A tow rope is also very useful at times, get the strongest you can, the flat fibre woven ones are available in Carrefour.
Tyre Pressure gauge to drop the pressure of the tyres to 1 to 1.2 Barg. (Get one with a little stub fitted which allows you to push the tyre valve in to let the pressure out.)
You can pump the tyres back up at a small shop just outside of Sea Line Resort, cost 5 Riyals, queue depends on the day…
Elastic luggage cords, lots of them, to tie everything securely down in the car or your stuff could end up all over the car. Carrefour sells them at 5 Riyals per pack!
Don’t take glass bottles of anything fizzy because they can explode with the bumping about (very bad experience!), take cans. When you fill your coolbox try to put a towel or similar on top before you close the lid to keep everything tightly packed.
Flashlights, we also take a light that can recharge or run directly from the car cigarrette lighter.
Tent, sleeping bags, pillows, swimming gear, towels, wet wipes come in handy, sun hat and sun block, change of clothes. I don’t know but it might get cold at night, who knows? So perhaps some warmish clothing would be a good idea just in case - and an extra blanket.
Rubbish bags to take all the litter away as we’re all responsible citizens, aren’t we???
Mobile Phone:
GPS is very very handy but not strictly necessary if it’s a big group and two or three cars in the group have one.
Fishing rods and reels etc., bait is prawns or fish pieces, I have never caught anything but I know folks who have (at least that’s what they say…)!!!
Wood so we can make a collective bonfire that will last more than 5 minutes and will keep us singing for a few hours!
As a round person I always take lots of food… oh! and lots and lots of water.
And wouldn’t it be lovely to have a telescope to view those lovely twinkling stars that rumour has it can be seen so clearly as there’s very little light pollution.
Driving
Turn the VCD (traction control) off, put to 4 wheel drive high, lock the differential (if you have one of those fancy expensive cars)
Normally driving is in a line as it’s easy to meet another vehicle coming towards you over the same dune, as long as the first car makes it over okay then the rest are safe. So do you see what kind of responsibility the 'leading 4x4' has?
Going up dunes: WAIT (!!!) for the car in front to finish the climb as if he gets stuck he will have to reverse down to try again (as may you) and you don’t want to have to stop half way up the hill as you will also get stuck. Always try to go straight up, it’s not always possible but in general it’s the best way.
Keep the revs high, you don’t need to be going terribly fast but keeping the revs high and so keeping your momentum is important. I have an automatic car and on the hills put it into second and even first sometimes. Typical trip to the Inland Sea will see me use half a tank of petrol round trip. I always fill up at the garage halfway up the Messaeid Road so when I get to Sea Line I have a full tank to start.
Going down the dunes the rule is the same, allow the person in front to get down before you start down the hill, take it slowly as gravity really helps (I don’t know of anybody getting stuck going down!) Always go straight down the hill as you don’t want to be facing sideways down a steep dune, this is when cars can roll over.
If the car behind disappears from you rear view mirror he or she is probably stuck, please stop when you can and if they don’t reappear see if you can go back to help.
We should try to arrange things so that experienced and inexperienced drivers are mixed together to be able to help out the novices. But getting stuck is part of the experience and happens to old and new alike.
A good tip if you are stuck is to try to reduce the tyre pressure a little more. I have found that 0.9 barg. has saved me much digging, sweating and towing many times. If you do go down to this pressure take it easy on the flat sandless sections to prevent tyres overheating.
We need a list of car numbers, make, colour and phone numbers of occupants so we can check everybody arrives safely, both at the destination and back at sea line. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.
So guys... now all we need is the day to come and off we go! :)))
Was this helpful? Anything else you need please just ask freely - we are here to make it as easy as possible for any of you. And trust me folks - it is amazing fun! :)))
First Advice – DO NOT PANIC!!!!!
Equipment:
A good 4x4!
Spade/Shovel comes in handy.
A tow rope is also very useful at times, get the strongest you can, the flat fibre woven ones are available in Carrefour.
Tyre Pressure gauge to drop the pressure of the tyres to 1 to 1.2 Barg. (Get one with a little stub fitted which allows you to push the tyre valve in to let the pressure out.)
You can pump the tyres back up at a small shop just outside of Sea Line Resort, cost 5 Riyals, queue depends on the day…
Elastic luggage cords, lots of them, to tie everything securely down in the car or your stuff could end up all over the car. Carrefour sells them at 5 Riyals per pack!
Don’t take glass bottles of anything fizzy because they can explode with the bumping about (very bad experience!), take cans. When you fill your coolbox try to put a towel or similar on top before you close the lid to keep everything tightly packed.
Flashlights, we also take a light that can recharge or run directly from the car cigarrette lighter.
Tent, sleeping bags, pillows, swimming gear, towels, wet wipes come in handy, sun hat and sun block, change of clothes. I don’t know but it might get cold at night, who knows? So perhaps some warmish clothing would be a good idea just in case - and an extra blanket.
Rubbish bags to take all the litter away as we’re all responsible citizens, aren’t we???
Mobile Phone:
GPS is very very handy but not strictly necessary if it’s a big group and two or three cars in the group have one.
Fishing rods and reels etc., bait is prawns or fish pieces, I have never caught anything but I know folks who have (at least that’s what they say…)!!!
Wood so we can make a collective bonfire that will last more than 5 minutes and will keep us singing for a few hours!
As a round person I always take lots of food… oh! and lots and lots of water.
And wouldn’t it be lovely to have a telescope to view those lovely twinkling stars that rumour has it can be seen so clearly as there’s very little light pollution.
Driving
Turn the VCD (traction control) off, put to 4 wheel drive high, lock the differential (if you have one of those fancy expensive cars)
Normally driving is in a line as it’s easy to meet another vehicle coming towards you over the same dune, as long as the first car makes it over okay then the rest are safe. So do you see what kind of responsibility the 'leading 4x4' has?
Going up dunes: WAIT (!!!) for the car in front to finish the climb as if he gets stuck he will have to reverse down to try again (as may you) and you don’t want to have to stop half way up the hill as you will also get stuck. Always try to go straight up, it’s not always possible but in general it’s the best way.
Keep the revs high, you don’t need to be going terribly fast but keeping the revs high and so keeping your momentum is important. I have an automatic car and on the hills put it into second and even first sometimes. Typical trip to the Inland Sea will see me use half a tank of petrol round trip. I always fill up at the garage halfway up the Messaeid Road so when I get to Sea Line I have a full tank to start.
Going down the dunes the rule is the same, allow the person in front to get down before you start down the hill, take it slowly as gravity really helps (I don’t know of anybody getting stuck going down!) Always go straight down the hill as you don’t want to be facing sideways down a steep dune, this is when cars can roll over.
If the car behind disappears from you rear view mirror he or she is probably stuck, please stop when you can and if they don’t reappear see if you can go back to help.
We should try to arrange things so that experienced and inexperienced drivers are mixed together to be able to help out the novices. But getting stuck is part of the experience and happens to old and new alike.
A good tip if you are stuck is to try to reduce the tyre pressure a little more. I have found that 0.9 barg. has saved me much digging, sweating and towing many times. If you do go down to this pressure take it easy on the flat sandless sections to prevent tyres overheating.
We need a list of car numbers, make, colour and phone numbers of occupants so we can check everybody arrives safely, both at the destination and back at sea line. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.
So guys... now all we need is the day to come and off we go! :)))
Was this helpful? Anything else you need please just ask freely - we are here to make it as easy as possible for any of you. And trust me folks - it is amazing fun! :)))