Travel off plowed roads?

[low277]

How many of you travel significant distances off of the plowed roads with your pickup/suv? Do you have any special set up? Are you able to travel wherever you like? I have seen the track setups ( a little spendy ) I have also seen pictures of vehicles in Iceland with large tires that they apparently drive all over off road in snow.

Discussion welcome!

[toughguy]

I do quite a bit in southern MN. It depends on the year. 2 years ago it was impossible with all of the snow we got. I had to use a snowmobile most of the year. Last year thin ice was the issue. I had to use a snowmobile again. I drive a stock Silverado and I've rarely been stuck. I would say 6-7 out of 10 years you won't have an issue if you're south of the cities. Once you get up north into areas with more snow it is much more difficult.

[pushbutton]

...and how big the lake is. A 3 inch snow with some wind can drift up pretty good on some of the bigger lakes, and hard to judge them until your almost on top of them. I generally do not stray too far off road anymore; just getting too old and not motivated enough to get the old burb unstuck. Having said that, the last couple years have not been too bad though and even been off road in the car. If your going to do it, just pay attention to the weather, pack the necessary "unstucking" equipment, make sure you can charge the phone, and maybe some extra food, water, gas....probably not best to do it solo either if your out in the middle of nowhere. Like many things in life, using common sense will get you a lot further along, and in this case...... back home quicker.

[Lawrence Luoma]

+1 on the snowmobile all year long. I can handle losing the sled but couldn't the Tahoe.

[toughguy]

Now that I look at your name and location I'll say this. There's a reason resorts use bombers on Lake of the Woods.

[low277]

I should have mentioned that I spend 90 percent of my fishing time on Lake of the Woods. I have been on the lake in Snobears, and other tracked vehicles, Arnesons tracked vans, pickups with Mattracks etc. They work great but are to much money and to specialized for me. Anyone have any experience with large offroad tires? I see young guys with 4x4s that have 37 - 44 inch tires on them driving around the streets and I wonder how well they would work in snow on the lake?

[jerkbait]

Tires chains. I put tire chains on all 4 tires of my s-10 blazer. Takes a lot of snow to slow it down, But if it gets to deep where the chains don't make contact with the ice you are done. This year I have a new ice fishing rig. I was going to put tracks on the blazer, but I purchased an ASV track truck. Other wise I used snowmobile, but then I can't pull my big fish house with a snowmobile.

New Ice rig. Took the drag off already, now I just need to sell the drag and make some skies for the front.

[cam white]

I drive all over lake winnipeg..... but never alone. Always two vehicles minimum. We run goodyear duratracs.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I put the Duratracs on my truck last winter. They are an incredible tire and should be able to get you through a lot of snow. No matter what tire you have, if you dig down to the ice you're gonna be stuck. Chains are a good idea, but I don't have any...yet.

[low277]

Thanks for the input, Jerkbait do you live at Sandy Shores? I know a couple of people there.

[forcedtowork]

LOW, did you complete your fish house build? Any updated pictures, I really liked the way yours was looking.

[low277]

Not finished yet, life got in the way. I will continue to update, hopefully soon.

[forcedtowork]

I hear ya, I was supposed to start mine in April and only started it the end of June and have not gotten much accomplished since then. I am hoping to get the roof on and the door in this weekend so I can start sheeting, the problem is I am tied up again after that until the end of August. I can only work on mine on the weekends when I have time.

[low277]

When driving offroad in snow such as on a frozen lake, what is the the biggest obstacle, ground clearance? traction? I remember a guy in about 1980 that had a K5 blazer with extremely tall narrow tires on it that seemed to be able to go almost anywhere. The tires looked like a mini version of the ones that are on Rowgators, maybe 40 inches tall.

[jerkbait]

Thanks for the input, Jerkbait do you live at Sandy Shores? I know a couple of people there.

Yes I live at Sandy Shores.

[Gordie]

When i used to fish Mille lacs alot a few things that I kept in my truck were of course a shovel and I even had tire chains but I also carried a five gal bucket of ashes and a come-along with a chain and a ice anchor. if you get stuck you drill a hole in the ice drop the ice anchor down and the come-along your way out.

Ice anchor is a pipe with about three foot long with a 5-6 foot piece of log chain welded to the center of it. drill a hole in one end of the pipe to tie a rope to so when you are done you can retrive the pipe easier.

I also have had a few trucks with tall tires on them and they go thru the deeper snow great but as always I tried to hard to get stuck and did. What can I say its in my nature to do that.

[outdrzman78]

over 10 yrs ago a few of us decided to cut across from warroad to 5 mile in three trucks. it was a year with a pile of snow and no road out there. we had 33s and would push snow with the bumper until we got stuck and get pulled out and go again. another had prob 40s on and were wide, once he could get on top of the crust he could go anywhere with those until he would slow down. the other one had tall narrow tires on and was unstoppable, he could go slow or fast and didnt matter. hes the one that would pull us out

[Esox_Magnum]

We don't have roads down here so if you want to get there you make a trail...Getting stucks part of the deal, carry a shovel and logchain to toss under the tires for extra traction and your good to go...

[hawkeye43]

I keep a pail of chicken grit, along with a tow rope, better than a chain because you can jerk a rope and a shovel. its good idea to travel with a least two trucks.

[Dozer]

Its pretty amazing what a truck with 4 chains on it can go through!

[Scott M]

Its pretty amazing what a truck with 4 chains on it can go through!

Just don't get stuck in them because there's nobody short of bomber that can get you out.

I like Gordie's idea of the come along...that's thinkin with yer dipstick!

[muskE]

A sled is cheaper than another truck.