vehicle’s drivetrain. Sand offers most resistance, combined with heat and the engine revving to its limits, it can take a toll on the mechanicals. Once stuck in deep sand, the stress on the mechanicals only multiplies. I have witnessed overheating and clutch burnouts as the most common fall out.

Tyre pressures play a pivotal role in making clean progress on sand. Number one equipment that most people ignore when they hit sand trails is the good old tyre air pressure gauge. This is so fundamental and yet is often forgotten. Digital ones are more accurate but depend on batteries to survive. A well calibrated analogue gauge is the most dependable tool that one could ever have. Many people look at the tyres and try to make a ‘guess-timate’ based on the bulging of the tyre. While experienced off-roaders might get it correct, newbies most often make mistakes and the result is either getting bogged down in fine sand or the tyre comes off the rim when the inflation is too low. The thumb rule is one can deflate down to 15PSI safely on an undamaged rim to continue making good progress and yet not lose air pressure. Once deflated, inflation is equally important the moment you hit the tarmac. Portable air compressors are handy off-road equipment that could be life saving. Driving underinflated tyres to the nearest air inflator shop is nothing short of taking wild chances.