I’ve been 4x4ing for 3 years now, and if I’ve learnt anything, it would be that you can never be too prepared. As many of you are aware, getting stuck is part of 4x4ing. And, as most guys would say: “if you’re not stuck, you’re not having fun”. With that said, if you’re not prepared, I can guarantee it won’t be fun getting stuck! The same concept goes for breaking parts. Us 4x4ers enjoy pushing our rigs to their very limit, and that means we’re going to eventually get stuck and/or break parts. Fortunately for you, according to the guys I wheel with, I’m an expert at doing both. And therefore, I’m the perfect guy to write this article. Nonetheless, no matter whom you are, no matter how good of a driver you think you are, no matter how well you think your truck is built, you’re still going to get stuck and/or break parts. And, that is why being prepared is by far the most important part of 4x4ing (other than having fun of course). If you’re unlucky or aggressive (such as myself), you’ll get stuck and break something at the same time. We as a group have had our fair share of those situations. But, if you’re well prepared, you simply laugh, deal with the situation, and continue on with your 4x4 adventure!

The first thing you’re going to want to get for your rig is a toolbox. This way, you have a spot to put all your tools, recovery gear, and spare parts. I got myself one of those plastic toolboxes from WalMart. It fits perfect under my rollbar, I can lock it, and it’s cheap!! What else can I ask for? Anyways, after mounting your toolbox, you’re going to want to fill it. Your basic tools should be in there, such as a good ratchet and socket kit, every size wrench, a hammer, a few sets of pliers, a crowbar, and anything else you think you might need such as some work gloves, flashlights, and booster cables. I carry air accessories in my toolbox, but I’ll talk a little bit more about that later on in the article.

After gathering some basic tools, next is the recovery gear. We each have a 30 foot tow strap in our toolboxes. I recommend you get one. It’s good to carry some extra d-rings as well (if you’re Joel, you lose them off your bumpers). D-rings are good to attach straps together because sometimes 30 feet isn’t long enough (and it’s difficult to pull apart two straps “tied” together). It’s good to carry some chain as well, but I don’t recommend using it for trying to pull someone out. Can you say whiplash? You’d be amazed on how well a good tow strap works. I know we were when we first started using them! On another note, a bumper jack has proven to be useful numerous times for us as well. Lifting the truck to get logs under the tires can be of some help to get unstuck. Carrying an axe and shovel will help in that department too. The biggest problem with bumper jacks is the fact that they sink into the mud when you’re trying to lift a tire out. So, one of the solutions we have discovered is using a spare tire under the jack. We’ve also used logs, but that can get tricky. Also, our elderly fellow wheeler Rob uses the tailgate from his Willys (works awesome).

You may want to carry spare parts in your toolbox. I can’t really tell you exactly which parts to carry; you know your rigs weak links better than I do. But I also know it can be very difficult predicting what parts you’ll need. It could also get expensive trying to buy every spare part you think you might need. But, if you’re looking for a bit of advice, I recommend at least carrying extra driveshaft u-joints. They’re cheap and I personally break a lot of those. On the other hand, I also break a lot of axle shafts, but I don’t actually carry any of those with me (I may start carrying rear axles though). Oh, I almost forgot… I carry extra engine accessory belts, which are also cheap and good insurance. Other than that, in terms of parts, I can’t really make any other suggestions.

Now I want to talk about rig setup. I don’t care what tires you want to run. Or what engine you want to run. It’s all irrelevant in terms of being prepared. And it’s much less important than having solid tow points (at least one in the front, and one in the rear). And I’m not talking about those wimpy hooks attached to a thin stock bumper!! For the front, you either need a solid bumper with nice thick spots for d-rings or strong hooks of some sort attached directly to the frame. The same goes for the rear, but a receiver hitch works well too. Simply get a piece of steel that fits inside the hitch, drill two holes in it for the pin, and weld on a large plate with a hole for a d-ring. That’s what I do (until I build a custom rear bumper, sooner or later). Honestly, if you don’t have solid tow points, don’t even bother coming out 4x4ing with us. Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but when we started out in this expensive hobby, we’ve had some experiences with bad tow points (my truck being one of them), and it became extremely frustrating.

