4x4'ing For Dummies...

I searched around and couldn't really find a specific thread dedicated to sharing information, major do's and dont's and stories about 4x4'ing.
There are a lot of big time veteran off roaders as well as people who bought a 4x4 but only use it 2 times a year on here.

What are some major do's and dont's when using 4x4 in the tacoma? When have you found 4Hi to be better than 4Lo and vice versa ? Do you have any crazy off road stories that we could learn from while on the trail? It can be something as simple at engaging 4x4 to I dont know... tire air pressure when driving in sand? whatever regarding 4x4's goes!

 

Sub’d

 

The best part of 4x4ing to me is the challenge and exploration. The obstacles are puzzles and I have to try and solve the puzzle. Basic 4x4ing is a lot of common sense, it’s when you get into more difficult and extreme situations that you really need to understand the do’s and don’ts.

Safety is the number 1 priority. Everything else can be learned through trial and error.

 

I'm a manual transmission and almost exclusively use 4LO because it reduces the gearing meaning less clutch work. This also helps me a lot on obstacles. I wheel with mostly auto guys and they tend to leave it in 4HI because they don't have to deal with the clutch, but they would also greatly benefit from 4LO. So what I'm getting at is don't be afraid to use 4LO!