The Offroad Network - Q&A - What's your scariest moment offroad?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKPH9evSdi8&w=640&h=360]

This was my response to a question over at The Offroad Network. What's your scariest moment offroad?

Some of you are thinking, "Duh! of course it uses your brakes, and of course they will overheat and fade away!" But then there are others who will not realize this, and can learn from my experience.

It seems so silly now in retrospect... that I wouldn't realize how potentially dangerous leaving Hill Descent Control on for so long was. I knew it had to use brakes (it even says so in the manual) but I couldn't be clear on how much or what other magical methods it used to control speed. I am now convinced that it's 100% brakes.

I use this feature all the time on regular wheeling trips, but this was the first time I used it on extended and constant downhill treks... Miles and miles of constant automated braking... and without the normal feedback of your foot to know that it's just too much. It's not that HDC is bad, it's just that your Jeep is mashing the brakes without you having to think about it...which can be good, but not in this case.

I like(d) to use HDC and then use my shifter to control my speed. It uses your current gear to establish a max speed... so if I wanted to go really slow, I put it in first... and is stays super slow. I want to speed up a bit... I put it into 2nd... or 3rd. But how it's keeping it super slow is just by mashing the virtual brake pedal. I now prefer good ol manual braking... you know... with my foot... so I can sense when I am braking too much and I can adjust my gear or route accordingly.

It was a great lesson learned... but it sure was scary that day! Sometimes experience is the best teacher!

What was your scariest moment offroad?