MAXTRAX - Take the Easy Way Out
No.2 from the WednesdayGearDownload. (Original Publish date: March 2017) This week I'm featuring my Maxtrax
"Getting stuck" is always something you want to try to avoid. But as I'm sure most of us will agree, sometimes it's just unavoidable! With all the rainfall Southern California has been receiving over the past few months, I thought it might be appropriate since (if you're anything like me) you've been encountering MUD on a much more regular basis out there. While I know there are many items out there that offer additional traction. This is the product I am most familiar with and trust me, once you been saved from a sticky situation by these guys… You are quickly a customer for life!
RECOVERY PHOTOS: NOT your average mud... this my friends, is Arizona Clay... it had been raining all night and, at the time, we didn't think much of it since we had only detoured a few miles down a little dirt road for our campsite. Conditions were generally sloppy, but manageable... that is UNTIL we hit an entirely different kind of MUD! It was deep, slimy and crazy sticky. As soon as the front tires hit it, you knew this is going to be trouble! It was 3-6 inches deep on the trail. Thankfully, the trail was technically easy, but the ditch on one side made for some drama and the ledge on the other made sections terrifying. It didn't take long... in an effort to avoid the steep drop off on the left, we buried the right side of the truck into the ditch... and were almost immediately STUCK. It took a little time, I had never placed the maxtrax before and in those conditions simply walking from the front to the rear of the rig was a struggle. The mud grabbed hold of my boots every time I took a step, and threatened to never let go. It was still dark and then began to pour again... So it probably was my own way of coping with the stress, but suddenly everything became hysterical. 😂 (video of this fiasco would have been priceless)
Once we broke free from the ditch, the Tacoma slipped and spun its way back to the now closed trail gate!! But in that moment it didn't matter! I could have kissed the rough asphalt just beyond the gate! While there were a few different items used in this recovery episode, had the MAXTRAX NOT been involved, we would have MOST DEFINITELY still been on that trail for quite some time! I've decided "Mud Skating" is NOT my favorite! 😬. Again...SO thankful for solid gear. Thank you #GoPrepared
Answers to questions I get asked:
🔸Weight: 8 lbs each.
🔸No, you do not need to mount them to the exterior of the vehicle, but trust me, if you ever use them in MUD. You are NOT going to want to put these things back inside your Rig!
🔸 I chose the color RED for visibility during use, and 😉 it matched #MurderSpork
I do not receive any compensation or profits from sales of this product. These are items that I have intentionally included in my own personal kit and have found them useful/beneficial to my experience while Off-roading /Overlanding.
