General Observations about the influx of people to the outdoor world

[Old Tanker]

...Meanwhile guy gets off his four wheeler in my driveway and falls down trying to get another beer. The wife is watching him and he pounds like 3 more beers, still in my drive throwing the can in my yard, in the time it takes for the sheriffs to show. According to the wife, the deputies told her this guy has multiple dui’s and no drivers license...

He may have been pounding the post-accident beers in order to claim that he got drunk after the accident, not before.

 

[BensonSTW]

Incredible!

That is the way it should go.

And I really don't think you need to eat crow over this. If anything, I appreciate your willingness to see both sides of this particular picture.

In any given group there are going to be some folks who make the group look bad, I think the SxS crowd has a disproportinate number of those folks, but I have no doubt there are good folks in that crowd too. You are probably one of them. The challenge is that you can't distinguish which are which until you find out the hard way.

Oh, and that is an awesome playground for a back yard. You have a good reason for owning such toys.

This is the good view from my house. And the big reason I love my sxs. I can load up some firearms and ammo in my side by side and ride straight from my house. In 10 minutes I can go anywhere I want and not see another person for days. And in a small community if I do see them I probably know them.

I just could not believe that whole mess happened today. I guess if I knew I was going to jail, multiple dui’s, for a long time, I may knock a few extra back myself. Guess I really shouldn’t be surprised.

 

[BensonSTW]

And to correct my own story. The wife is the one that called him in. He fell off his 4 wheeler and couldn’t sit up without swaying in circles. Then just decided my driveway was a great place to hang out and drink for a while since he couldn’t get back on his quad.

 

[MidOH]

I'll hate on brodozers as well. But it's kinda fun to invite them for a ride and watch their truck slide sideways down a muddy hill. And then sit back while their ego completely destroys what used to be, a perfectly good truck. Nothings more fun that a truck with $40,000 in lifts and mods getting outperformed on a trail by a box stock truck with the right tires and diffs.

I'll admit that some SXS'ers are OK. But it's getting to the point that even those guys are turning on them.

If SXS'ers and 2wd guys would follow the ''no trace'' rules on most trails and campgrounds. There would be no further issues with them.

The roaring around blind corners issue will solve itself. A strategically slow Toyota or Jeep showing off it's 87,007:1 crawl ratio on the other side of that turn has recently cured a few bad wheelers. And words getting around to cut that out.

Hopefully in a few years the ''influx'' of new people won't be some of the morons that we're getting right now.

 

[harley97]

I think it's a combination of 3 things.

1. COVID. People were told to stay home and everything was shut down except outdoor areas. In CA BLM and Forest Service land stayed open and they both got crazy packed, way more crowded than holiday weekends normally.

2. Overlanding and van life has become trendy.

3. SXS are super popular and afford people a somewhat inexpensive option to drive anywhere. They get a vehicle they don't have to modify and it doesn't take a ton of skill to drive.

 

[Boostpowered]

I assume automatically if you own a sxs that you also are the type to have a jetski, kawasaki ninja or whatever crotch rocket that's hot right now, maybe own a wake boat,you wear Ed hardy clothing, live in a cul-de-sac, maybe have a barbed wire tattoo somewhere, abuse your wife and or kids and enjoy alcohol a little too much.

Thats Just the first impression I've gotten over the years from all of them I've ran into on the trails. And texas, arkansas and oklahoma have been thick with em since the first john deer gator was introduced.

 

[John21powerwagon]

My house backs up to the National Forest in SoCal with a very popular access road behind me. Has usage gone up? Yep. What can we do? Educate the “citiots” the best we can about treading lightly. What’s worse than a taco with everything known to mankind bolted to it in your favorite spot? Umm a UTV with blaring speakers at 2am…. But guess what? Life goes on. (Disclaimer, I also own a taco).

 

[Anak]

3. SXS are super popular and afford people a somewhat inexpensive option to drive anywhere. They get a vehicle they don't have to modify and it doesn't take a ton of skill to drive.

I think an important element is the fact that you can just buy one outright and instantly have a trail ready vehicle. And not just a little bit important in that equation is the fact that you can borrow the money to do so. Additionally, should something happen to the one you now have you could easily replace it, possibly even with a model that is even better equipped/faster/has more features than the one you are abusing now.

I suppose there may be some overlanders who made a single large purchase and instantly were "overlanders", but I am fairly confident that is a small percentage. Really small. By and large most of us have gradually built our vehicles and kits up over the years. We know the challenge it would be to replace them and as a consequence we use them with respect.

