G
Guest
Guest
Julian,
Sorry I am unable to join the gang in the jaunt.
You might remember that I went onto the Army's ranges on the Plain in April
with the Pajero club in our Mk1 Pajero. So may I offer a little advice for
a great day out ?
Pleased we have someone local to help-out, on our jaunt we also had a local
lad and he was great, so well done that LC man too
1 You will get written consent from the Range Warden to go in certain parts
given that they are not 'playing' out there on the day. But the warden does
not always tell his staff of this. So make sure you take your letter of
consent and it is in the lead vehicle of the lead group. They soon
come-over and stop you, driving white 'police' LR 110's and Discos.
2 Split into groups of 5 maximum, don't stick together.
3 Watch-out for horses and riders.
4 All take a PMR radio. They make CB out-of-date and are extremely useful
after you have chosen a single channel. Even the cheapest of sets work well
in open country. If you have a 'Lidl' supermarket near you then they may
well buy a pair for 13 quid. Even if you get a split between the groups,
they will still have the range to keep you all in touch out there (up to 5km).
5 Beware water-filled ruts. They are everywhere, and if you are taking
'standard' (i.e. shiny & polished with no sump guards) cars then you may
have some upset members. Remember these ruts are made by serious
off-roaders, err..... like tanks. I got through all of them but finished
with water in my headlamps up to the bulb holders, and a tide mark in the
Pajero's high mounted standard air filter. But I did not get stuck like
some of my colleagues on the day. Though I concede that I do have more
everyday rough driving experience than some. Most of these ruts will have
water coming over the door seals, so make sure they are OK too.
6 Make sure each group has a GPS and that the owner knows how to use it
!! Not so silly when you find the 'user' only knows 6 figure OS references
and does not comprehend full readings in degrees and minutes. The better
scale maps of the Plain are best read in degrees the old-fashioned way.
7 Don't take the wife or little girls, do I really need to explain why ? We
all know what bumps, thumps and the sound of rushing water can do to the
metabolism of some of our nearest and dearest. (Ask Tania, she now has
something of a 'reputation' in the Pajero club!!)
Finally I see that Clive is on the list. Pleased to see that he is still
with us. And Clive, if I was going I would gladly buy you a pint, so maybe
next time I am over eh ?
Cheers
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN surplus in Bosnia - where it was 25degs today and the sun
keeps on shining - what an autumn !!!
Sorry I am unable to join the gang in the jaunt.
You might remember that I went onto the Army's ranges on the Plain in April
with the Pajero club in our Mk1 Pajero. So may I offer a little advice for
a great day out ?
Pleased we have someone local to help-out, on our jaunt we also had a local
lad and he was great, so well done that LC man too
1 You will get written consent from the Range Warden to go in certain parts
given that they are not 'playing' out there on the day. But the warden does
not always tell his staff of this. So make sure you take your letter of
consent and it is in the lead vehicle of the lead group. They soon
come-over and stop you, driving white 'police' LR 110's and Discos.
2 Split into groups of 5 maximum, don't stick together.
3 Watch-out for horses and riders.
4 All take a PMR radio. They make CB out-of-date and are extremely useful
after you have chosen a single channel. Even the cheapest of sets work well
in open country. If you have a 'Lidl' supermarket near you then they may
well buy a pair for 13 quid. Even if you get a split between the groups,
they will still have the range to keep you all in touch out there (up to 5km).
5 Beware water-filled ruts. They are everywhere, and if you are taking
'standard' (i.e. shiny & polished with no sump guards) cars then you may
have some upset members. Remember these ruts are made by serious
off-roaders, err..... like tanks. I got through all of them but finished
with water in my headlamps up to the bulb holders, and a tide mark in the
Pajero's high mounted standard air filter. But I did not get stuck like
some of my colleagues on the day. Though I concede that I do have more
everyday rough driving experience than some. Most of these ruts will have
water coming over the door seals, so make sure they are OK too.
6 Make sure each group has a GPS and that the owner knows how to use it
!! Not so silly when you find the 'user' only knows 6 figure OS references
and does not comprehend full readings in degrees and minutes. The better
scale maps of the Plain are best read in degrees the old-fashioned way.
7 Don't take the wife or little girls, do I really need to explain why ? We
all know what bumps, thumps and the sound of rushing water can do to the
metabolism of some of our nearest and dearest. (Ask Tania, she now has
something of a 'reputation' in the Pajero club!!)
Finally I see that Clive is on the list. Pleased to see that he is still
with us. And Clive, if I was going I would gladly buy you a pint, so maybe
next time I am over eh ?
Cheers
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN surplus in Bosnia - where it was 25degs today and the sun
keeps on shining - what an autumn !!!