Driving in the snow.

[Mischief209]

I havent driven much in the snow and when i have its been on the highway. Theres a good chance the zone ill be in will get snow this year. What are some tip for driving in the snow on the backroads to the trailhead. Some are paved and some are not. Id imagine that doesnt mean much if theirs 10inchs of snow on the ground. Even with 4x4, at what point do you need to put chains on? front and back? Is it better to drive in wheel ruts already made or blaze your own wheel trail? Thanks alot.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Chains when sliding sideways or getting deep. Deep snow can hang up axles/frame so ruts can be bad at times. Know when to say when, it's unlikely a back country road will improve farther in...

Most important have some solid tow points front and rear. Noting sucks more than trying to help someone only to have jack sh$t to strap onto that doesn't bust something or thrash gear or send a piece of your vehicle flying into theirs...

 

[highside74]

Pack a shovel. Plow your own snow and if possible stay out of others tracks. I chain at minimum my front if I have doubts and normally just do all 4. If traction is slippery stay in 4 lo. Take a separate tarp to lay on and a warm pair of waterproof gloves just for chaining and unchaining. Practice putting your chains on and off at least a few times before you go.

 

[badkneesbro]

I havnt chained up since I was in the army 30 years ago, but Im always the last one on the mountain every year(says a lot about my hunting skills) so I end up driving through the snow here in the sierras. I have a 4x4 with a 4inch. lift, & all terrain tires & Im not driving in ruts, but I don't necessarily avoid them unless theyre too deep. Any snow chains I know of, aren't meant to be used @ over 25mph, so why would I go fast without them? In the snow Im always locked in 4x4 mode & I go as fast as I can without sliding off the mountain. That means I usually don't go over 40mph & often drive at 15 or 20. Go slow & feel your way through it. Just my .02.

 

[COlineman78]

I have had to chain up in archery season due to mud, so don't get caught without them. As far as deep snow: the worst thing you can do is get off the road and into a drift, so while it may be preferred to avoid deep ruts, it would be far worse to end up off the road so if you can't clearly see the road I stick in the ruts. The guy that made them didn't get stuck so it's a good bet that you won't either. If you haven't put the chains on yet you will want to avoid 4-LOW as the high torque is not desired in the winter. In fact, I have had a few vehicles that had a snow mode that would restrict the torque output similar to starting in second gear with a manual. The one thing you don't want to do is get your tires hot because they will melt the snow on contact lowering the coefficient of friction and causing more slippage. A shovel is a must, but a snow shovel is not as useful as a short handle garden shovel like this one: HDX 19.75 in. D-Handle Transfer Shovel-2593400 - The Home Depot

 

[Brightwhite]

I feel safe with a shovel, hi lift jack, chains, and a winch with a variety of snatch blocks, straps, and d-rings. My wife hunts late season with me, so if we get stuck, I need to get us out ASAP so she thinks I know what I am doing...

 

[badkneesbro]

I feel safe with a shovel, hi lift jack, chains, and a winch with a variety of snatch blocks, straps, and d-rings. My wife hunts late season with me, so if we get stuck, I need to get us out ASAP so she thinks I know what I am doing...

Maybe one of you should drive a recovery vehicle while youre at it. I agree about carrying all those tools. I have the hi-lift jack & will be buying some accessories as well. Another thing to consider is a tow strap & or a properly rated chain. Not just for pulling a stuck vehicle out, but for pulling a downed tree out of your way. This was something I had to do last year to get off the mountain to get home. Doesn't seem to take much snow to start knocking down trees. An ax & or a saw would be a good idea also along with a good shovel like "COlineman78" recommends. +1 on a winch!

 

[fngTony]

Bring extra fuel. If it looks sketchy stop on flat ground, walk ahead to see. Low spots may be drifts, check the depth. Steady momentum going up hills. Stay in lower gear for downhill. Even with chains fast starts. Uses a tarp to lay on while attaching chains. Practice putting on chains first. Have something to tie down the extra links.

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[Mischief209]

Thanks for all the great info, this will help out a lot and cleared up a few concerns I had. Is there a particular brand of chain people prefer? I've just got the old school chain style buy see they make cable and different style chains. Great tip on bring a tarp to lay on, didn't think of that. I always carry a shovel. I need to look into a hi jack. Thanks again.

 

[4ester]

Chains are for getting out, not getting in. Always pack a shovel. Always have a long tow strap. Use two trucks to access an area if you are unsure.


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[toddb]

Do not get in a hurry. All excited opening morning one year and in a hurry, damn near lost it and slid down bank into river. Lost my driving privilege for rest of trip. Our group still remembers it 10 years later.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Snow depth is not always created equal. 12 inches of hard crusty snow is a whole lot easier to get stuck in than a foot of fresh stuff.

