How to Recover Your ATV When Stuck
The ATV lifestyle is an adventurous one, but sometimes too much adventure leaves your ATV in a compromised position. Getting stuck can be frustrating, but there are several tips to follow that can help you get back on the trail or back to work.
1. Use Your Winch
Many people choose to add a winch to their ATV and this can be very helpful if you find yourself stuck without anyone else around. Find a sturdy object, like a large tree, to attach your cable and winch your ATV free.
If you are riding with other vehicles, however, you can hook your winch up to their ATV so they can pull you out. Just make sure they don’t get stuck, too!
2. Keep Tow Straps and a Come-Along With You
If you don’t have a winch on your vehicle, you should travel with a come-along. This is a hand-powered winch that can be secured with tow straps. You will typically need at least two people for this method to work well.
Luckily these devices can easily be stowed away in a backpack, so they can become a must-have on your packing checklist.
3. Craft Your Own Anchor
It’s possible that there won’t be a good anchoring point nearby to help pull your ATV out of trouble. In this scenario, you’ll need to craft your own anchoring point. Some riders keep a small steel rod or ice-climbing anchors with them to use in a pinch. Secure your make-shift anchors in the ground, angled away from the ATV, and use your towing straps to complete a solid anchoring point.
4. Tilt the ATV Back and Forth
If all else fails or you don’t have access to the appropriate tools, you can physically tilt the ATV back and forth in hopes of freeing it. Spinning the wheels will only make the situation worse, but using your body weight may be enough to get the ATV back on ground where you can gain traction.
5. Add Traction
Sometimes your ATV gets stuck because the tires can’t regain traction. You can use rough materials, like rocks, wood, sand, or fine gravel to give the tires something to grip. Take a look around your surroundings; you might be able to use a natural material to free your ATV.
6. Bring a Shovel
Instead of adding materials to gain traction, you may need to actually remove materials to get your wheels moving again. Bringing a small shovel may serve you well in these situations! Sometimes all it takes is digging out your tire a bit to get back to riding.
Every ATV is likely to get stuck at some point, but hopefully these tips will help you be prepared. Our team at Cycles of Jacksonville would love to be a resource for your riding needs. Visit us in Jacksonville, FL, where we proudly serve Orlando and St. Augustine.