I know it is a ways off, but these trips require a lot of planning and prep to be sucessful. I figured we will keep the planning string here so it is not lost on the main forum. Its been awhile, so a few ground rule reminders;

1. You MUST start with us, you cannot meet part way along the route, however in planning we may be able to extablish a day to leave early that fits your schedule.
2. We ask you don't take off early in the middle of a very diffult and remote trail.
3. Minimum equipment REQUIRED are sliders, 31's 2dr, 33's 4dr,(full size spare)15 Gallons spare fuel, SIGNIFICANT cooling system,(3 core, back up fan, low gearing, ect) and a rear traction aid. Along with self sufficiency for 5 days. These ARE MINIMUMS!

Also reccomended, spare front end parts and CV's, tools(although we can pool resources)35's, full armor, winch, lift, good tires, Hi-Lift, Fridge, CB, hot shower(its greasy and dusty).
4. Sierra Carnage Expeditions are fantastically difficult, as they are beautiful and historic. Nearly every mile is filled with radiator boiling grades and monster glacialy deposited boulders. Breakage and body damage are routine. The challenge of surviving ten days in the Sierras IS part of the Adventure. Sometimes ONE Hill is considered a victory.
5. Trips are 100% camp on the trail. Locations are remote with NO cell coverage. Most camps WILL have water, maybe all.

The start date is set due to a conference commitment in LA, please mark your calendars to meet at camp, Labor Day weekend 9/1 in the evening. More details in posts to follow.

This is gonna be awesome! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Those are bare minimums IMHO.

Recommended Minimum's...
SWB 32's or greater
LWB 33's or greater
Rear Locker a must.
Re-inforced bumpers or aftermarket off road ones.
Armor on rocker panels, reinforced or upgraded skid plates especially under the transfer case.

Spare steering drag/center link
Spare tie rod ends
Spare front axles (as lloyd said for both sides)

Oh and did I mention Armor and Tie Rod ends?? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Water (both for human consumption and radiator consumption). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Something I want to be try is coordinating tools and spares this year, so we don't have 10 Gen II axles, 3 welders, 90 Gallons of 90 weight and 5 breaker bars as an example...Will create a community list later. Working on some new ideas right now for the circuit.....Want to get "creative". Stay tuned...

I should have my front suspension cut out of my '99 by then hopefully, I can then contribute spares.

Budget and mechanicals dictate I pass, but I think this is the sort of adventure every gearhead should experience. Just these first few posts suggest the influence of lessons learned the hard way. Would you guys allow me the honor of sharing the story on Gearbox Magazine? If one or two folks going made a point of taking some nice pictures and maybe jotting down some notes along the way, I'd love to have a Monty crawling over something scary - in all its IFS glory - on the cover.

You guys are planning to do something epic. Something I'm nowhere near ready to do. If I didn't already have all my vacation time spent for the year, I'd be trying to buy my way into a shotgun seat. Maybe next year. Right now, though, I want the whole world to know what you guys are doing. Hope it's cool me asking here. (AZ Crawlers will be in the March issue either way. This would make for an awesome follow up.)

I don't see why not. Yes, these are massive vacation trips of 10+ days that everyone prepares for a long time for. NO ONE else does what we do, and that is interconnect a fantastic number of hardcore trails where just surviving one whith out a major problem is considered a victory. It ain't easy, but someone has to do it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Lloyd has been doing this for many years, minus the Nissan days. Planning some of the most awesome, scenic, hardcore trips ever. I have only been once and this was back in 2005 with the company of Pat (Lordtrunks) riding shotgun. I broke A LOT of parts, caught my truck on fire, blew up a rear end in the middle of know where, and almost killed me and pat by letting my truck fly down hill backwards on a mountain side with the luck of slamming the back end of my truck into a large tree. Had that not happened serious injury or fatalities would be telling a different story. And these are just my stories of that trip. Other people on that trip had there fair share of issues too. Most in which were not minor. But you know, I would do it all over again. Seriously an awesome trip worth doing. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I have the theme of this summers Sierra Carnage, if not the exact trails pegged down. "Fire and Ice"

Fitting after some recent discussions. As usual, it will be all easy trails and 4 Star Motels......Unless we get lost again in house sized boulders and camp in the middle of the trail.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Hopefully Big Blue reads this, I know how much he loves my themes <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

i'm gonna be riding along with someone for this one, i also sent john the link for this thread so he can keep up with it i know he is wanting to join up for the adventure and will be driving one of his montero's. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />