…have to compromise slightly with on road performance (it's possibly the most boring on-road vehicle I've ever driven….) to get decent off-road performance when in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception, that might be wise. Is the consensus for driving around here to go with all-terrain tires…. or for the rocky terrain, and looser but generally dry stuff in the interior a decent set of road tires still OK?
My vote…Pretty hard to beat the Goodyear Duratrac. Tread wear is slightly on the quick side, but not objectionable at all on SUV's. The price is right…buy at C-Tire on sale, which seems to be about every 6-8wks. They ride and handle great onroad and are way quieter on pavement than the tread looks. The aggro tread probably affects fuel mileage a bit tho….I think that might be the only real compromise with that tire actually(comparing to other milder tread A/T's)
Offroad…good to go. And will do far better than almost any other A/T in mud. The GG AT2 in particular…you see mud while on those…just turn around. The BFG AT can do ok in mud if you spin it fast enough…but still gotta be careful.
Forget about the cheaper tires…not worth it.
2 flashlights(1 always breaks when you need it most)
A good knife
Paracord
Water/food bars/good blankie or two/paper towel/first aid kit/full change of clothes, especially socks/toque/2+ pairs of gloves
Short D-handle spade
A decent pruning saw (will post pic below)
Chainsaw is optional, but even if you have one, always have the hand saw. Same rule as the flashlight…the power saw will quit when it matters.
80-100ft of 1" nylon rope and a couple beefy hooks (I know, everyone will freak out and say "OMG you can't use that!"…pfffft. We had the same rope for yrs and used the shit outta that rope…yanking trucks outta mud pits and all else…no problem. But you never know…always be outta the way in case it snaps, with hook attached, and already be ducking under the dash as much as you can while pulling/being pulled…lol
Lose the running boards if you have them. Also, you will damage any kind of plastic under the front bumper. Trim it or remove.
The rear hitch receiver will hit regularly…just before it's going to touch, a little extra momentum so it doesn't hang up your rear end…it'll drag free. You can't back into it if it's going to hit…it won't slide, it'll dig in.
One tire at a time when crossing ruts/ditches
Even the tiniest bit of momentum is your friend. Too fast is your enemy(breaking shit)
1 Stuck situation is high centered between two ruts. Especially when muddy and/or water filled. If the ruts have been chewed down by 33's/35/36/37/38/39/40 inch tires…you coming along on your 31's ain't gonna work. When straddling said ruts…be aware of the traction you have and the camber involved…what are the chances you'll slide down into the ruts? Gotta know that.
A few pointers:)