Reddit mentions of MAXSA 20333 Escaper Buddy Traction Mats for Off-Road Mud, Sand, & Snow Vehicle Extraction (Set of 2), Orange

Nice pic. Traction boards and a shovel next time.

Ridgeline! Ignore any haters, I "overlanded" in my Honda Element and love the hell out of the Ridgeline. You'll get a lot of unnecessary hate in a Ridgeline, including from pavement princess Tacomas, Jeeps, etc. Remember, if you're having fun, that's all that counts. Plus, your ride is way more comfortable than theirs to daily drive.

I had General Grabber AT2s on my Element, they were awesome. I have BFG KO2s on my Tacoma now, they're just as awesome. Discount Tire runs good promos, I highly recommend waiting and going with them. Definitely don't go anywhere before tires though, you'll regret it.

If you can, fit 1" larger diameter tires and upgrade from there. I did a spacer lift on my Element and it was enough, just take it easy.

Above all else, don't get caught up in all the gear and hype, go out there with your standard camping gear and enjoy the journey. If it's for you and you like it, upgrade over time to better gear. I went on dozens of trips with my V-Strom or PCX, had a kid, then went on 4 trips with my Element. I had so much fun and sometimes miss that freedom, but it's hard now that kid #2 is here. I've since upgraded from the Element to a Tacoma and bought a ton of crap... But that crap is just that. I could fit everything I needed to "overland" in a backpack on my motorcycles, and that's all you really need.

Get out there, have fun, and let the gear and expenses come if you enjoy it. If you've got a hole burning in your wallet, based on your rig, I'd recommend some basic recovery gear. I have a set of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AV2HONS/ and they'll get you out of most trouble without a winch. Start easy with forest service roads, and go up from there.

I drive the local beaches in my area (east coast US) often have have little problems. My '14 sits on 1" of lift and a set of BFG KO2, which are decidedly not well suited for the sand. The factory tires did just as well, if not better, as they have a much more compliant sidewall than the BFGs.

Most of the time, airing down is not necessary. One beach in particular can be very soft at times, so I usually run about 20psi there. I've found that wet sand can be as hard as pavement sometimes. Other times, it might as well be quicksand. Nonetheless, I rarely have an issue. I do carry a shovel and traction mats, just in case. I have used them a few times, but only because of my own poor decision-making when choosing a path.

Keep an eye on the tides if you'll be driving below the high tide mark just in case you do have a problem. You'll want to leave yourself enough time to get rescued should need be.

The CVT is fine in sand. You'll find that you need to use a bunch more throttle input in order to get moving and stay moving.

Turning off the traction control (as much as the button allows you) seems to help keep the car from killing any semblance of power when the wheels start to spin a little. If you do encounter wheelspin, remember to give the car enough time to sense the spin before letting off the throttle.
The system will kick in, make creaking and other strange noises, and apply less power to the wheel that's spinning, and continue on its' way.

Sometimes, the traction control light, hill assist light, and CVT temp lights will illuminate while driving on sand or other loose surfaces. This is [I think] caused by wheelspin events that last longer than normal, or when the steering wheel input doesn't match the direction of travel for longer than the car is expecting. It doesn't do any permanent damage, but the traction control system is completely disabled when those lights are on, to beware. The fix is usually to restart the car.

A couple of other [maybe not so] obvious items.

Rinse off sand and salt after you get off the beach.

Be mindful of your approach and departure angles. The XV bumpers are all plastic, and the rear specifically has a tendency to be pulled off if it tries to scoop up a bunch of sand.

Your factory tow hook isn't designed to take the stress of offroad recovery. It's designed to pull a car straight onto a flatbed towtruck. If you do need to use it to get unstuck, you'll need to do your best to pull straight forward or back. Any sideways pull has a tendency to bend the hook.

For Reference.

TL;DR Go For It.

https://www.amazon.com/Escaper-Traction-Off-Road-Extraction-20333/dp/B00AV2HONS

MAXSA Escaper Buddies are great, I cannot praise them enough. I’ve used them for two seasons now and they’re still good as new. The key is to be very careful not to spin your tires on them. If you spin tires then you melt the plastic and the little nubs flatten. You want to position them where your tires won’t spin at all. Plus if your tires are spinning, you need to adjust anyways because it means you still don’t have enough traction for forward motion.

These have saved me out of quite a few precarious situations. They have held up very well and just on my last trip we jacked up a YJ and used two of these board stacked on top of each other as a platform in the snow to jack from. They held up great and no signs of cracking or breaking!

1. Go someplace where it's not snowy.
   
2. Good insulation, ventilation, and a heater.
   
3. Sub-zero sleeping bag.
   
4. Make sure you check the area around your intake(s) and exhaust(s) for snow accumulation. Blockage is bad.
   
5. Have a good squeegee / ice scraper / snow brush. Ideally on a telescoping pole.
   
6. Have a good collapsible shovel, for (1) digging yourself out of the snow/mud, (2) clearing large swaths of snow from atop and near the vehicle. Be sure not to scratch the paint.
   
7. Have a set of what Bob calls Portable Tow Trucks for when you inevitably get stuck.
   
8. Stay with someone / get a hotel / etc.
   
9. Put some reflective tape on the rear of the vehicle, and possibly elsewhere, so you can be seen. Many of us have white vehicles, and those blend into the snow quite readily.
   
