What Benefits Can a Hiker Gain from Gaiters?

Australia, known for its sprawling landscapes that are key locations for any off-road enthusiast, the many wild areas all have varying terrains, from lush forests to barren deserts and sand dunes. All of these locations make it a the favorite of many off-roading communities around the globe. And all of them have a modified SUV or any other type of 4WD vehicle that can take the terrain with all of its bumps and hills. But they do this because almost all off-road enthusiasts have a modified 4X4 vehicle since most stock models would degrade quickly in the humid or dusty environments that dot the Australian continent.

To everyone that wants to join in on the modified fun they can simply install a few quality of life parts that will help their vehicle traverse rough terrain with less potential damage. Aftermarket parts and modifications such as bull bars, weather shields, snorkels, side steps 4X4 lift kits and many others that improve the vehicle's safety and stability during off-road travel. And a starting set of modifications for your 4WD is essential if you want to go to the more extreme areas, but what exactly should you start with?

Well the aforementioned bull bar is a good baseline for what you could install to your vehicle, connecting it to the side steps 4X4 heavy duty models which are used to protect your 4WD from all kinds of bumps and and inclines that could damage the bottom of the vehicle. And the heavy duty ones are made with thick steel pipes, usually they are checkered or there are some kind of pattern that lets your foot stick to the surface to gain better traction when stepping inside. While this is a quality of life feature the main purpose for side steps is to connect the bull bar to the bottom sides of the vehicle for an added bit of protection from the elements.

These are the basic components for the protection of your 4WD, you should also look into getting some form of radio communication. The radio will help with coordination (if you're going with a group of drivers) and it could also save your life in case you get stuck because of a malfunction or some kind of accident. But this is simply for worst case scenario so keeping it handy is pretty simple.

Lastly a very important modification you may want to make to your 4WD (but only after you install any other modification that you want) is a lift or suspension kit. A lift kit's purpose is to give your vehicle a few more inches in height, this is done by replacing the wheels or the suspension system of the vehicle. And getting one that can handle the extra weight of the parts you've added to your SUV or pickup. There are many more modifications that you can make to your 4X4, these are just the bare essentials for rough off-road travel, so the ones you chose after these depends on where you'll be taking your vehicle.