1. Get/bring an FRS radio - available at BestBuy or Circuit City for about $25 each. Lots of fun and jokes go on the radio, also used for truck to truck coordination.

2. Find out who John is.

3. Top off your fuel tank close to the point of meeting. Having an extra handful of gasoline while out there might be a good thing ... coming up short is always a bad thing.

4. Don't park behind John.

5. Remove your step rails and mud flaps if you plan on joining us on that sawmill loop road.

6. Don't be in the line in front of John.

7. Lunch is normally eaten cold so bring sandwiches. Dinner is hot and cooked on a camp stove. Looks like no charcoal this time so bring propane or hook up with someone with one. After we're done cooking you're welcome to mine ... but get in line early!

8. Remember that John is really a great guy!

9. Bring the wife, kids, and the dog and smile, relax and have fun. My first two or three trips I got pretty up tight with all these guys running our trucks into impossible trails ... and then learned that some of them really know what they're doing and the Xterra is a pretty capable SUV.

10. If/when the site ever comes up there's a pretty good check list of stuff to bring along. Tools, first aid, extra water, recovery gear and the like ... I don't think too many of us have everything but most of us have most of it.

11. Bring a snipe bag if you have one, as a newbie you get to lead the snipe hunt.

12. Beware of cattle guards in the road.