verdesardog
Explorer
I got a stump wedged between a front tire and the back of the wheel well when traversing a clear cut at night. Good thing I had a chain saw with me......
Getting Stuck & How You Got Out? Need Some Help!
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Antichrist
Expedition Leader
I had a similar thing happen, only with a small tree, crossing a side hill on the way to the cabin where I was living one snowy evening in VT in the early 90's. It was behind the rear wheel and hard against the chassis side rail. I didn't feel like hiking the rest of the way to the cabin to get the chainsaw, but had a winch so just winched the rear end sideways off of it.
I did pull a lone Wolf Mcquade once. 
Well, I wasn't burried, but basically Gunned it until my tires worked its way down to something solid.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=abMgjSOG8ZAmprvHKRzqHg&bvm=bv.56146854,d.dmg
I did get stuck in my car a few times. once the snow is more than a foot, there's not enough traction for the car to push through the snow with the front bumper.
Well, I wasn't burried, but basically Gunned it until my tires worked its way down to something solid.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=abMgjSOG8ZAmprvHKRzqHg&bvm=bv.56146854,d.dmg
I did get stuck in my car a few times. once the snow is more than a foot, there's not enough traction for the car to push through the snow with the front bumper.
quaintbucket
Observer
I was taking a path off a FSR to see what's up there (camping/hunting). Misjudged the quality of the path and the mud started giving way underneath causing it to slide towards the passenger side. I was thinking, "Ok, no big deal, throw it into 4LO, reverse slowly."
Wasn't going anywhere except continue sliding so I stopped and got out to take a look. I grabbed my shovel, got some gravel, lots of dry sticks and my car carpet underneath the tires. Tried again, wasn't going. Confused. I waved down a passing GMC Sierra just shortly afterward.
We looked at the pathfinder trying to figure out what was going on. Then we saw the hidden mattress in the bush. Didn't see it during my previous inspection but it basically lifted my vehicle onto just two tires and wasn't going anywhere. We came up with a plan that we need to pull me out slowly and my pathy in reverse to avoid the mattress from busting springs and wrapping it around the trans case.
Wrapped chains (nobody had recovery straps) around the rear axle (strongest point of the vehicle, unfortunately). Got out of the situation easy peasy with no damage to the vehicle.
I don't think there was any fathomable way to get out of that situation unless I had a winch. Went wheeling again the following weekend and build my confidence back up but now I know to check paths to make sure there's nothing hidden and it's not compromised severely. I also learned to drive in 2wd as much as possible before I use 4HI. The last part is what got me in trouble because false sense of security. My bad.
e: a good recovery tool to have on hand is a case of beer. to give to the guys who pull you out.. haha...
e2: I guess a hi lift could have helped in that situation but I doubt it. Lifting it would have definitely caused the pathy to roll into the ditch (it was a pretty bad situation)
Wasn't going anywhere except continue sliding so I stopped and got out to take a look. I grabbed my shovel, got some gravel, lots of dry sticks and my car carpet underneath the tires. Tried again, wasn't going. Confused. I waved down a passing GMC Sierra just shortly afterward.
We looked at the pathfinder trying to figure out what was going on. Then we saw the hidden mattress in the bush. Didn't see it during my previous inspection but it basically lifted my vehicle onto just two tires and wasn't going anywhere. We came up with a plan that we need to pull me out slowly and my pathy in reverse to avoid the mattress from busting springs and wrapping it around the trans case.
Wrapped chains (nobody had recovery straps) around the rear axle (strongest point of the vehicle, unfortunately). Got out of the situation easy peasy with no damage to the vehicle.
I don't think there was any fathomable way to get out of that situation unless I had a winch. Went wheeling again the following weekend and build my confidence back up but now I know to check paths to make sure there's nothing hidden and it's not compromised severely. I also learned to drive in 2wd as much as possible before I use 4HI. The last part is what got me in trouble because false sense of security. My bad.
e: a good recovery tool to have on hand is a case of beer. to give to the guys who pull you out.. haha...
e2: I guess a hi lift could have helped in that situation but I doubt it. Lifting it would have definitely caused the pathy to roll into the ditch (it was a pretty bad situation)
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Nonimouse
Cynical old bastard
Always carry a long piece of 5 tonne poly rope - used multiple Carter's Hitches to pull a vehicle out; also used as a turnbuckle to do the same thing
Always carry a ply wood jack pad and a 5 tonne bottle jack; and a couple of 3" deep blocks of wood
Always got a Carter's shovel on board
Always got a heavy duty ratchet strap
Always have a Tirfor for tough routes
Never trust a winch even if you build it up yourself. I burnt out a Bow2 the other week due to a faulty seal and water ingress...
Always carry a ply wood jack pad and a 5 tonne bottle jack; and a couple of 3" deep blocks of wood
Always got a Carter's shovel on board
Always got a heavy duty ratchet strap
Always have a Tirfor for tough routes
Never trust a winch even if you build it up yourself. I burnt out a Bow2 the other week due to a faulty seal and water ingress...
justfred
Adventurer
I got stuck down to the frame in mud in a tidal flat in Mexico. Thankfully, it wasn't being flooded by the tide. We got the second vehicle stuck trying to pull the first one out with a snatch strap. About 200' from the nearest dry ground. We ended up using 2x6 boards - jacked up the vehicle, put the board under the tires, let it back down. Mat-tracks or sand ladders probably would have done the job just as well, but we worked with what we could find!
