Every Couple Years I Have to Learn

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ChadHahn

Rank III

Advocate I

808
Tucson, AZ
First Name
Chad
Last Name
Hahn
Ham/GMRS Callsign
KC0POB
I went out into the state land yesterday in my 2000 Subaru Outback to sight in a few firearms and there was somebody parked near where I usually shoot so I kept on driving. After about another mile I turned, but then decided not to go down that road so started backing up. When I backed up, I went off the trail and into a rut one rear wheel was up in the air about 6 inches and the other was just spinning freely. This is when I realized that I had no tools with me and though I saw someone I kind of knew as I was driving in, I was I didn't have any signal.

I heard someone shooting off in the distance and hoped that eventually they would come my way when they were done. It was a few hours until dark and I was wondering if worse came to worse, I would have to walk a couple miles back to the main road and try and get a ride into town. My rifle was in a range bag, but it didn't have any shoulder straps. I didn't want to carry it and the pistol over the rough roads and soft sand, but I also didn't want to leave them in the car overnight.

Eventually, I found enough rocks to pile under the tire that was in the air and got my self unstuck. About 10 minutes after that, when I was setting up my targets, a Jeep drove by, probably the guy who was shooting earlier so hopefully he would have helped me get unstuck. Like I said, every couple years I need to learn that if I'm going to insist on wheeling alone, I need to bring some rescue equipment with me. But I was sure I was just going to go where I always go.
 
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MOAK

Rank V
Launch Member

Off-Road Ranger I

2,865
Wherever we park it will be home !!
First Name
Donald
Last Name
Diehl
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0745

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WRPN 506
Those are wise words for anyone to pay attention to. My wife and I have been going alone for about 3 decades. As we have gotten older other family members go with us in their trucks. Still, after a week or two with others, we will still venture out alone. We've always carried all the extraction gear necessary for just about any type of recovery, Even if just going for a day drive in the local State Forest. We also have carried a PLB, phones and now, starlink; We don't tour at night, and we try not to make any mistakes. When we do make a mistake, we surmise the situation, we take a deep breath, relax and chill out. Taking that 10 or 15 minutes prevents us from making more mistakes on top of the one already made. Now, if I go back about 4 decades, I've sunk a VW bug, detroyed a jeep CJ5, got stuck with nothing but my wit to get unstuck, which involved walking about 15 miles and begging a farmer to come pull me out, and once walking through the fields about 3 miles in a snowstorm. I'll admit, it took me about 15 years to not do stupid things.
 

Outdoordog

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

1,473
Big Bear, CA, USA
First Name
Jino
Last Name
Hwang
Member #

21318

I went out into the state land yesterday in my 2000 Subaru Outback to sight in a few firearms and there was somebody parked near where I usually shoot so I kept on driving. After about another mile I turned, but then decided not to go down that road so started backing up. When I backed up, I went off the trail and into a rut one rear wheel was up in the air about 6 inches and the other was just spinning freely. This is when I realized that I had no tools with me and though I saw someone I kind of knew as I was driving in, I was I didn't have any signal.

I heard someone shooting off in the distance and hoped that eventually they would come my way when they were done. It was a few hours until dark and I was wondering if worse came to worse, I would have to walk a couple miles back to the main road and try and get a ride into town. My rifle was in a range bag, but it didn't have any shoulder straps. I didn't want to carry it and the pistol over the rough roads and soft sand, but I also didn't want to leave them in the car overnight.

Eventually, I found enough rocks to pile under the tire that was in the air and got my self unstuck. About 10 minutes after that, when I was setting up my targets, a Jeep drove by, probably the guy who was shooting earlier so hopefully he would have helped me get unstuck. Like I said, every couple years I need to learn that if I'm going to insist on wheeling alone, I need to bring some rescue equipment with me. But I was sure I was just going to go where I always go.
Why i always keep my tools in my jeep. You never know what could happen.

Air compressor, deflator.
Impact wrenches, sockets and bits.
Tire repair kit.
Plenty of ratchet straps, bungee cords, and paracord.
 
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ChadHahn

Rank III

Advocate I

808
Tucson, AZ
First Name
Chad
Last Name
Hahn
Ham/GMRS Callsign
KC0POB
I generally have tools in my car. I was hauling stuff a few days before and didn't put them back in. At least the last time I didn't have tools, I remembered before I got too far down the road.
 
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Ethan N

Local Expert, East Region USA
Member

Expedition Master III

10,785
Ocean County, NJ, USA
First Name
Ethan
Last Name
Newago
Member #

30968

Service Branch
US Army
I've had a few d'oh! moments in my time.

When I first got my Gladiator I managed to get exactly halfffffway across a soft bottom puddle and the truck just stopped. We call it the peanut butter mud here in NJ. Luckily I had a winch, unluckily it was January. Took off my shoes and socks, rolled up the pants, and got myself out.

Most recently I took my new 2WD Canyon out to the same area, with the same result. Again, luckily it was a beautiful day, unluckily I don't have a winch on this rig - so I had to wait 2 hours for my wife to get the Wrangler out to me for a pull with a kinetic rope.

It aint learnin if you only do it once!