Can't seem to find a true in depth thread about traction boards that stay on topic. I am looking to purchase a set as winter is about to be here in the Northeast and they seem like they could be useful in slippery situations. I do not have a winch and am looking to have at least SOME insurance in case I get stuck or need to help someone else. Pretty easy to see that Maxtrax is the most reputable in the industry and I see the ARB Tred Pros are also respected. I know some of you will have opinions against these because of storage issues and how well they will actually perform over a winch but these are significantly less than a winch and portable. It would be great if some of you could comment on your personal experience or thoughts toward traction boards.
You asked for it. This is text from a recent FB post from a guy with a lot of experience with TB. Don't have to agree with it but it 'stays on topic'.
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Some of you good folks might find the information useful.
Since snow wheeling is imminent, lets talk traction boards.
As many of you know, I carry "a couple."
I carry 10 boards full time, with the option of tossing in extras to bring the total to either 12 or 14 boards, depending on how you count the 3-piece sectioned board set I have.
Why? Simple... because I often wheel alone, I often wheel alone in the deep snow, and I often haul my 37' camper places that most people wouldn't go (soft sand and deep snow), especially alone. I look at them as a force multiplier and a way to significantly reduce the amount of time and effort it takes me to get un-stuck when I'm by myself.
Traction boards arent a magic bullet, but when they are the right tool... they are the right tool. Not only do I own 'a few' but I also have quite a bit of experience using them, clear back to my teenage years, with a set that my dad fashioned from a heavy duty conveyor belt, and I have learned a lot of lessons along the way.
Lesson 1: 4 is almost always better than 2. 6 is better than 4. 8 is better than 6. More boards means less work for everyone involved. Sometimes the vehicle only needs to move a foot or two to be freed. But more often than not in deep snow or soft sand, a vehicle needs to move a full car-length or more in order to be freed.
Lesson 2: Once on the boards, stay on the boards. I see so many use-cases, especially with only 2 or 4 boards where the vehicle gets unstuck for the length of the board and then re-stuck again as soon as it falls off — mainly because people gas it and spin the tires. If you come off the boards, get OFF the throttle! With only 2 or 4 boards, it may be helpful to stagger them somewhat on opposite sides (locking diff's are particularly handy for this). Place them so that opposing boards are moved forward 1/2 or 2/3 the length of the boards so that you can get up onto fresh boards before stopping to reposition the originals.
Lesson 3: If at all possible winch, push or drive the stuck vehicle 2-4" in the direction opposite where you are placing the boards, then place the boards and let the vehicle weight settle back onto the edge of the board. Alternatively, jacking the wheel up enough to get the edge of the board under it can be just as effective. Again, I see so many use-cases where people just shove the board in the hole against the tire and then spin tires trying to grip the board, usually with no luck (often ruining the boards). All of the videos attached below have been staged in this way — with weight on the board before I attempt to drive.
Lesson 4: Use ONLY enough throttle to creep yourself onto the end of the boards. In all of these videos you can see a 'very slow' start, then once solidly onto the board you can use more throttle to gain speed/momentum if necessary. Any amount of wheel spin, in addition to causing damage to the boards, is almost useless in terms of unstucking the vehicle.
Lesson 5: The steeper the angle that you can position a board against a tire, the better. It may seem counterintuitive and might not always be possible, but the more parallel the board is to the ground, the more likely it is to be caught by the tire and spit out the other side before the vehicle actually moves or becomes unstuck. If you are framed out in snow, sand or mud, a steeper angle to the boards will help lift the vehicle more quickly as well.
Lesson 6: If you have enough boards to make a track, do so. Overlap each successive board by about 4" or so, so that as the vehicle approaches the end the board carrying the weight begins to transfer some of the weight onto the next board.
Lesson 7: Dont forget that you can use traction boards preemptively to prevent vehicles from getting stuck. Like in #6, if you have the ability to make yourself a track, do so.
Lesson 8: Cheap boards 'will' crack and break (especially when very cold). This can be mitigated by making sure that the entire board will be in contact with the ground (snow, sand) as the vehicle is moving over it.
Lesson 9: Expensive boards 'can' crack and break (especially when very cold). This can be mitigated by making sure that the entire board will be in contact with the ground (snow, sand) as the vehicle is moving over it.
Lesson 10: Metal lugs or bolts on the end/ramp of traction boards is almost always a net positive for performance and longevity. Less necessary if you closely observe lessons 3 and 4 above. ActionTrax and MaxTrax both make boards with metal hardware, or you can just do your own like I did (photo below).
Lesson 11: While probably not practical for everyone, I carry cheap Amazon boards for getting strangers unstuck and expensive boards for myself or my friends. There are probably very few circumstances where I would volunteer my expensive boards to unstuck a strangers vehicle. If they're being used as a traction aid, say to keep a vehicle on trail on a side slope, or to protect synthetic winch lines, then I have no issue breaking out the expensive boards. I've just seen too many situations where no matter how strongly you try to emphasize not spinning tires, the person will go with the when-in-doubt-throttle-out approach. A complete stranger burning up an $80 set of Amazon boards is less painful than letting them burn up a $300+ set.
Lesson 12: I'm not entirely convinced that the brand of board you go with makes nearly as big of a difference as how you choose to use them. MaxTrax or ActionTrax boards are unlikely to perform much, if any, better than other brands for actually getting a vehicle unstuck, assuming proper technique.
Now if we're talking using boards for bridging, then these two brands probably do offer a significantly better product. Both brands are unlikely to crack or break while bridging in warm weather, but both can and have cracked and broken when used for bridging in cold weather.
Lesson 13: Use lanyards! If your boards didnt come with them, get yourself about 4' of sturdy brightly colored rope or nylon strap and attach it to each one of your boards. Once the boards are buried in hard packed snow, or they disappear in sand or mud, you'll be glad you did.
What else do you have to add to the list of lessons?