I like that idea, kind of a light duty comealong with a much longer operating range. I see the 3" and 4" versions have a working load limit of 5,000+ lbs, it may not be fast but I'd think it could come in very handy.
gwittman
Adventurer
The only time I ever got stuck was many years ago in my FJ55 Landcruiser. I was driving along a trail with a gully washed out on the side of the trail from a recent hard rain. The gully was over 2 ft deep and about the 2 ft wide. The side of the gully collapsed from the weight of the vehicle and the two left wheels went into the gully. The Landcruiser was near the tipping point but I was able to use my shovels to dig a ramp for each of the two tires. I was then able to slowly drive out of the gully. Fortunately, it did not collapse again.
I always carry at least one 30 ft tow strap. I also like to carry a ratchet type come-along. Of course I carry tire chains in the snow. I have a high lift jack but don't carry it all the time. I have pulled a lot of vehicle out of trouble but have not needed to be rescued yet.
I always carry at least one 30 ft tow strap. I also like to carry a ratchet type come-along. Of course I carry tire chains in the snow. I have a high lift jack but don't carry it all the time. I have pulled a lot of vehicle out of trouble but have not needed to be rescued yet.
Fzzt
Observer
I thought that too once. Came in very handy at sending me to the emergency room with 2 nicely mangled pinky fingers and if it wouldn't have been for a friend being fast on the draw with a tire iron I'd be typing this much slower! Leave the ratchet straps to securing loads and not as recovery equipment, trust me. This happened trying to get a 1/2t pickup back on a FSR and as the truck came up to the road the little pawls in the ratchet strap buckled under the load letting the full weight of the truck crank the handle forward which nearly acted like a scissors on my fingers. Only took about 5 years for my nails to start growing regular again
LR Max
Local Oaf
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/119179-The-East-Tennessee-Tour
Had three recoveries. Two were self recovery, third was winching my friend out. All three times I used my winch in a single pull configuration. Except for my tree strap being too short (substituted with my recovery strap) and overestimating the distance between my bumper and the back of my friends truck (just pulled up 10 feet or so), no issues.
On the hand winch thing, I recently saw a video of the "Defender Challenge 2009" on Youtube. Some guys tried to use a hand winch and it was pretty much useless. In all three of my situations, using a hand winch would've been 100% miserable. Especially since one of them was a full pull. Oh not to mention everytime the winch was used it was either raining, dark out, or both. Heck it was a bear just getting up the hill to attach the winch!
On that full pull, I was reminded of how slow my winch is. Solid, but slow.
Had three recoveries. Two were self recovery, third was winching my friend out. All three times I used my winch in a single pull configuration. Except for my tree strap being too short (substituted with my recovery strap) and overestimating the distance between my bumper and the back of my friends truck (just pulled up 10 feet or so), no issues.
On the hand winch thing, I recently saw a video of the "Defender Challenge 2009" on Youtube. Some guys tried to use a hand winch and it was pretty much useless. In all three of my situations, using a hand winch would've been 100% miserable. Especially since one of them was a full pull. Oh not to mention everytime the winch was used it was either raining, dark out, or both. Heck it was a bear just getting up the hill to attach the winch!
On that full pull, I was reminded of how slow my winch is. Solid, but slow.
XploreBaja
Observer
MaxTrax saved the day here on the El Datil tidal flats .. The day after Xmas. I came upon these people buried without a shovel or anything to get them out. I gave them all the gear and waited until they dug out....then used the MaxTrax 5-6 different times to go 100 feet at a time...bottom line is they were only stuck for 5-6 hours instead of forever!
XploreBaja
Observer
MaxTrax saved the day here on the El Datil tidal flats .. The day after Xmas. I came upon these people buried without a shovel or anything to get them out. I gave them all the gear and waited until they dug out....then used the MaxTrax 5-6 different times to go 100 feet at a time...bottom line is they were only stuck for 5-6 hours instead of forever!
I thought that too once. Came in very handy at sending me to the emergency room with 2 nicely mangled pinky fingers and if it wouldn't have been for a friend being fast on the draw with a tire iron I'd be typing this much slower! Leave the ratchet straps to securing loads and not as recovery equipment, trust me. This happened trying to get a 1/2t pickup back on a FSR and as the truck came up to the road the little pawls in the ratchet strap buckled under the load letting the full weight of the truck crank the handle forward which nearly acted like a scissors on my fingers. Only took about 5 years for my nails to start growing regular again
How did your pinkies get in the way?
Also I've seen guys feed the free end through the hole before the handle and out back over the top of the handle and actually pull on the webbing to ratchet the strap.
SoCal Tom
Explorer
We used to camp in the imperial sand dunes often. On big weekends I would unstuck several RVs . We had a 30ft 2 1/2 inch mooring line, that would stretch to about 50ft in a good pull. Don't do this unless you have a solid rig. My 69 cj5 ultimately broke every gear and snapped the transfer case in half. ( not on the day of the pull, but about a week later something would break). My early bronco never had a problem, but I was also older and smarter about when to help and when to loan my shovel.
As for the original post, I once game down a ridge on a sand dune too close to the edge and the PS tires slid off the edge and the more we tried to go uphill the worse it got. I had a mile marker hydro winch, but it was super slow and nothing to hook to. We buried a tire to hook up to. If I would have had a come along and a tree I would have hooked the come along to the back to keep it from sliding further.
Tom
As for the original post, I once game down a ridge on a sand dune too close to the edge and the PS tires slid off the edge and the more we tried to go uphill the worse it got. I had a mile marker hydro winch, but it was super slow and nothing to hook to. We buried a tire to hook up to. If I would have had a come along and a tree I would have hooked the come along to the back to keep it from sliding further.
Tom