backing up existing rom

[the18thtee]

Do what rajivkamath said. Use sprite backup to backup everything off the phone, then if you brick it, just go back to the original rom you were using (the stock roms are available for download at http://www.utstar.com/pcd/uts_downloads.aspx) and use sprite backup to restore everything. Remember to save everything to the storage card using sprite backup.
Its really easy to use the kitchen, and like I said, its damn near impossible to "brick" your phone, just the occasional "stuck in bootloader" problem.
Just use the SEARCH and do some research and youll be fine. You will be amazed at the difference.