The Four Risk Responses You Should Know Before Planning Your Overlanding Adventure

The Four Risk Responses Before Planning Your Overlanding Adventure

In the late 19^th and early 20^th century, ranchers would drive their cattle to new grazing lands or to market annually, which was commonly referred to as a cattle drive. Australia, on the other hand, referred to the cattle drives as Overlanding the cattle. History has taught us moving cattle across the country was hard, tedious work. Cowboys drove cattle all day and made camp wherever their journey took them.

As the cattle drives began to fade away due to more efficient modes of transportation, such as the railroad and automobiles, the well-beaten paths trodden down by thousands of head of cattle where transformed into new roadways. In the United States, many of these trails were eventually paved, making travel quicker and smoother. Trails cutting through Australia's Outback were a different story. While used for automobiles, many of these trails were not paved, or even improved much since the last cattle were driven through. Even today, the Australian Outback is considered some of the most adventurous and desolate roads.

Back in the United States, to find trails that take us through a land where time has forgotten, we must hop off the paved cattle trails and begin to traverse the old rugged mining and logging trails which criss-cross the mountainous areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. At least, that's what the modern overlanders tell us!

Much of the trail systems in the mountainous areas are unimproved roads which can have unexpected, and treacherous conditions around every hairpin corner. This could explain why you see many overturned vehicles, with occupants who have sustained serious injury, and sometimes even death.

Now, Overlanding is not all about crawling around mountainous terrain at altitudes above 9,000 feet above sea level! No, Overlanding can be on flat terrain such as remote beaches 100 miles from the nearest civilization, or a gravel and dirt road through the Chihuahuan Desert. No matter the difficulty of the trail or road, utilizing proper risk management is essential to keep all the wheels on the ground and not skyward! Better yet, to keep you and your vehicle safe!

At this point, you are probably wondering what risk management is, and how it relates to Overlanding. After all, if you have proper recovery gear, you are 100% prepared to hit the road! Correct? Well not exactly!

Yes, having all the essential recover gear is a must-have part of your journey! Not needing to use your gear is the goal. This is where Overlanding risk management comes into play.

"Ultimately, there is no way to avoid risk 100%"

Although various forms of risk management have been around since man walked this earth, It was not until the mid-twentieth century when insurance companies began using term risk management regularly throughout the business, and it is still used today! In fact, when an insurance company asks the year, make, the model of car, the age of the driver(s), and the vehicle’s primary use, they are conducting a basic risk assessment. The higher the risk, the higher the premium.

Ultimately, there is no way to avoid risk 100%, especially as it comes to vehicles and mother nature. Knowing this, the risk management community has broken down risk management to four common ways to respond to risk. Using the acronym, A-CAT, these responses can easily be remembered and applied:

·         Avoidance

·         Control

·         Accept

·         Transfer

Avoidance is the easiest and least expensive way of managing risk. If you are planning an Overlanding trip through the Rockies, you would want to avoid winter months, known wet seasons, or the great sasquatch migration to ensure the roads are passable and Big Foot encounters are minimized. Know a trail where several vehicles have had to be recovered within the past week? You might want to avoid that route!

As adventurists and outdoor enthusiast, avoidance does not always cut it. Overlanding is part of the thrill of the unknown or unexplored. Taking remote roads where nature has stood undisturbed for ages is what many Overlanders seek, and let’s face it, a slight sense of danger is what makes it so enjoyable!

Knowing we cannot avoid all risks, especially if we want to drive, we must take mitigation steps, or control the known risks. Risk control is the most common and recognizable risk management steps out there. In fact, there is a whole market out there for Overlanders and 4x4 enthusiasts. Winches, rock guards, skid plates, and bumpers prevent potentially serious damage occurring to vehicles while winding through the trails.

Having adequate fuel, water (for human and vehicle), tools, first aid kits, and the variety of recovery gear helps us to once again, control the risks. While we seem to do good at controlling the risks our vehicles face, we still need to focus on the controlling risks for the participants.

First aid kits are a no-brainer! If you get hurt on the trail, you want to be able to control or mitigate the injury as quickly as possible, especially since you may be far from medical care. Just as the goal is not to use vehicle recovery equipment, the same holds true with first aid. Using the proper risk control methods may prevent the need for even a band-aid.

Gloves, safety glasses, and even a hardhat or helmet may seem a bit uncool to wear in front of the group, but do you want to risk a severe injury when simple and inexpensive gear could have saved you? Even having extra food, clothing, and sleeping gear are great risk control methods.

When avoidance and control do not work, there are times where we just grin and bear it, realizing the inevitable is going to happen. If you have been involved in Overlanding for any length of time, you know eventually the odds are going to be stacked against you. Mechanical failure is probably the best example of acceptance. No matter how well you inspect your vehicle and conduct preventative maintenance (another risk control), the stresses of some trails may exceed the tolerances of your vehicle.

Budgeting for a major and minor vehicle repairs should be part of your Overlanding plan. Fording a small shallow stream may not seem like a big deal until that unexpected hole put you in deeper than you thought and your vehicle’s air intake sucks up a healthy drink of water. Now you are stuck on a path in the middle of nowhere with a locked-up engine.

The final risk strategy is one of the most common methods, and in most states, is mandatory through state law. If you guessed insurance, you guessed correct! Insurance is the final risk strategy known as transfer. Just as it sounds, you transfer risk to a 3^rd party (usually at a price). The higher the risk, the higher the price! Roadside assistance, extended warranties, and pre-paid services are all examples of how Overlanders often transfer risk. Of course, the easiest way is to borrow your friends Overlanding vehicle!

Overlanding is a great hobby and lifestyle connecting you with the world that many chose to ignore. It allows for an adventure with either family or friends, and creates a lifetime of memories; however, it is not without its risks. Whether this is your first Overlanding trip or you hundredth, Taking the time sit down and truly assess your risks may make the difference between an adventure or a disaster.