The difference between those two worlds is not a minor one.

I believe you can also see this issue in the Ford Raptor scene.

 

[rho]

I think an important element is the fact that you can just buy one outright and instantly have a trail ready vehicle. And not just a little bit important in that equation is the fact that you can borrow the money to do so. Additionally, should something happen to the one you now have you could easily replace it, possibly even with a model that is even better equipped/faster/has more features than the one you are abusing now.

I suppose there may be some overlanders who made a single large purchase and instantly were "overlanders", but I am fairly confident that is a small percentage. Really small. By and large most of us have gradually built our vehicles and kits up over the years. We know the challenge it would be to replace them and as a consequence we use them with respect.

The difference between those two worlds is not a minor one.

I believe you can also see this issue in the Ford Raptor scene.

You see it to an extent as well with newbie jeep owners who just go out and buy a rubicon wrangler and then either tear up trails or break the jeep or roll it... Luckily a lot of times those folks get educated and stick with it, but there are similar groups of idiots in all outdoor recreation groups. A common theme is a refusal to be respectful to the land, to other user groups and to themselves by expressing their ignorance.

 

[2dub]

I don't care what people drive I see plenty of douschebaggery from sxs, big diesels, Jeepers, Tacos... you name it although if I were to pick the worst it would be the big diesel guys.

My 3 biggest complaints are :

• Trash/ litter
• Noise
• Trail/land destruction

 

[Anak]

But how am I going to tow my razor out the trailhead if I don't have a big diesel?

 

[MidOH]

A GMC with 24", -55mm offset wheels, and low profile tires should do.

Don't forget your DC shoes hat.

 

[Boostpowered]

A GMC with 24", -55mm offset wheels, and low profile tires should do.

Don't forget your DC shoes hat.

Nah it would be a 2nd Gen dodge with custom paint and busted dash with carpet, lifted 6" front and squatted 4" in the rear, purple underbody lights, same wheel size and offset but purple and some other purple Accents like side mirrors bumper and grill.

 

[MidOH]

Brilliant. Carolina Squat and Grandpas RV squat for the win.

I don't always tow three SXS's on a flat bed trailer,
but when I do, it's always with a Porsche Cayanne on car tires.

Safety first:

 

[Boostpowered]

Is this enough?

The ole carolina squat, California lean, or ghost load is nothing new.

 

[2dub]

Here's a winner from yesterday...SMH

 

[2dub]

Now there's this article in the WSJ that covers all of the above. And I'm heading for Canyonlands and Arches among other places next week...

National Parks Are Overcrowded and Closing Their Gates

As pandemic-weary Americans seek to visit the most popular national parks this summer, towns are struggling to keep up with demand.

www.wsj.com

 

[Downs]

I assume automatically if you own a sxs that you also are the type to have a jetski, kawasaki ninja or whatever crotch rocket that's hot right now, maybe own a wake boat,you wear Ed hardy clothing, live in a cul-de-sac, maybe have a barbed wire tattoo somewhere, abuse your wife and or kids and enjoy alcohol a little too much.

Thats Just the first impression I've gotten over the years from all of them I've ran into on the trails. And texas, arkansas and oklahoma have been thick with em since the first john deer gator was introduced.

Which surprises me since Texas isn't exactly awash with places to use them. I know a lot of folks around me just drive them around on the county back roads illegally.

 

[2dub]

I got home SUnday from my trip and I'm glad to report I had no issues at Arches or any other Park in terms of admissions.

But I have found a whole new target for my rants--- RVers OMG. While 90% are just fine, the bad 10% really work hard to be as stupid as possible. I have a rant YouTube video coming once I get it edited...

On top of that the majority of the troublesome RVers seemed to be rentals. I S#!+ you not there was someone pulling a 25ft+ rental travel trailer WITH A HONDA CIVIC... Shame on them for not realizing this wasn't a good idea and shame on the rental company for letting them pull off the lot that way.

 

[haaken675]

I got home SUnday from my trip and I'm glad to report I had no issues at Arches or any other Park in terms of admissions.

But I have found a whole new target for my rants--- RVers OMG. While 90% are just fine, the bad 10% really work hard to be as stupid as possible. I have a rant YouTube video coming once I get it edited...

On top of that the majority of the troublesome RVers seemed to be rentals. I S#!+ you not there was someone pulling a 25ft+ rental travel trailer WITH A HONDA CIVIC... Shame on them for not realizing this wasn't a good idea and shame on the rental company for letting them pull off the lot that way.

When the govt pays people to not work, you get a whole lot of stupid going on...