COMPLETED: October 24th 2009 Offroad @ Wharton

[irishboy02]

Okay got the pics

Well, on my first offroad adventure, i learned many recovery techniques (sorry foosh)

first this happened..





Then it was noob to the rescue...








Cleanin off the tires/brakes after getting foosh unstuck...


So, i then decided that I would like to go through this same pit...

My consultant for the mud ruts..


In and out no problem


caught in a deep rut comin out, but was able to wiggle my way out



couple minutes later, i decided that Tom owed me one..there was some seriously soft sand in there!




After this point, my sisters camera died, she told me it was charged!!

It was a fun day though no doubt...but i think i won

[foosh]

Hey Brendan you should be writing with capititals for one thing...

We didn't end up going to Wharton, for time reasons. We went to GSP Exit 74, where its a public access road that leads to private land. A friend knows the owner well and lets it be used for quading and offroading.

And man you really didn't get any pics...

For the real story, I learned the hard way my 4x4 wasn't working and ended up in way deep ruts so deep my axle was grounded and my tires were free spinning. Brendan didn't actually do anything. We ended up using the high lift to get it out of the ruts, and onto the land inbetween where I was able to drive out.

After I got stuck Brendan was driving around in the sand trying to get a feel, and did managed to get stuck 3 times in the sand. Once again the high-lift came in handy.

Later when all the shennangians were over, we went for a trail ride out to a quary. It was a few miles long and was pit after pit of mud, sharp turns, whoops, and tight sqeezes through quad trails. We got out the quary just as the sun fell and decided to head back so it wasn't pitch black out (but who cares when you have plenty of lighting) and mad it out nice and speedy. The only problem was i went to the wrong side of a mud pit into another, and it was one of the duece pits, so needless to say I got stuck once again. And finally Brendan's truck performed a rescue by yanking me back out, and for some reason my 4x4 worked again...

[irishboy02]

Hey Brendan you should be writing with capititals for one thing...

We didn't end up going to Wharton, for time reasons. We went to GSP Exit 74, where its a public access road that leads to private land. A friend knows the owner well and lets it be used for quading and offroading.

And man you really didn't get any pics...

For the real story, I learned the hard way my 4x4 wasn't working and ended up in way deep ruts so deep my axle was grounded and my tires were free spinning. Brendan didn't actually do anything. We ended up using the high lift to get it out of the ruts, and onto the land inbetween where I was able to drive out.

After I got stuck Brendan was driving around in the sand trying to get a feel, and did managed to get stuck 3 times in the sand. Once again the high-lift came in handy.

Later when all the shennangians were over, we went for a trail ride out to a quary. It was a few miles long and was pit after pit of mud, sharp turns, whoops, and tight sqeezes through quad trails. We got out the quary just as the sun fell and decided to head back so it wasn't pitch black out (but who cares when you have plenty of lighting) and mad it out nice and speedy. The only problem was i went to the wrong side of a mud pit into another, and it was one of the duece pits, so needless to say I got stuck once again. And finally Brendan's truck performed a rescue by yanking me back out, and for some reason my 4x4 worked again...

Wow Thomas, great story! You should tell that at a party sometime.

[MrSmithsTB]

Looks like it was a killer time, kids! Can't wait to hit something like that up next time.

[foosh]

One thing did i mention how The tires brendan was using were tons better than mine? This is justification to Mud Tires being the only tires you want in this part of the country... when these tires wear out I will most likely be going back to an M/T. These tires are great on trails with little mud, but for that occassional mud pit...no good.

[Gordinho80]

Nice pics! Looks like you guys had a fun time. I'm hoping to make it next week!

BTW... Tom, I'm noticing a pattern when you go off-roading.... LOL

[foosh]

Mario, thats cause i'm tester, and i have a little bug that sits in the seat next to me and says dude you got this... plus i know i can always get it out.

[irishboy02]

Now, now, fight nice ladies

Guess well just havta get you both out on the same trial at the same time then to settle this debate

Okay im sorry that was just a poor excuse...i really really wanna go again, puh-leezee

[onelow1ton]

looks like you all had some fun

[The Roadie]

Yah, yah. Great fun. Great mud. Great extraction practice. I'm too old for that sort of shit on a regular basis.

Anybody aired down? Doesn't look like it.

One trick I read about and haven't used in a couple of years because I avoid the unknown depth mud holes now is the steering wheel wiggle. If you're about to get bogged down and losing momentum and you're about to get stuck if you do nothing else, is to wiggle the steering wheel from side to side to get some side lug traction, assuming you have some side lugs. At least you might get some fresh non-rutted bottom terrain and it can't hurt.

