Preparing for mid November

[treedagain]

I have never had the need for a winch, 30+ years of winter hunting / lion hunting pulling a loaded trailer with dogs and bikes, snowmobiles, never a winch have been of any use that a HI-lift couldn't get me out of. problem with a winch is for the most part you need something to anchor with.

Hi-lift
shovel (s)
tow straps
chains
good tires
and if you want kitty litter or sand for traction on ice....or just use the shovel and make your own traction with free dirt.

some good old common sense, if it feels wrong, get out and look before you leap.

 

[Bluejeep]

I would get a get tow strap over a chain. I used to belong to a off road club and chains were not allowed. I have witnessed first hand the damage a chain can do when it breaks while under tension. A good strap will be stronger, cheaper, and lighter then a recovery chain. Just be mindful of what it will rub against.

I would still carry a piece of chain for moving debris and anchoring if needed, but I would use the strap whenever I could.

 

[MHWASH]

I think you should save your money and skip the winch and skid plates. Considering your lack of experience with snow, I think you best plan of action is to use 4wd until you get stuck, then throw your chains on to get unstuck. Add a come along and shovel and you should be able to get out of 99% of predicaments.

 

[bullbugle307]

I'd take a winch any day over a skid plate. Plastic skid plates aren't worth much besides marking the trail where they got torn off.

I'd also get some sort of battery booster pack, and throw some sand bags in the bed of your truck. HiLift jacks can be a wonderful asset if you know how to use them, but they can also be incredibly dangerous.

Damn right. I'll never forget the first time I saw one of those suckers at a junkyard with the handle flying up and down. It could've killed someone.

 

[NYyotekiller]

The best advice for deep snow secondary road driving above all, is to GO SLOW.

Most guys try to drive like a bat out of hell and get buried in a snow drift or run off the road and get stuck. With chains on, go slow and steady. Go easy forward until you can’t go no more, then back up and try again. It might take you longer to get where you’re going, but it’s better than digging out of a snowdrift for an hour. Been there, done that.

A local motorcycle trials rider that taught me has a good quote, “momentum is your best friend, and your worst enemy”.

 

[Ben Sellers]

Thanks for all the replies guys. There’s a lot of advice here and while it isn’t always consistent it all makes sense.

 

[3855WIN]

I usually take two spare tires and a patch kit. This is due to two flats on a New Mexico “state highway” that was unpaved. My friend was driving too fast, but he proved you can blow out two tires at once.

 

[C17loadclear]

It was mentioned in a longer post so i thought I would chime in in case it slipped through...good tires (10 ply) will go a long way...