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TOTW: Winter wheeling

11K views 45 replies 37 participants last post by  Todd W 
#1 ·
Welcome to the next installment of the

Topic of the Week

Summer is coming to an end. Fall will be upon us soon and Old Man Winter is just around the corner.

Are you gonna put the rig into cold storage for 3-5 months? Or or you gonna wheel?

Put your mittens and ear muffs on and let's talk about winter wheeling.

Safety
Flotation vs digging to the bottom?
Snow recovery/extraction techniques
Not falling through frozen lakes

You know the routine.
 
#27 ·
beerisgood said:
as far as driving on a frozen lake, I personally wouldn't do it with my jeep unless I saw someone do it with a comprably heavy veichle, but having said that up in ny where I go snowmobiling, when the lakes freeze the forrest rangers check thickness and if it's thick enough, they divert the roads across the lakes. So, having said all that I would just use extreme caution when going over ice, I've seen too many snowmobiles, which are less than half the weight of a jeep end up on the bottom of the lakes. Ohh yeah, and as stated above, take double the supplies you'll think you need cause freezing to death ain't a fun.
Guys put single wide trailers on the ice in MN:D The oil truck even drove out to the island to fill the tank for the cabin.

Make sure the ice is at least 8" thick before you drive on it, keep your doors open/unlocked incase you have to make a quick exit:D
 
#28 ·
If you've got a power invertor, a couple of old water bed heating pads make for toasty heated seats when slipped under the seat covers, oh yeah, and they can keep your water can from freezing. Dress well, pack dry clothes, lots of food, lots of muchies, trudging around in 3' of snow usues a lot of energy, replentish it often, take extra fuel too, a trail that can be run on 1/4 tank in the summer will take a full tank in 3' of snow.
 
#29 ·
oldjeep said:


The greater risk is to those behind you. Driving on ice can create pressure waves in the ice itself, and if the guys behind you hit a crest with their tires, it can send them into the water. This is why you don't follow close when driving on a lake. (It's an icefishing thing)
What about one at a time?
 
#30 ·
Alaska ZJ said:

Take and eat, Powerbars or the like.
I agree with Alaska ZJ. Good advice. One thing though... when considering the above, go for "the like" as Powerbars + Cold Weather = Broken Teeth

Personally I go for cliff bars. I am at 10,000 - 14,000 feet most of the winter, they seem to stay edible longer, even better if you keep them inside your jacket.

Bagles and a jar of peanut butter work good for some quick power food too.

One thing I have not seen mentioned : A shovel... I always take one just in case. Can be used for making a snow cave, digging out tracks, etc. You know, the stuff you use a shovel for.
 
#31 ·
Dressing for the weather is good, but do not forget to bring a full change of clothes (and boots) with you on the trail. There is nothing worse than to be out on the trail and for one reason or another you get wet. That will ruin your day for sure. And drink lots of water, the cold will dehydrate you faster than you think.
 
#32 ·
A few years ago, when I lived in Montana I got stuck twelve miles from any road in the snow. I was wearing running shoes, jeans and a fleece jacket. I also got stuck at 11:30 at night and was alone with no food nor water. Well, after getting soaked and physically exhausted from laying in the snow trying to dig myself out with my bear hands, and sleeping in the jeep in 14 degree weather, I was ready to go home. About eight miles down the road I found some people snow camping who could give me a ride into town so I could go bakc with a friend who had a winch on his truck. Let's just say I learned alot of important things that long cold night. Learn from my mistake so you don't have to learn from your own.
 
#34 ·
COTTON=DEATH

I want to reemphasize this here. I have had a lot of mountaineering training and the biggest point here is that cotton is bad news for being outside. The reason is that cotton doesn't dry for quite a long time once it is wet. It holds the moisture against your skin and it will speed up the radiance of your body heat. This is really bad news if you are sweaty from digging out your rig, or you have to walk in deep snow.

The best materials is man made polypropelyne/fleece followed up by wool. I usually wear polypor long underwear, fleece pants and goretext outer shell pants.

AT's rock in the snow as they have many more edges to catch the snow than, say, swampers.

Kitty litter is made of clay that when mixed with water melted from spinning tires will make a very slick mixture.

Buy a winch

SeanP
 
#35 ·
SeanP said:
Kitty litter is made of clay that when mixed with water melted from spinning tires will make a very slick mixture.
Whatever dude.

Tell that to the Mustang 5.0 with wide-ass fatcats on the back of it that I had in college.

I went to NDSU in FARGO, ND FOR GAWD'S FAWKING' SAKE!!!

The bag of Tidy cat 3 that I kept in the hatch got me out of a jam more times than I can count on one hand. the extra weight back there didn't hurt either.

