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Be able to fit everything you bring on your tour into one travel bag or backpack.

It’s no fun to try and fit your extra luggage or previous shopping finds into a crowded vehicle with limited space for extras. Do your best to carry your photographic equipment in a small bag that will hang at your side. Jeep seats are generally crowded and have no room for shopping bags full of recent purchases and the floor of the Jeep is not a great place for expensive gear.

Bring multiple layers of clothing in anticipation of weather changes.

Winter – Warm gloves and a snug-fitting knit hat are essentials along with layered clothing so you can add or subtract according to conditions. Can you say “Wind Chill”? Riding in an open Jeep at 40 mph as you cross town to get to your tour’s trail can be way, way colder than you might expect. This is especially true for first tour of the morning or any tour returning near sunset.

Summer – A wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap make the intense Arizona sun, well, not so intense. Wear lightweight cotton clothing with complete coverage if you sunburn easily. Sunscreen will make you feel secure during any lengthy walkabouts. Whether you prefer shorts or long pants remember that Jeep seats get very hot in the sun and can be uncomfortable on bare skin. A small towel or cloth to place between you and the hot vinyl can be a lifesaver. During the summer Monsoon rainy season think about bringing your own rain gear, especially on longer tours. It’s no fun to discover that your Jeep guide forgot to restock the one-use rain ponchos. A waterproof bag for your expensive camera or video recorder can also make the difference between a fun tour and an unpleasant experience.

Spring and Fall – Expect the unexpected in weather changes and bring extra layers. It can snow in April and be 70 degrees a day later.

Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.

Flip flops, sandals, or even platform shoes may seem like fun until you stub your toe on uneven ground climbing up to see the sights at your first stop out of the Jeep. It’s a good idea to wear sturdy walking shoes like Nikes, low boots, or other tennis shoe styles. The one exception might be if you are experienced at wearing open-toed Tevas, Birkenstocks, or Chacos in varying traction conditions. If that’s your usual outdoor choice, then go right ahead. Just remember that hiking down a steep, rocky grade in any shoes that do not have a really excellent grip will add a dimension of danger you may not want to accept. In the winter you will want not only warm, comfortable shoes, but also warm, padded socks. And if it does rain, you’ll be glad to have shoes that can take the elements.

Wear eye-glasses – leave your contacts behind.

Conditions to consider: dust, wind, and swirling heat; a steady blast of cold or hot wind blowing through the Jeep as it cruises across Sedona at 40 mph on its way to your destination; occasional mists of tiny insects that have the unique ability to find their way into eyes, ears, and mouths; sucking dust from vehicles that have the good fortune to be ahead of you on the dirt road you’re driving in your open tour Jeep. If you can honestly say that you can wear your contact lenses under these circumstances without any ill effects, then go ahead. My 15 year experience as a Jeep tour guide indicates otherwise.

Watch your step when out of the Jeep – scary things are much closer than they appear in the mirror.

When you’re out of the Jeep and walking over uneven ground, take special care to watch for loose rocks on slopes and pebble-sized rocks on smooth sandstone surfaces. In both cases the rocks can act as ball bearings and can send you surfing down a slope in the blink of an eye. If your tour involves extended hiking to archaeological ruins or other interesting sites be aware that snakes can and do inhabit the trails, especially under rock overhangs that sometimes form the rock steps you’ll be using. If you’ve never been stung by a honeybee and don’t know whether or not you might have an allergic reaction, realize that it’s your choice to go for the ride. If you know that you are allergic, bring your own medicine. It’s often a long way to the nearest emergency care center. You are responsible for your safety on public land and should consider what that means to you and your family. Be prepared.

Tours are not child-watching services - you need to have control over your children in and out of the Jeep.

Jeep tour guides vary greatly in personal patience and in child care experience. I’m a parent and a veteran tour guide so I feel qualified in saying this: it’s sometimes tough work for parents to create the family vacation that pleases everyone. Jeep tours are fun and educational; however the outcome is largely dependent upon the age and inclinations of your children. What fascinates a 10 year old boy who loves insects may bore a teenage girl to tears. Choose your specific tour with FUN in mind or at least with the greatest number of attractions that might satisfy your particular child (children) and you’ll have a much nicer tour. Please remember that when you get out of the Jeep at specific stop points it’s still your job to watch out for your child’s safety. Tour guides are focused on providing fun, informative tours and are trained to look after your safety. When parents are exhausted from trying to control their children and give into the inevitable “it’s too much” feeling, a tour guide may or may not be of much help. Also it’s uncomfortable for a guide to tell someone else’s child what to do and sometimes difficult to get their attention if they’re running down a rocky slope and heading for possible danger. Be proactive and make sure to give special attention to your child’s safety in this unfamiliar setting. If the tour is more for your benefit than their enjoyment, get a child-sitter at your resort or hotel and take the tour alone.