Chains aren't just for the way up the hill, they are more important for the way down when you start sliding. Like COLineman, I've had to chain up in mud before. I usually do all four if I'm doing it.

Tarps are great for working on. I usually keep a set of Carhart coveralls in the back too.

V-bar chains are really nice, but not necessary. You can go about anywhere with them, but I just run standard chains. Keep extra bungee tighteners in case one breaks.

Ditto on the scoop shovel for moving snow, much more efficient.

If someone ahead of you blazed a trail, follow it. I've gotten stuck turning around and getting into a drift more often than any other way.

 

[fngTony]

Check your owners manual but I always buy chains not cables. Had good luck with ones from walmart. Along with the tarp have some non hunting clothes, Even if it is walmart camo you don't want to start off muddy and wet.


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[5MilesBack]

Normally unless the snow is real fresh, the back country roads will be mud more than anything and sometimes very deep ruts that will absolutely swallow a vehicle up. Some of those "bogs" you see in the middle of a two track can be very deep. The tricky stuff is anything on a slope......gravity tends to win even with chains.

Last year during archery on a warm sunny day with all dry roads I came upon an older gentleman ML hunter that flagged me down. He said he'd been there waiting for someone to come along since the night before and this was about two in the afternoon. He tells me that his truck is stuck about a 1/4 mile down this side road. I know that road.......it only goes about 1/4 mile and stops. We get back there and his truck is contorted in all kinds of positions stuck in the only bog back there in the dark shade. Sad thing is.......the road ends only another 60 feet probably beyond that bog. So I threw a chain on his truck and pulled him out. Know where you're going.

Another time we came upon a guy pulling one of those old bullet trailers up a trail that was full of mud and ruts. And of course he had the trailer stuck in a deep rut. We offered to try and pull him out so he hooks the chain to his bumper and I told him he needed to get it on the frame. He kept insisting and insisting and demanded that we pull him out that way. So we did.....and pulled his bumper off. That was fun.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

As noted you want actual chains, not cables. I have a pair of square link and a pair of twist link, no real preference since I haven't had to use them in the snow just mud. The slick mud here is no joke, slight tilt in the road and you're sliding sideways...

I do have a winch, blocks, straps, etc. on my truck as well but I don't go into stuff planning to use them, in reality I've only had to use my winch once and that was to pull a girls crossover back onto the road after she went over the edge along Kebler Pass. I having a winch on my truck means karma says I'll never use it to pull out my truck then that was money well spent.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

We offered to try and pull him out so he hooks the chain to his bumper and I told him he needed to get it on the frame. He kept insisting and insisting and demanded that we pull him out that way. So we did.....and pulled his bumper off. That was fun.

Like I noted above folks have good tow points. Even if you wrapped the frame a strap is going to get beat on to do so (if its yours) and using a chain when towing someone out is not my idea of fun. I've seen too many straps/crappy tow points/etc. let loose over the years. Ripped off bumpers, busted out headlights, caved in radiators, dents, cut/thrashed straps, etc. Sucks when you know it's a sucky situation but you'd feel like a dick walking away from it.

 

[theleo91386]

Most of it's been covered but the one tip I have is that if there's enough snow on the ground that the vehicle in front of you is packing snow down give them lots of room and be ready to get your tires in the fresh if you start to lose traction. Following my dad pulling his horse trailer up a logging road with the rite kind of snow you'd be surprised how little snow it can actually take to make you chain up. My hunting rig is a 94' Toyota 4wd pickup and I don't run knobby tires.

 

[WyoElk]

Never drive faster than your willing to put it in the ditch. My grandfather gave me that advice and it's always held true.

 

[rileybassman]

Keep in mind not all trucks can run front chains (aka some if not all Tundra's) and if you run only one set of chains, only run back. This is because if you are going down hill, and your fronts are chained, but not the backs, it can make you fish tail.
Fresh snow is much easier to drive in the ice/crust pack. I tend to avoid 4 lo, because sometimes if you are slipping or sliding, you need some RPMs to get traction and get out of a situation - 4 lo only gets you around 7-10 mph (at least in my rig).
Good tires make a huge difference too!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Oh another thing on chains: Fit them up ahead of time so you know what link on them is appropriate for your tire and don't be afraid to trim off links so you don't have a rat tail whipping around. My tires fell on the smaller side of the recommended sizing and I had to choke up leaving 4 loose links to get then snug on dry tires. I cut off 3 links so those weren't flying around and left one in case I'm having trouble getting them on over mud/snow.