The only one who you can rely on is YOU
We travel 99% of the time on our own. It gives us the freedom and flexibility to stop or do whatever we want, wherever we want without slowing down others etc. But it also means there will be no other vehicle to help us if we get stuck. That’s not a problem for us - as with anything else, we rely on ourselves and plan for “what if” situations.
We don’t have a winch - because we don’t need/want one right now. It’s heavy, and most people use it only to recover someone else’s car. Also - quite often - it gives you a false sense of security. You end up going where you normally wouldn’t, get stuck, only to find out the winch isn’t working because the last time you used it was 10 months ago. Or due to Murphy’s Law, you’ll likely get stuck where there are no trees or anything to winch off. (I know, you can bury a spare wheel or use “deadman anchor”, but isn’t easier to dig out your car?)
What do we use? First of all, common sense. The best recovery method is to prevent getting stuck in the first place. We always do our research - where are we going, what to expect, and prepare ourselves and the car accordingly to conditions (driving style, tyre pressures/type of tyres or snow chains, walking it first if possible etc.).
On long trips we usually don´t seek driving in ridiculously deep bog holes or rivers just for the sake of it or to get the car dirty to look cooler (to preserve the vehicle especially when tousands of km from home). But when you are trying to reach stunning remote places, sometimes there is simply no other way to bypass it.
But before we go, we assess: Do we have time before dark? Will we be able to dig ourselves out if we get stuck? What will we use and how? Will it work? Is it worth it? And also - do we both agree to continue forward? We have a rule: if one of us has a bad feeling about something, and the other is not 100% sure it will work, we don’t force it. (SURE—not just “thinks”),
And to be honest, most of the times we get stuck it’s because we wanted to - for practice or while crossing some challenging dunes in really soft sand where it is not matter of “if” but “when” but it is part of fun when you are expecting it.
OK, we are finally stuck. Our first go-to tool is our trusty shovel. Clear whatever is around your wheels, chassis, (sand, snow, mud), lower tyre pressures more, etc. The second tool we reach for are our Maxtrax. We love them -simply because they work. There hasn't been a situation where they’ve failed us. We know they’re not the cheapest, but trust us - when you break some knock-offs from China in dunes 100 km from the nearest settlement, on your thousands-pound trip, you’ll think differently about those “saved” £100. There are much better areas of your build where you can save money - but not on one of the few ways you can recover yourself.
We also carry some straps and soft shackles (mostly used to help others), and one heavy-duty ratchet strap. You might be surprised what you can do with it with a little ingenuity. (We’ve even pulled our car out of a sticky situation or rolled a crashed buggy back onto its wheels after an accident - luckily not ours.)
And that’s it. No fancy kits or boxes full of heavy “must-have” gear. We travel light, and the best tool you can have - you already carry with you: your head and your skills.
