If you haven't heard of the Ultimate Adventure, now's the time for a primer. It's our signature magazine event, where we take readers, advertisers, sponsors, staff, and a few old cronies on a weeklong on- and off-road trip. We camp most of the time, drive on the highways as well as dirt roads, and wheel four hardcore locations between the road days. There are no support rigs or trailers, and we are on our own-just like a real wheeling trip. But we do take a seasoned video crew to document the whole affair and produce a DVD for you to have by Christmas.
It's a simple formula really: Take 20 rigs with a crew of two each. Make sure that a third of the participants are readers of 4-Wheel & Off-Road who applied for the chance to go. We mandate 35-inch tires or larger and lockers front and rear, as well as a winch, and the vehicle must be street-legal in your home state. It needs to be outfitted with all of the normal safety and survival equipment.
Our number one rule is No Whining! Make sure you can take the week off of work and pay for yourself as well, as we cover a thousand miles in some very out-of-the-way places. Be totally prepared for everything from deep mud and water to rocks, sand, and even snow. Expect to drive for a day or two just to get to the start. Likewise, take some time getting back home. It's a lot of work, but purely fun.
Next month's issue will highlight this trip of a lifetime, which you can easily be a part of. It's not a bunch of rich advertisers and magazine guys with a few rich cronies. We all work hard to get on this trip, and lots of sacrifices are made so we have the chance to do it. All of our readers never thought they'd be chosen, but they had the combination of solid vehicle build, do-anything attitude, and willingness to try. For highlights, updates, and information on the next trip, check out this magazine as well as our site, 4wheeloffroad.com. For all you know, we may have gone through your town and taken your picture!
By the time you read this the event will be over, but rest assured that we'll still be working on bringing you the story in print as well as on the website. Let us know what you think. If you have any ideas for next year's trip, we're always open to great ideas and good comments.