Longtime readers are likely familiar with the Ultimate Adventure, our yearly road trip to explore remote corners of the country by pavement and trail. This trip is a perk for our staffers, allows us to hit the trail with some great sponsors, and our selfless cronies keep the whole thing running smoothly for a week. And for a few lucky readers, this is the trip of a lifetime. How can you be one of those invited readers? We are glad you asked!

Click here for the online application in PDF format .

See All 5 Photos

Before you hit the "submit" button though, let us tell you a little bit about what you are getting yourself into. Every year the trip is held in a different part of the country, and you'll have to pay all your own expenses and get time off of work to get there, wheel, and get home. Once you arrive, be ready for a thousand-mile road trip with killer wheeling along the way. You need to have a well sorted rig that is at home on the pavement as it is on the trail, because we don't allow any trailering. You also need to know your way around a wrench to fix anything that might break on your vehicle during the trip. Note that we said "break" and not "wear out". Don't be "that guy" who shows up to the trip with squeaky brakes and a leaky engine.

Ultimate Adventure is typically held at the end of June or beginning of July, but you won't know where we are going until right before the trip starts.

live out of your rig and cook, camp,

Now that we have scared you, know that you will definitely not get selected to come along if you don't apply.

See All 5 Photos

Are we looking for the most built rigs around? Not necessarily. We do have minimum requirements (listed below) but want a diverse group of vehicles and participants from around the country. You can read that to mean that if you have an International Scout with the same drivetrain as another applicant with a JK, we will probably pick the Scout. We don't have a preference if you rig is home built or professionally built, but if you had someone else build your rig you either need to invite them along as your co-driver or know how to fix something if it breaks. Sheetmetal does get dented and parts to break on this trip. Think of the Ultimate Adventure as a metaphor for life. It isn't the adversity that is the real issue, it is how you deal with it.

Rules for Ultimate Adventure

Participants are responsible for all of their own expenses (food, lodging, fuel, repairs, fees, and other expenses).

Once the trip begins vehicles must be driven (not towed) on the entire Ultimate Adventure. They can be towed to the starting point and home after completion of the Ultimate Adventure.

Vehicle may be towed to repair location--the intent of the no-trailer rule is to enforce the pavement portion of the adventure.

We will always try to stick together and help everyone, but with a group of this size, it will not always be practical to delay the whole group for one or two people. You will never be left alone- that's what your buddies are for.

We will use the buddy system so you are partnered with a crony throughout this adventure. We're all friends and this is a group endeavor, not a competition.

Only one vehicle allowed per invitee, and only two people per vehicle. The team must attend the whole trip- no substitutions.

The group will leave as close as possible to posted times--don't be late or you may be left behind. Also, don't wander away without informing the leader- you may be left behind. Sticking together at all times helps maintain group integrity.

Bring all your gear with you in your trail rig (camping gear, food, water, tools, parts, etc) for any situation--don't depend on a support vehicle or trailer along the way. You will be living out of your rig. We will be camping most nights. You may also be wheeling with all of your gear on board, so pack accordingly.

You are considered a representative of 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, as well as an adult, and a representative of the 4-wheeling community as a whole. It is important to hold yourself to the highest standards of behavior as we are on display to the entire nation. We expect you to behave accordingly at all times.

No firearms, pets, and no children under 18 years old on the event.

Alcohol consumption will not be tolerated on trails or any time you are driving. Passengers may not drink on trails. Violators will get one verbal warning; the second offense removes you from the Ultimate Adventure.

Illegal drug use will not be tolerated any time during the tour. There is no warning--first offense gets you removed from the Ultimate Adventure.

We are not responsible for you during this event.

See All 5 Photos

Sponsorship

This is a 4-Wheel & Off-Road event designed to entertain our readers and offer promotional value to Ultimate Adventure sponsors. In order to protect the marketing value, Ultimate Adventure offers to its sponsors, only official sponsor's lettering and/or logos are allowed to be displayed on the Ultimate Adventure vehicles. Your vehicle must be stripped of all lettering/logos not part of the Ultimate Adventure. You will be supplied with logos from the sponsors should you wish to run them, as well as Ultimate Adventure logos for your vehicle windshield, which must be applied.

Vehicle/Driver Requirements

There will be a tech inspection at check-in. Your vehicle will be inspected for all of the following equipment and paperwork. You will not be allowed to join Ultimate Adventure if your vehicle fails this inspection.

Vehicle must be road worthy and capable of sustained highway speeds of 60 mph and a fuel range of at least 150 miles.

Vehicle must be street licensed and insured, and driver must have a valid driver's license, current registration, and current proof of insurance.

35-inch tall or larger tires with fullsize spare

Front and rear locking differentials (limited slips do not suffice)

Rollcage (even with fixed hard top)

Seatbelts or harnesses

Recovery points front and rear

Secure battery hold down (no bungee cords)

Functioning parking brake

Winch at least 150% capacity of vehicle weight

Winch accessory kit (tree saver, snatch block, clevis, chain, gloves)

Recovery rope

Jack capable of lifting the vehicle

First aid kit

Fire extinguisher mounted within reach of occupants

Spill kit

Must be self-sufficient (bring your own spare parts, fluids, tools, food and water)

See All 5 Photos

Video, Web, Social Media, and Magazine Exposure

One requirement we have is that you DO NOT MENTION OR DISCLOSE ANYTHING ABOUT OUR LOCATION, DESTINATION, OR ROUTE OF THE TRIP. This is for the safety and security of the trip, and for greater ease of movement of the already unwieldy 20-30 vehicles we will have in our group. This is a private event and as such closed to the public, but we fully expect to encounter fans and spectators along the way. Keeping the number of spectators and fans to a minimum by some sense of secrecy can help reduce unforeseen issues.

Ultimate Adventure is an edit-based event for the entertainment of the readership of Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road. In this day and age any and all attendees can help showcase the event with their own online coverage of the event, which we welcome and encourage. We simply request that all of your videos, photos updates, and posts online on your websites and social media sites have a link to the following page: www.4wor-ua.com , and or use the following hashtag #UA2017 . This helps support the event for those new to it, and helps link enthusiasts to even more coverage.

4-Wheel & Off-Road will be creating daily updates and stories for our website and social media properties such as Facebook, and we encourage you to do the same. Please go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/4wheeloffroad) and post up photos, comments, status updates, and the like, of the trip and of your build up. Also, if you are posting items on your Facebook page about the trip please add Facebook.com/4wheeloffroad as this will help link viewers to our site for additional information.

We welcome your blogging, forum posts, and updating your own sites with information prior to and during the event, but again we request that you please have a link to the following page: www.4wor-ua.com

We will also have a film crew along with us for the production of a DVD, and you will need to sign their releases since this is not a public event. We are interested in your photos for the magazine print coverage of the event, but we prefer these to be unpublished prior to the story hitting newsstands. As such, if you have an awesome shot of some crazy action we'd like to see it before you post it anywhere.