Written by: Emily Joswiak • May 12, 2020• adventure

What to Know About Driving Off-Road In Sand

Driving along beaches, climbing sand dunes, and ripping through the desert are favored pastimes of many off-roading enthusiasts. While sand driving often brings incredible scenery and an exciting adventure, it also poses several unique challenges-namely digging into the sand and getting stuck. These challenges can often be tackled by installing certain parts on your off-road vehicle that improve things such as suspension. You can take a look at some of these kits over at Offroad Power Products and you might want to think about purchasing some of your to optimize your car’s performance. However, such challenges shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the millions of square miles of desert and coastal land the U.S. has to offer. To help you avoid getting into trouble while tackling sandy terrain, here’s what to know about driving off-road in sand.

Invest in good tires, and air them down

The first step to having a successful off-roading adventure in the sand is investing in good tires. Since traction is already hard to come by on the sand, tires that are old and worn or have skinny treads won’t do you any good. Investing in a set of quality tires with good traction will allow you to safely traverse sandy terrain.

When you’re ready to hit the sand with your new tires, make sure to let some of the air out of them. A lower psi means a larger tire footprint, which will help you avoid digging into the sand and getting stuck. Generally, tire pressure should range between 5-20 psi when driving on sand.

Keep a shovel on-hand to get out of the sand

Whether you’re off-roading in the desert or the forest, a shovel is an essential tool that you should always keep on-hand. When driving on sand, getting stuck is practically inevitable. Unless you don’t mind digging through hot sand using your hands, a shovel will likely prove very useful.

In the case that you get stuck in a hole, you should avoid trying to drive yourself out as you’ll likely only dig your tires deeper into the sand. Instead, break out your trusty shovel and dig yourself a ramp. Doing so will almost always allow you to drive out of the hole and resume your off-road adventure.

Avoid turning to safely tackle sand dunes

An important thing to know about driving off-road in sand is how to safely tackle sand dunes. Climbing up or descending sand dunes is particularly precarious. If you don’t follow proper technique, there is a chance that you could end up accidentally flipping your vehicle and rolling down.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when scaling or descending sand dunes is to go straight up or straight down. You should never attempt to turn your vehicle around or travel side-on. Doing so will greatly increase your likelihood of rolling over if the sand shifts-as it frequently does. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have enough momentum to make it up the dune, put your vehicle in reverse and back down in a straight line.

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