Slindon

I'm thinking of heading over to Slindon for the pay and play day and am wondering if anyone has been and could answer a couple of questions :
1. my Jimny is standard except for AT tyres, are there routes suitable for it and also for me, not done any off road driving before.
2. My son is 14 and would like to have a go. Is there somewhere that I could teach him the basics and let him have a go (and would he be allowed).
3. Is there anything I might need that I should take ?

cheers

I marshal there occasionally.

There are some photos of my last build there here
I was still 'learning' to drive the truck - so ignore the little 'lie down' it had in the middle ! I'd only finished building it the day before so it was it's very first time out and I was finding out how far I could push it!

1. Yes, plenty. Stay out of the 'Outback' & 'Bomb Hole' areas unless you have a winch!

2. Technically No, but if you ask John Morgan, the site organiser - he may say it's OK. There is a track behind the tea wagon which would be ideal.

3. Good recovery points are essential. If you've not got any, loop a strop round each of you axles (before it gets muddy). I would not personally trust the stock points - and a marshal is likely to insist you go swimming in the mud to put a strop on an axle to recover you.

If in doubt, walk it first - or watch someone else drive through it. But there are plenty of non-muddy, technical areas which are great to learn on. John & the Marshals are friendly & helpful. They will be able to advise you if you have doubts or worries.

Don't be put off by the number of well equipped Land Rovers there - they all get stuck just as much as anyone else. I had a great time in my Suzuki as it would go places a Land Rover wouldn't consider (and vice-versa - but thats half the fun!).

The food at the tea wagon is surprisingly good!

Si

Thanks for the info.

It leads to the question, where do I get suitable strops (and presumably something to join them with) ?

Bits4vits sell recovery gear and i found extreme4x4.co.uk the other day. They have a nice sellection of recovery gear. Iam new to this myself and got stuck at boxgrove, the guy who runs slindon runs this one as well, and was pulled out be a nice chap in a highly modified landrover. A guy on a quad went to get the marshalls but they never turned up! I found most people stopped to talk and offer help. I was pulled out on the standard recover eyes. With a shackel (which the guy let me have) in the eye which allowed the winch hook to be connected. I wouldnt trust them for extreme offroading but for light recovery they should be ok. My list for recovery equipment are basicaly strops and shackels. and a winch when monet allows.
Probably this one.
www.extreme4x4.co.uk/acatalog/DUPLEX_QUICK_STROPS.html
Check the shackels will fit in the recovery eyes because some will be to big.
From a "first timmer" point of veiw its a good idea to have your own recovery equipment of course, but if you do get stuck iam sure others will lend you there's and help you out.

how about one of these

www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/detai...wing-bridle-cw-shack

darthloachie wrote: how about one of these

www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/detai...wing-bridle-cw-shack

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looks just the ticket, I shall order one forthwith.

One final question, in the bottom pic, how is it fixed to the top of the bonnet ? Could you hold it in place with a bit of rope and wrap it in bubblewrap or somesuch to protect the bonnet ?