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  • Andy Hitch

How to Winch a Jeep in the Snow or Mud

When you rent a Jeep Rubicon from Backbone Adventures, it comes with recovery gear. You get:

  • Winch

  • Tree strap

  • Tow strap

  • Snatch block

  • D ring

  • Hand winch (for winching backward)

  • Traction boards

4 wheeling in the snow is so much fun. However, you need to be cautious and smart about it. Watch the video so you can learn how to properly operate a winch.


Although our Rubicons have 37" aggressive tires and a 5.75" lift, they can and will get stuck. The general rule of thumb is that if the snow is deeper than the height of the front axle differential, you won't make it.


The type of snow plays a role as well. In this video the snow we're in is fairly wet and heavy. This makes it even more difficult and in this video I got stuck in snow that was well below the height of the differential. If the snow was light (fresh), I would have made it with ease.


Drifts are another thing to look out for. If you don't see tire tracks in the snow, you should shove a stick in it to check depth before driving through it.


You can go it alone. I do it all the time, but I'm extra cautious. If you plan to get into some deep snow or mud, I suggest going with another Jeep so you can help each other out.


I didn't include this in the video, but about a mile east of this location there was an abandon Jeep stuck in the snow that we went around. He had gone it alone and tried to bash through a snow drift in an open meadow (bad idea). We only made it through that section because I had another Jeep with me that was able to pull me backward so I could take multiple runs at it. We eventually made it and it was such an awesome time.



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