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On most vehicles, especially shorter Jeeps, I would MUCH rather have as much weight forward on the vehicle as practical. Weight beyond the rear axle REALLY has a big effect on off-road capability.

You can also improve a hand winch a few different ways. I got myself out of a pickle once in my pre-winch days by using a long 3-4" diameter long stick to twist my tow strap to create pull force. The jeep was nose down in a ditch and I was able to move the jeep back uphill using just two...

I like all this flat fender talk. Here is mine.

1- My winch has never gotten me into any situations, but it has gotten me out of lots. 2- I use mine ( multiple ) a lot, a significant portion of that is pulling out vehicles that don't have winches. 3- I can't carry every gadget under the sun, a winch will get me out of more situations than...

Those sound like REAR automatic locker issues?

My current favorite combo is an automatic FRONT locker and selectable REAR locker. There are a lot of little intricacies that come into play with locking differentials when you start having to actually manuouver the vehicle in situations when open/open is not enough traction. This is what I...

It depends very much on snow conditions, and there are a LOT of different conditions. The difference in my old flat fender between 2 and 1psi can be AMAZING in the right conditions. It can be the difference between using the winch all day and driving all day long and not getting your feet...

Decent quality winches have never been more affordable. I've definitely been in situations, even with other people along, that there was no way to get out of a bad situation without a winch ( or other pulling device ) that was not another vehicle with a strap.

This. I'd like to see modern syntheic lines work on a capstan, but I don't see it being a good idea.

Bill Burke does a pretty good job of explaining it.

Synthetic line winch extensions take up very little space and weigh almost nothing.

If you run synthetic line you can 'hitch' the line to get more off the drum if needed to get down to the lower layers very easily ( if you don't want to double line ) I agree that having a TON of line on the winch can cause issues, but not having enough line can be just as big of a headache...

With a hand winch it is really hard to 'help' the winch with the vehicle.

I've spent FAR more time helping and waiting for people to fix other broken junk like axles, driveshafts, steering, transfer cases, transmissions, electrical, and engine stuff on the trail in groups vs dealing with tire issues. These days ( knock on wood) tire issues seem to be minimal in...

Speaking of that. I have been carrying a spare less....never a spare wheel....but adding more capability to repair tires in the field. This includes plugs, patches, stitching capability, spoons, and a tube. I'm pretty much looking at it with the idea that having the ability to repair multiple...

The upside to a good bottle jack is that one can crib the jack up for use on a bumper, frame or rocker bar similar to a hi-lift. A hi-lift can't really fit under the axle of the vehicle when you need it to. Personally, I like the more universal solution. The biggest issue with the hi-lift is...

If it works for you and the weight/bulk doesn't bother you by all means carry what makes you comfortable. I use a Toyota mechanical 'bottle' jack, no hydraulic oil to worry about. It works upside or sideways. They are pretty compact and extend a LONG ways with the double extension design. I...

I've done multiple Ultimate Adventure trips with 4-wheel and Off-Road Magazine, every book trail in Moab including Pritchett Canyon dozens of times, and a lap through the Rubicon trail last fall. I used a Hi-Lift Jack ZERO times.

I haven't carried a hi-lift for decades. I can't justify the weight and bulk for the potential use. For the 30-40lbs I can think of a lot of other stuff I would rather have. My lifting device of choice is a slightly modified Toyota bottle jack. They are light, double extension, and mechanical...

I used a section of 2 gauge jumper cable wire for the main power/ground wire for my rear mounted battery. It is only about 6 feet from the battery to the main junction post on the frame. I actually had enough left over out of the jumper cables to still have a decent set of jumper cables with...