If you are pregnant, have physical problems that could be antagonized by bouncing around in a Jeep, or have had recent surgery (back, neck, spine, heart), take only the mildest tour.

You probably wouldn’t think of skydiving, galloping on horseback, or taking an open-air biplane tour if you had any of these conditions. Jeep tours are not highway coach tours or anything like a taxi ride. You’ll be out in the open, in close quarters with other guests, and secured by a tight seat belt around your waist at all times. A significant feeling of bouncing and swaying will fill much of the tour even if it’s one of the milder scenic tours on a dirt road. Be patient and wait until the right time – a time when your physical state won’t be exacerbated by conditions beyond your control. Also, while it’s great to be active while you’re pregnant, active does not mean you have to take chances. The same is true if you’re recovering from a challenging physical condition like surgery. Take your time, focus on your healthy state of being right now. The tour can wait and will be much more enjoyable at another time when your physical state is more comfortable.

Plan your photography and video.

If you have a film camera, bring extra film and batteries. If you have digital equipment then pack extra batteries. If you want to take photos from the moving vehicle and not just at get-out points, tell your guide what you want and ask what would be the best way to accomplish it. Guides make informative stops along the trail for pointing out geological features, plants, and historical notes. If a guide knows from the start that photo stops are an important part of your tour they are more likely to stop with photographic elements in mind and not just information. Make sure to let your guide know that you want a family or group photo at one of the stop points. And remember that you can ask to sit in the driver’s seat behind the wheel or have your child do so and have the guide take a memorable shot with a special Sedona view in the background. Be creative while still considering the tour’s timing and the needs of the other passengers. Some guides are excellent videographers as well and can film a few moments of you that you’ll always treasure.

Food snacks should be minimal and not messy and the same applies to liquid beverages. Glass containers are never allowed, hot coffee is likely to be all over you and the other passengers, soda pop is too fizzy and messy when it inevitably spills, and alcoholic beverages are against the law while on tour.

Dry snacks like granola bars, an apple, or trail mix are reasonable and welcome on tours; ice cream cones, a sandwich or hot dog, messy and melty candy bars or fudge, and hard candy that might encourage choking are not. You’ll be sitting close to other passengers and full-on eating in an open, moving vehicle is not appropriate. Having a small snack at stops while out of the Jeep is the perfect time since you can find your own space and not be in another passenger’s face. Most Jeep tour companies carry water on tour for their passengers and provide it at stops. The paper cups they supply are useful for drinking at the Jeep, however they are not useful for hiking around. Water or juice in your own plastic bottle is always the way to go – you can enjoy your stops and walk about the fantastic landscape with liquid at hand whenever you want it. During cold season, drink your hot beverages like coffee or tea before the tour begins because it’s way too likely that it could spill on you (or others) and cause mayhem or injury. Glass containers of any kind are strictly forbidden on tours because of the danger inherent when they inevitably drop and break, in or out of the Jeep. Remember that it’s going to be bumpy and you’ll be exposed to the elements – consider eating your big meal as a reward after you get back from your tour.

Smoking is not allowed in tour vehicles. Smoking might be permitted at some stops.

The Coconino National Forest and the Sedona Red Rock Ranger District keep in close contact with Jeep tour companies concerning fire regulations, especially when the presence of fire danger is high. Various stages of restrictions are put into place as the fire danger increases and the Forest Service is resolute in contacting tour companies and making sure that they institute these restrictions. Individual companies, though, have their own rules and regulations concerning smoking when out of the tour vehicle during times that do not involve elevated fire danger. If you really need to smoke while on tour (especially the longer 3-4 hour tours), ask your tour company about their rules and when and where you’ll be able to smoke. If you are allowed to smoke, ask your guide to use their garbage bag for cigarette disposal - while most well-trained guides carry a garbage bag onboard for finished drinking cups, gum, and other trash, be ready to handle the disposal of your finished cigarette yourself by carrying it back to civilization just in case your guide does not have one handy – cigarettes and cigarette filters are trash and cannot be rubbed out on the ground and left behind. Thoughtful rules like this are one of the reasons Sedona and its environs are so beautiful.