Originally Posted by
trevorakm1
I carry a grappling hook that can be attached to my winch synthetic cable if need be. It has saved a few climb outs. I've also encountered prior the winch was installed getting into a small but deep stream. I drive an argo so motor up front. I drove in via a very shallow bank looking at the other side being the more problematic bank. Well I couldn't get up the bank and the current was just strong enough and the water deep enough to keep drifting me sideways as I tried to drive out. That's when it hit me that alone I can't always get out of the vehicle to anchor the winch line ahhhh attach a hook to snag the brush and winch out. Often I find it just needs to hold firm enough to get the front tires up the bank.
Back to my predicament, so I returned to the entry bank figuring an easy drive out, nope. the mud was so soft that my front tires just drove forward and down getting balled up with this mud. With rocking I could get it backed out and into the stream but same result each attempt to drive out. I had my nephew with me and he didn't know how to drive the argo. On the last attempt I got us stuck again and got out. I figured less weight, nope. I pushed him as he drove the argo back into the stream and once floating had him repeat the process of driving out, didn't work. On the last attempt by my nephew he got himself all balled up driving in the current and ended up backing himself up and almost out of the water and he stops on his own, I was Nooooo! keep going and ran over to help pull him up as he made it up without too much digging in. This was my second apiphany, weight distribution and which end is heavier. I just naturally assumed the heavier front end of the argo would help plow through this mud, nope The empty rear end of the argo allowed it to climb out far enough and not sink deeply until there is more floatation from all the tires to prevent it from digging in. This anecdote is always in my mind each bank I try to climb out on.