20-30 mph wind and snowing. Didn't make it up there.
I don't know how much they've improved, as I've only recently been going, but they are nice. Bring toilet paper. It sucks to walk all the way to the bathroom sqeezing your butcheeks so nothing leaks, to get there and find no tp!
Sand tires are not neccessary. That may even have been why you remember the sand eating up horsepower.
$10 per person per day. flag has to reach 10 ft. If you don't have a flag, little sahara power sports has them and their prices are better than most places. no noise restrictions.
I have the 13t sprocket, and stock tires. Launching hard in second gear I come out of the hole faster (or at least as fast as) most other quads with sand tires.
Tow straps are nice to have. Bring a long one in case your the one being towed. Goggles (some kind of eye protection) tinted for day, and clear for night.
If you've got them, cell phones, radios and GPS units can come in real handy.
As the dunes shift sometimes the fence gets buried. pay attention to were you are especially on the west side, there's a lot of open nothingness out there.