Massachusetts has been getting blitzed by winter in 2015 so far. December saw maybe a flash freezing which COULD have been mitigate by the local DPWs, many of whom did nothing and caused wreck after wreck sparking insurance conspiracies everywhere. But now, Mother Nature and Jack Frost have tag teamed to assassinate the Heat Miser and BURY our miniature state under a whole lot of frigid powdery white stuff.
If we were Scarface, this would be a party.
Unfortunately, my town is at 72+ inches of accumulated snowfall within 2 weeks... and CLIMBING.
I did not get a tow strap until December '14, and I bought my vehicle in September '13. Like every n00b I prioritized a lift and tires and everything else.. y'know... because why the hell not!? And once my 35s were mounted (obligatory Marshawn Lynch style shout out to Cozdude) I walked around with a Jeep manifested stiffy for weeks - didn't you guys?
Well, in Nature's quest to eliminate Massachusetts in a temporary Ice Age, we have endured some travel bans and some seriously batteries of sudden and swift accumulation which has left roads unplowed, or impassable. I know Youngfire, NoRoad, Darkknight and I were probably the only drivers on the unplowed highways exploring uncharted territory, forging our own path to glory in seemingly crippling weather (I believe all of us qualify as essential personnel AND have the vehicles to accomplish this travel anyhow). My check tire pressure light has been on for 2 weeks - set stupid low by me, so you can tell the pressure is near 20psi - just to conquer these massive storms and giant slush berms from highway to highway.
2015 has, so far, been the year of recovery. I have used my tow strap at least 6 times pulling everything from little sedans and Chevy 2500HDs to State Troopers Crown Vic's on the highway, side streets, drieveways and wherever else. The moral of this story is...
FOR YOUR FIRST 'MOD'
You should consider recovery gear... and not just for YOUR rig or fellow JEEPERS on the trail.... but for any vehicle. I have never seen so many excited people go from defeated by snow to elated they could resume their doomed journey home - It's New England and most people drive by in their Honda Pilots, or like I used to in a 2wd Pickup, saying "oh you Poor Bastard" and continuing on our way.... In all my years living in New England I have never owned a more capable vehicle built specifically for recovery, capability and performance as the JKU.
NOTE: If you have no experience in vehicle recovery, please do not start your blind venture into recovery on some poor kid's Honda Civic. I have towed multiple vehicles from sand pits, berms, on road and in collapsed roadways and while I'm certainly no expert, I'd hate to see you get motivated to pull a vehicle to safety and crack the bumper, or worse pull it into a nother vehicle.... or yours. This is why I am not writing a tow/recovery write up, but am encouraging you to consider recovery, and not just in the traditional sense of YOU being stuck, or a trail pull from an obstacle.
I have never been able to apply the skills I learned snatching Humvees to safety to civilian type vehicles before. I gotta say, it's a lot of fun.