Earlier in this article, I mentioned bumper jacks. Learn to love them, they’re great! But they only work if you have a solid point to lift from. Usually rear bumpers on most trucks can handle the weight, but those nice looking stock front bumpers do not. I know this for a fact, I’ve tried it. So, make sure you have good lift points (aka heavy duty bumpers). While you’re upgrading your front bumper, you might as well get a winch with it. My truck is heavy, so I have a 12,000 lbs winch. The two Jeep guys run lighter duty winches. Having a winch is not necessarily required. I ran two and a half years without one. But they’re awesome mods. I’ve been impressed quite a few times when seeing what kind of situations a winch has saved us from. If you’re going to equip your truck with a winch, you should also carry a few extra things in your toolbox, such as a tree saver, snatch block, and blanket. If the winch cable is wrapped around a tree, it could seriously damage the tree by choking it. Therefore, this is why a tree saver is used, which is a small strap that goes around the tree. A snatch block is basically a pulley designed to work with winches. They double the pulling power of your winch by returning the winch cable back to your rig (but the line speed will be half of what it usually is). And lastly, a blanket is important for safety reasons. Put the blanket on the winch cable while winching. If the winch cable were to snap, it could do some serious damage to the truck or seriously injury a person. By putting the blanket on the winch cable, it forces the cable to fall downwards from the weight of the blanket, and therefore hitting the ground. With that said, while winching, people outside watching should make sure they stand far back. The same goes while a truck is trying to pull another truck out. You never know what could break and go flying in any direction!

Continuing with the topic of rig setup, another nice add-on is onboard air. Again, this is not a requirement, but it is pretty nice to have. I have a small 12V compressor inside the cab, which pressurizes an onboard air tank. My genius father came up with a great design: we sealed the tubes that make up my rollbar, and use it as an air tank. This is why I carry air accessories with me at all times. The setup works pretty good for cleaning off parts, using air tools, and filling tires. Speaking of tires, you may want a spare one, although I don’t have a spare yet. It’s slightly more difficult getting a spare when your tires are as expensive as mine and 39.5 inches tall. If you’re in my shoes and don’t run “stock sized” tires, if you look hard enough in 4x4 forums, you’ll find people selling their old offroad tires as spares, since they’re too worn out to sell as actually tires. I have yet to get around to doing this myself, but I definitely should soon (it’s on my list of things to get).

I think I’ve covered the main areas about being prepared. I just have a few extra miscellaneous items to mention before ending this article. First of all, always be prepared. Not only when you’re planning on going 4x4ing. You never know when you’ll run into someone in need of help. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll randomly get into 4x4 situations and start breaking parts right in the middle of town while playing in snow banks (see picture). If you’re going on a 4x4 adventure, pack a lunch. It took me a long time to figure that one out. Who would have thought halfway through the day I’d be hungry and thirsty? On top of food, bring extra clothing too, you’ll be glad you did (I think the reasoning for this is pretty obvious). Above all the preparation, there’s a particularly important rule to follow: never go 4x4ing alone. As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, you never know what can happen!! And this is especially true if you’re alone. Always bring someone else with a vehicle along with you, even if he or she is only there to watch and give you a ride back into town to find help if needed. And bring a cell phone with you, in case of a serious emergency (once again, anything can happen).

Lastly, this might seem of little importance to some of you, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s essential: bring a camera and camcorder!!! When you’re telling your friends that you were stuck up to your waist in mud and they don’t believe you, at least you’ll have proof. Plus, the pictures and videos make awesome memories.

For now, this article is done. However, as my 4x4 adventures continue, I’m positive I’ll go on to learn much more. I know for a fact that there is some pretty cool recovery gear out there, which I have yet to test out myself. I’d like to eventually try those recovery air bags and those hooks that grab onto the rim and work with bumper jacks. Don’t worry, I’ll report back and add to this article as needed. Feel free to contact me about anything regarding this article (log into the forum or use my email address on the home page). Take care, and happy wheeling!!

Serge Goulet (aka Mud-Nut)