Winter recovery gear...

[TRD Am]

I have a TRD Pro outfitted with a winch and a shovel. I have a piece of land in northern MN that involves an unmaintained and still snowy road. I got stuck today for the first time, and was able to get out with what I had, but it was dicey.

Any other recovery tools you folks can recommend for winter travel? I'd like to get to this cabin year round, and I'm hoping I can will it to reality without the help of a plow!

Thanks!

 

[propain]

Tire chains for snow. Pair of Maxtrax.

 

[TRD Am]

Thanks!

Max Traxx specifically? They're crazy expensive, but younthinkntheyre worth it?

 

[4rcybr]

Thanks!

Max Traxx specifically? They're crazy expensive, but younthinkntheyre worth it?

There are several other options... The MaxTraxx are good, I went with the Tred Pro as I liked their design better. Those are both fairly equivalent and rather top of the line.

If you have plenty of space, another option is the traditional aluminum ladders

Those are still pricy, but can be longer/shorter/wider/etc to meet your needs, and will probably hold up better in the long run, though performance will likely be slightly less than the plastic ones I mention above (less traction).

After that you get to things like the smittybilt option, which might be great, or might not be. FrontRunner have a pair of fiberglass sand ladders, but I wouldn't really recommend them for snow/ice.

There's also tools such as the x-jack, which might be nice on snow. Maybe something like a pull-pal if you don't have other places to attach your winch if you want to spend the money.

Anyways, you have a winch and a shovel (full size shovel, yes?). Get a pair of traction boards (do your research, see what's best for you) and some chains and you should be good. Oh, and a compressor maybe-so you can air down/up as needed.

 

[dagen]

Tire chains for snow. Pair of Maxtrax.

+1 on both of those.
Maxtrax will really help out in a lot of situations whether they be snow, mud, sand, etc. . .

 

[Jetboy]

Air compressor. Low pressure >>>>> tire chains. If you want to drive in deeper snow - the lower the tire pressure you can run without the tire coming off the rim the better. Low ground pressure is the key to snow traction. Often when you're actually high centered in deep snow - you can just air down and drive out of it. I've done it many many times in more offroad dedicated vehicles, but also in my 4runner. Tire chains have their place on icy surfaces, but in general for deep snow you want low tire pressure rather than tire chains. Side by side I've never seen chains work better off road. On the highway for icy roads - chains are pretty good. It's just a rare scenario where you have snow just deep enough that you need to dig down to the ground below, but not so deep that you'll get high centered if you dig down to the ground below. Anything beyond that and your goal is to stay on top of the snow. For that low pressure is best. And unfortunately you can't do both chains and low pressure.

I also would take a contrarian view and suggest that you should save your money for maxtrax or similar if you have a winch and low tire pressure for snow travel. A pull pal or similar winch anchor is handy if you don't have other anchors for winching. If you have traction mats I wouldn't necessarily leave them behind, but I wouldn't buy a set for snow use. You won't see many people who do a lot of offroading in snow with either chains or traction mats.

 

[theMayor]

A kinetic recovery tow rope never leaves my truck in the winter.

And I cant believe no one has asked, but what kind of tires are you running? Winter SPECIFIC tires will do better than anything else. I've been in 2ft deep powder on CO mountain passes in my old Honda CRV (awd) and never needed chains thanks to my tires. Get a set with a spare set of rims and keep them in the garage in the summer. They are 10000% worth the investment.

 

[eroy2]

Stay away from Smittybilt elements in cold. Had 2 sets fail on me. they are too brittle. I use Tred Pros and they are rated for 5F, lifetime warranty too. Maxtraxs work great too, I don't have a local distributor.

 

[Bumbo]

Thanks!

Max Traxx specifically? They're crazy expensive, but younthinkntheyre worth it?

I used to think recovery gear like that was expensive until I tried to do a recovery without proper recovery gear...

There was a time I got my 4x4 Chevy Silverado stuck in the desert... the frame was sitting in the sand it was so bad. I would have gladly paid full pop for those traction pads. Specialty towing starts at $400 just to come out + the actual recovery... For me that meant get to digging.

To make matters worse, two more trucks got stuck trying to get me unstuck. All this was in 105+F summer heat... What an experience.

To make matters even worse after that... my air pump died on its first use too haha. We didn't get out of there until 2am.

I had a lot of "school of hard knock" lessons off-road... these days Ill buy the best I can afford when it comes to good kit.

Here is a budget option that works pretty well too... I have these as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Innovations-...&qid=1493083444&sr=8-20&keywords=traction+pad

Get a decent portable air kit too... a Viair 400P has been a real champ.

The only problem with the Max Traxx or similar is that they are unwieldy. Too big to store in the truck and if you do you will want em out asap. They take up a lot of space so think of storage before you go spending on them. I ended up getting a flat rack just for junk like that.

I have a hi-lift jack up there too but its just for looks. I never use it because it terrifies me... but I rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

[TRD Am]

Thanks to everyone! The snow is gone so I made it through this one without any true calamity.

Air compressor: I need to get one. I'll be screwing around on forest roads a lot this summer. That would be a really expensive recovery!

I do have dedicated snow tires. They're fantastic.

Maxtraxx: sounds like everyone who's spent the money on them loves them. You get what you pay for...words to live by.

I guess this is where the Gobi roof rack comes in. I'm going to need it if I'm
Hauling around all this stuff!

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Bumbo]

I know I gave a recommendation for traction pads but I think you really need to think about the type of terrain you drive before throwing down coin on one.

Personally I can't stand using them on hard-pack dirt or rocky areas... generally on obstacles where the use of lockers was needed because its not a replacement for the right tool.

Most of the time I just chew up the trak pad or tire if I spin, or it just kicks the pad out from under itself...

For mud, snow, and sand... soft soft deep desert sand, then its worth the coin.

If you have a pull pal a winch or strap is a much nicer option. That said, I carry 3 straps of different lengths because there are times you get into a goldilocks and the three bears situation.

Puncture repair kit , and a bottle of slime is always in the truck as well.

I hate recovery gear... I actually try not to get into situations where I need to use it, but the day I dont bring it with me, is the day I am going to need it lol.

 

[techno]

Just a note on chains if you ever go that route. They are better used as a preventative measure, rather than a recovery option. Once a vehicle is stuck, they are extremely difficult to fit and even harder to fit properly.
Instead, chains should be fitted when you recognize the conditions have deteriorated enough to warrant using them and therefore will help prevent you getting stuck in the first place.