snow wheeling by yourself - traction aids

the first time i ever took my jeep up in the snow, i had to use my floormats to get out of the ditch i got stuck in.
last night, i had to back halfway down lolo pass in the dark because i couldnt safely get out of the ruts in the snow to turn around. and i didnt have floormats...

the house that i grew up in had a metal slush mat that came with the place, that was VERY heavy steel, durable, and would roll up like carpet.

like this stuff








it seems that is is used as a drag mat for dirt tracks and baseball infields,
if this stuff is anywhere near as cool as that slush mat i had growing up, it would get you out of almost any situation.

So will my winch.

Some folks in the club carry cat litter too. That seems to help.

how many people use chains when wheelin in the snow?

i was out this weekend and was sliding all over the place goin down hill on logging roads and it was not a fun expierence

alexer03 said:

how many people use chains when wheelin in the snow?

i was out this weekend and was sliding all over the place goin down hill on logging roads and it was not a fun expierence

Click to expand...

I've used them in the past, but not for the last 10 years or so. They're a pain in the ass, dig up the trail, and are largely unnecessary if you're aired down properly and using good driving technique.

Several things to consider in this thread.
1. You shouldn't be out "wheeling" in the snow on your own if at all possible.
2. Obviously a winch is a VERY valuable tool in many situations.
3. In the past (prior to a winch) I have used Sand Tracks, plastic grates, hi-lifts, shovels, wood from the trail, etc to get un-stuck. The problem usually is that we let ourselves get more stuck than we should have if we had just done the "right" thing when we first got stuck.
4. Due to #3 I recommend that as soon as you get "stuck" you do a full investigation of the situation, tools available, options, and take all of the "right" precautions to get your self out of the situation as safely as possible.

Chains. I have always carried chains that fit my Jeep when wheeling in the snow but I have very rarely used them (and I don't carry them anymore). They have been most usefull when coming down hill on a compact snow/ice trail and you can't stop without them. Most of the wheeling I do now (deep snow) there is no use for them. LOW tire pressure and consistent wheel speed is much more usefull. Chains dig and most of the time we want to stay on top of the snow.

Michael

yeah where i was it was all mostly compacted by since it had been runn previoulsy to us and their was only like 8 inches of snow so chains would have helped.

does anyone weigh down the back of an xj like they do small trucks? or is fillin it with people ususally good enough?

and will airing down help on ice or just compact snow? ive never really been wheeling in the snow so sorry if these are stupid questions

alexer03 said:

does anyone weigh down the back of an xj

Click to expand...

Yeah I have a 33 spare, two jack stands, a 3ton floor jack, all my tools, and my cooler in the back right now. I didn't have any issues in 2wd on the street when it snow Saturday, I didn't need to use 4wd at all.

[

does anyone weigh down the back of an xj like they do small trucks? or is fillin it with people ususally good enough?

[/quote]
i have a spare on the roof,hi lift, bunch of tools and some parts in the back of mine, i had one person in back, and i have siped rear tires and i did pretty good going up hill on packed snow.

wheeling alone = bad

what if you died? no one would be there to help you not die.

yeah i think that my durango bumper and swamper on the back help alot. but jeeps are still fairly light

mine is horrible when the snow or slick conditions come. These are the few days i wish i had my 242 back. doesnt help going through the 5 foot puddle up the road from here though