In a little over a week, the lakebed in Johnson Valley, California will be filled with RVs, racers, and fans. Heading out to the first big off-road event, King of the Hammers doesn’t have to break the bank. Let us walk you through some cheap ways to get you to Hammer Town.

Camping

After all, this is the desert, there is no need for fancy hotel rooms, warm showers, and extravagant dinners. People may be scared away by the amount of RVs that show up to the lakebed, but that does not mean you have to have one.

Camping and off-road seem to go hand in hand. You can set up camp almost anywhere and enjoy being with the crowd or away from everyone. Keep in mind that it does get cold at night and being prepared with plenty of blankets or sleeping bags to stay warm.

In addition to making sure that you have blankets to stay warm, make sure to bring plenty of firewood. There is nothing worse than running out of wood too early in the night. One trick for desert newbies is to use a washing machine drum as your fire ring. It will allow heat out of all the holes as well as let in plenty of air to keep the fire going.

Food

Within Hammer Town, there are some spots to grab a bite to eat, but there is nothing saying that you cannot bring in your own food or BBQ while you are out there. Make sure to remember to keep it simple to keep down everything that needs to be packed.

Hamburgers and hot dogs can be perfect you do not have to get crazy. Make sure you have snacks in case you get hungry during the day while watching the race at one of the obstacles. What goes in must come out. Be prepared for anything and everything on your trip to the lakebed.

Communications

The desert can be cell phone service purgatory. Some carriers do better than others, but it should be safe to say that you will not have any service when out watching the race. Although it is not a necessity, having a small handheld radio well get you a long way in case of an emergency. Worse comes to worse you will not be the only person out there, so ask around you could find the help you need out on the lakebed.

Where To Watch

King of the Hammers covers quite a bit of ground and knowing where the best places to go watch the race can elevate your experience. From getting out and having to off-road from Hammer Town to the obstacle spectator areas there is not a bad spot to watch.

Heading to the course you can go to areas like Sledge Hammer, Back Door, and Chocolate Thunder. Keep in mind that the race vehicles will be kicking up a lot of dust and be prepared to get dusty.

If staying back and watching TV is more up your alley, that is an option too. You won’t be watching any Sunday Ticket, but you will be able to sit in your comfortable chair with other off-road enthusiasts and watch the race on the jumbotron. Cameramen place on the course will bring the action live to the screen.

Know The Schedule

Nothing worse than showing up on a day and not being able to watch the event that you came for. There will be something to see or do any day out at the event, but there may be something that catches your attention more than another.

This year’s schedule is below:

Friday 2/3 – Hammertown Opens

Saturday 2/4 – UTV and 4600 Qualifying/King of The Motos Part 1

Sunday 2/5– King of The Motos Parts 2 and 3

Monday 2/6 – Vision X Shootout Presented by King Shocks

Tuesday 2/7 – Qualifying – 4500, 4800 and 4400

Wednesday 2/8 – Can-Am KOH UTV Race Presented by RCV & Qualifying (4400 Only)

Thursday 2/9 – Smittybilt Every Man Challenge

Friday 2/10– Nitto King of The Hammers Powered by Optima

Saturday 2/11 – KOH The Experience/ Axial R/C Trail Run

It is now time to get packing and make sure everything is ready to go for the 2017 King of the Hammers. We will see you out on the lakebed!