Book excerpt: When you take your four-wheel-drive (4WD) truck or SUV off-road, there is a whole new world to see and experience. The off-road community is huge and welcoming, and there are lifestyle shows to attend and trail-driving events to experience. With seat time and practice, your technical skills will improve. However, do you really want to head into the forest blindfolded? Driving off-road requires much more attention, skills, discipline, and preparation than merely driving around obstacles. Being fully armed with information regarding the most updated techniques is critical for today’s motorized off-road driving enthusiast. The Ultimate Off-Road Driver's Guide covers topics about what to bring along for a trail ride and how to interact with other trail users. This book covers the various 4WD systems and how they work, how to drive on various terrain (mud, sand, snow, and rocks), and what to do when encountering each of those elements. An entire chapter is devoted to getting unstuck. Covered also are ways to communicate when you lose cellular phone coverage as well as navigation options so that you don’t end up lost and on the local news channel. This book is mandatory preparation for your off-road toolbox!