:flipoff2:
Jake
 
#36 ·
bgreen said:
Damn it Brentt! I was going to make a nice informed post here since I have lived in AK my whole short life, but you pretty much killed the thread. :flipoff2: I don't have much to add other than a person might think about carrying a small plastic sled for dragging their gear out on. Much easier than carrying it, and it only weighs a pound or less, so you don't really have an excuse not to carry one.

Brook
:flipoff2: Right back at you. Good advice with the sled. Not to mention that at camp that night after a few :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: it is LOTS of fun to go ripping downhill.
 
#37 ·
Cotten Kills... thats the motto.

Everyone seems pretty on target. Be sure to drink LOTs of fluids.

Emergancy stoves (the kind that burn little cubes of stuff) work great in a pinch. My MSR Whisperlite Int 600 is always with my jeep in the winter (with FUEL) you would be amazed at what evenluke warm water will do for you and your spirits in cold weather.

Dont forget WATER proof outer layers.

I genderally wear my polypro long jons then some sort of jeans or the like, then either snow pants or my gortex pants (dependin on how cold) and then my gortex outer shell jacket.

Find a way to keep the wind out. It will kill you. 10000 layers of cloths that let wind through will not keep you as warm as a few layers and a wind proof shell (exageration)

Dry kindling/wood it is hard to start wet wood on fire.

SUN Glasses - snow blindness sucks
 
#38 ·
Carry a chainsaw with you.
Be very cautiouse about parking or camping under big trees, falling branches known as widowmakers are unpredictable and can be deadly.
If your group is struggeling in the snow, avoid driving durring the middle of the day when the snow has melted, it is easier to wait untill evening or early morning when the snow is frozen and firm.
Sleeping in a blanket folded in half in your sleeping bag,( with the fold towards the zipper), will greatly increase the warmth of your bag.
A cheap set of Gaitors will help keep your feet much warmer and drier.
 
#39 ·
I work in Antarctica and alot of what is said here is very good advise. I think the best advise is the type of clothing to bring along the food and hydration. BUT most often a way of comunication for help can help you before all that is in need, not saying they are not important cause they very much are but comunication is very important also. A normal AM cb is not a very good form of comunication they have limited range. Cell phones deppends on area if they cover or not. If some form of comunication can not be made then a scheduled check in or scheduled time of return with someone who is back home and can get help to you is also a very good idea even if you have comunication is a very good idea cause other things can happen also. Here we have both a long range radio with repeaters around also we check in and out with destination's points with time of arrival and return. Plus we have survival bags on all vehicles leaveing station. Also when leaveing flag routes or when weather may lose visibilty we use GPS can also be a life savor knowing a direction to go when visibilty is gone. A note on that don't go driven off a cliff or into a river, or any other natural thing that can hurt you souly trusting that GPS.

As far as vehicle beeing used, Tracks beat wheels in the snow is that simple. We have Matt Track equiped trucks here they will go far more places in the snow then a wheel equiped truck will but Matt Tracks have there problems also, like there torsion arm designed to keep the thing from rolling into the body of the truck, through rough terrain they break parts, not hard to fix but they do break. We have a great deal of machines designed to drive thru snow here I just stayed to the trucks to keep on subject. We have trucks with A/T type tread at least I consider the Mickey Thompson Baja tire like a A/T and the Dick Cepecks, we also have some trucks equiped with Denman Ground Hawgs, I personaly preffer the groundhawgs I think maybe the tire area might be a personal prefferance and driveing style. But it is true the more aggresive groundhawg will dig when vehicle stop movement and tire spun so do the A/T's but alot less. But my prefferance is the more aggresive tire keeps track better and bites harder so less chance of no forward movement where an A/T slides alot and slips. But that is here and the snow here is a bit different and can't really be compared to your's so is what works for you in your area I feel anyway. Lot's of good info here on the Pirate board like always.
 
#40 ·
cj7traildriver said:
As far as vehicle beeing used, Tracks beat wheels in the snow is that simple. We have Matt Track equiped trucks here they will go far more places in the snow then a wheel equiped truck will but Matt Tracks have there problems also, like there torsion arm designed to keep the thing from rolling into the body of the truck, through rough terrain they break parts, not hard to fix but they do break. We have a great deal of machines designed to drive thru snow here I just stayed to the trucks to keep on subject.
Can we get a tech article on converting a Jeep to tracks?:smokin:
 
#44 ·
not a single one of you fools has mentioned the best traction device running.
TIRE CHAINS

If you're winter wheeling, good sets will run you about 100-200 an axle depending on tire size.
Yea, you're gonna have to be careful because they'll destroy your body work in short order, but you won't have to worry about traction. or kitty litter.
 
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