MELBA, Idaho — Exploring the Idaho Backroads can sometimes leave you stranded, but one local off-road recovery instructor is helping people learn to get themselves and their vehicles out of bad situations off-road.
- Beardman Offroad offers a variety of classes from beginner to expert and everything in-between. You can find a list of available classes here.
- Kevin is a a certified off-road trainer with the International 4 Wheel Driver Trainers Association.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"So I want to come and teach people how to do things in a safe manner," said Kevin Burden, owner of Beardman Offroad.
He has been driving off-road for more than two decades and is a certified trainer with the International 4 Wheel Driver Trainers Association.
"And we go through driving, four-wheel-drive etiquette and we also do recovery training. So if you get stuck, how to get unstuck or prevent yourself from getting stuck," said Burden.
Burden teaches his students how to use a wide variety of recovery tools from winches and straps to traction boards and Hi-Lift jacks.
His goal is to get people comfortable using these tools on their own.
He says a Hi-Lift jack is one of the most important pieces of gear in his lineup, but can be dangerous if used incorrectly.
"So there's a few dangers with this, one thing is kind of the triangle of death. So from here and up, whenever you're handling this you don't want to put your thumb in, just in case this handle breaks free it'll come up and you'll break your thumb," explained Burden.
Like this…
*Hi-Lift jack smacks against itself*
Kevin also teaches folks how to get their vehicles unstuck while off-road.
"So this is one area where I can come to and I'll be like oops, I got stuck! What would you do? I could be stuck in two different ways. We can do two different recoveries here," says Burden. "Usually it takes a little time for the wheels to get turning like wait OK, how are we gonna do this?"
"I have a jeep and I'm pretty new to it," said Patrick Knudsen, a Beardman offroad student. is
He is still learning the world of off-roading and took a class with Kevin to prepare for unexpected situations.
"As you want to continue to go further and further out, right, where maybe a tow truck to come bail you out isn't really an option. Where there's no cell service, where you know you're truly on your own. You've got to be able to have those skills to make it back. That's why it's important to me because I know that I want to continue to explore all that's out here," said Knudsen.