But I can't stress enough about airing down. A miracle tactic that almost never lets me down in sand or on washboards or on rocky hills.

[MrSmithsTB]

Yah, yah. Great fun. Great mud. Great extraction practice. I'm too old for that sort of shit on a regular basis.

Anybody aired down? Doesn't look like it.

One trick I read about and haven't used in a couple of years because I avoid the unknown depth mud holes now is the steering wheel wiggle. If you're about to get bogged down and losing momentum and you're about to get stuck if you do nothing else, is to wiggle the steering wheel from side to side to get some side lug traction, assuming you have some side lugs. At least you might get some fresh non-rutted bottom terrain and it can't hurt.

But I can't stress enough about airing down. A miracle tactic that almost never lets me down in sand or on washboards or on rocky hills.

Good observation. WHEN I make it to the next one, I will make sure to bring my portable compressor so we can air back up after the trip.

[foosh]

Yah, yah. Great fun. Great mud. Great extraction practice. I'm too old for that sort of shit on a regular basis.

Anybody aired down? Doesn't look like it.

One trick I read about and haven't used in a couple of years because I avoid the unknown depth mud holes now is the steering wheel wiggle. If you're about to get bogged down and losing momentum and you're about to get stuck if you do nothing else, is to wiggle the steering wheel from side to side to get some side lug traction, assuming you have some side lugs. At least you might get some fresh non-rutted bottom terrain and it can't hurt.

But I can't stress enough about airing down. A miracle tactic that almost never lets me down in sand or on washboards or on rocky hills.

I get to teach the Roadie

Ah Roadie, you still have much to learn about mud! First of all we checked depths pretty much always, and I've done this pit before. Second mud is very deceptive, very little can get even the biggest of trucks stuck. Here its all about tire height and vehicle hieght in mud: if your stuck, and you air down theres a good chance of having less traction because you could end up sitting on your axle with underinflated tires therefore giving no traction whatsoever. So, the bigger the tires, the less to drag of driveline through the mud such as the sway bar and axle, and the more surface area you have(so you don't have to air down much if any and can retain the same height). But yes the tire wiggle is key, a very important part of getting traction in thick mud and yes deep mud lugs are key which our tires don't really have (I have the same tires as Roadie). For me the problem was that I lost my 4x4 right before i got stuck, I was in 2wd because I've done this mud pit a couple times before and knew it, and when I got stuck and tried to enguage 4x4 to just pull me out, it didn't work.

[MrSmithsTB]

Whatever, lets just do it again.

[foosh]

Ok, sounds good!

Whether my 4x4 is good or not i'm in, we can always practice recovery with my truck!

[Trail X]

Looks like it was a fun time guys. Maybe once my 4wd is fixed I'll head up your way.

Curious... in this picture, is that one strap?



If so, that sucker is long! I'm impressed! Where did you find a 50' strap?

If that is two, how did you connect them together, with a shackle? Inquiring minds want to know.

[foosh]

James... i'm surprized you don't know... this technique is useful when a vehicle is suck in mud and the recovery vehicle has to stay on solid ground. Yes, it's two 30 or 40 footers, i forget. The hooks on the end have a small loop where they're attached, and you can slip the hooks into the other straps loop.

And whats wrong with your 4x4, it seems to be a big issue... mines not either...

[Trail X]

Oh, you misunderstood... I understand the technique well! I wrote the book on it, hehe (that is, if Teebes ever get around to publishing it ).

I was actually more curious about your strap length. You don't normally see recovery straps that long in a single strap... thus my question on how they were attached became my concern.

You say you were using straps with hooks, eh? I was worried about that. Straps with hooks are not meant as recovery straps. Straps with hooks are static straps, not meant to absorb impulse loads.

The proper way to attach two hookless straps is without any metal hardware. This prevents them from becoming missiles in the case of a strap failure. The proper method is below:



The magazine acts as a dowel, that aids in separating the straps and reduces their stress by increasing the knot radii.

[foosh]

The straps i use are my best friends, his dad used to run the Land Rover offroad program locally, and knows quite abit about recoveries and extractions, but never did he buy any straps but these. If he trusted that they wouldn't break and sling-shot out a 80K dollar range rovers rear glass, then i'd trust them too.

[Trail X]

Just because someone else does it, doesn't make it safe. Just trying to save your life man.

[The Roadie]

The magazine acts as a dowel...

Only Scott Brady would use an Overland Journal as a strap dowel.