110 replies to this topic

[jcbrandon]

My advice on getting unstuck: Read whatever makes sense to you, talk to people you trust, buy what seems to be the right choice.

Then practice.

Go out with another vehicle and some experienced, mature, calm friends who you can trust. Get stuck, on purpose, in a fairly controlled environment, when you don't have to be anywhere in a hurry. Then examine the situation, carefully apply what you know, and get unstuck. Work slowly and think everything through before you commit. When one technique or tool doesn't work, try something else.

Lots of things sound like a great idea here on the web and get propagated endlessly. Some of them are not so good. I've read a zillion times about burying your spare tire as a winch anchor. Every tried it, or seen it done? Burying a tire is a tremendous amount of work and if the tire is not buried deeply enough it will pull out and you're back where you started; except now you're exhausted.

Lots of practice at getting unstuck will also make you a better driver. You'll have real-world experience at just how much work it is to get unstuck and how much risk it presents. You'll start making choices that help you stay unstuck and moving, instead of getting stuck.