10. Camp somewhere that has cell reception so you can always call for help if you need to.

FWIW I have the knock off maxxtraxx and they never have failed me. Technically I've never used them for me but they worked perfectly for the people I helped recover, including a weekender RV out of a soft sand and gravel patch in the high desert.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV2HONS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472826105&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=escaper+buddy

Used them in sand and snow so far and have not let me down!

Here is a video of me testing them out:

https://youtu.be/SwLTv26egu8

I guess they're actually $120 a pair, but free shipping with Prime. Maxsa is the brand. I've had mine for almost a year and have used them a few times with good results. Totally worth the $120.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AV2HONS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01

He might need these for future endeavors.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV2HONS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473656406&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=traction+mats&dpPl=1&dpID=41r0N2OOheL&ref=plSrch

Used my maxsa to pull myself 60 yds out of rim deep mud. Awesome kit
MAXSA Escaper Buddy Traction Mat (Set of 2) for Off-Road Mud, Sand, & Snow Vehicle Extraction Orange 20333 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AV2HONS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0OlTzbV0RKMNP

10,000lb recovery strap w/ tow hooks and hardware along with these:

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV2HONS/ref=pd_aw_sbs_1?pi=SS115&simLd=1&dpPl=1&dpID=41r0N2OOheL
Edit: you may want a higher rating than 10,000 depending on your use!

I'm a fan of these wine glasses (which come in red, white, and champagne!).

We also just got a set of rescue ramps (they might've been these), which we haven't tried out yet but are looking forward to!

Happy trails to you and your wife!

https://www.amazon.com/Escaper-Traction-Off-Road-Extraction-20333/dp/B00AV2HONS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538490518&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=recovery+boards&psc=1

I carry these traction mats in my truck

Definitely depends on a number of things, the biggest ones being the capabilities of your vehicle and the types of roads you expect to be traveling on.

AWD and 4WD are not invincible. Good traction tires (they do NOT need to be studded, studless snow tires are actually generally better than studded tires in most conditions) should be your first investment, because they make it markedly less likely that you'll need to be recovered in the first place.

Assuming you are just driving around on mostly paved roads or well-kept Forest Service roads, I'd be prepared with jumper cables, a spare tire with jack/tire iron/wheel chock (and some blocks of wood to shim in case you need extra height on your jack), tow straps, a come-along, possibly chains, a snow shovel (and snow gloves) and possibly traction mats of some sort (like these). Know where your tow points are on your vehicle, because if you get stuck and can't dig yourself out or use traction mats or your come-along to get yourself out, you will need someone to pull you out. If you have a vehicle where you can store gas externally (roof basket, pickup bed, etc) consider getting a 5-gal jerry can for spare fuel. Otherwise, I strongly advise never venturing into the backcountry without at least half a tank.

If you get deeper into wanting to overland/offroad, you'd want to look at improving your ground clearance and investing in a good winch. Ground clearance will definitely help with not getting stuck in the first place, and a winch will greatly improve your ability to self-recover. However, being new to this, I'd strongly encourage you to do this in a group with at least one other vehicle.

I could write a novel on what sort of survival gear to have with you. But figure at a bare minimum you'd want:

• Blankets/sleeping bags
  
  
• At least a gallon of water per person, augment with a water filter
  
  
• Spare food/snacks
  
  
• Firestarting equipment
  
  
• Layered cold and wet weather gear
  
  
• First aid/medical gear matched to your level of training
  
  
• A good, bright headlamp or flashlight like those from reputable brands like Nitecore, Fenix, FourSevens, OLight, Black Diamond, Petzl, etc along with spare batteries
  
  
• Hand saw and potentially an axe for clearing brush that might fall across a road and block your travel
  
  
• If there are multiple vehicles in your group, consider adding a cheap CB radio to each vehicle or handheld UHF radios like cheap Baofengs or something
  
  
• A PLB (personal locator beacon for life-threatening emergencies) or other satellite communicator (DeLorme InReach being the best, also the SPOT line of products). A true PLB like those from ACR are about $250 on Amazon and are only to be used in situations of grave danger, whereas a two-way communicator like the InReach can be useful if you get stuck somewhere without cell coverage and need recovery/support but you aren't actively dying.
  
  

As others have said it's your money; do as you wish.

All that said; how bad were you really stuck?

You can get recovery boards to leave in your toolbox

http://www.amazon.com/Innovations-20333-Escaper-Orange-Traction/dp/B00AV2HONS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410038008&sr=8-2&keywords=maxx+traxx

You can get winches and pull anchors for use when you don't have a tree to strap to and mount them on a receiver plat form so you can remove it when you need to;

http://www.amazon.com/WARN-86245-VR8000-000-Winch/dp/B004UJ3IAQ/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1410038095&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Warn+winch

http://www.amazon.com/PULL-PAL-WINCH-ANCHOR-11000-Heavy-Duty/dp/B004WFX8HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1410038122&sr=1-1&keywords=Pull+pal

You can run an all terrain tire and you will get further than highway tread even on a 2wd truck- and your truck needs tires anyway why not go all terrain if you can find one that has decent road manners (I run firestone destination A/Ts and they have been just fine).

See the thing is- that entire list is all stuff that people hang off of 4x4s anyway!

So, buy recovery boards, buy a winch on a hitch mount, buy A/Ts and leave your stockers out in the garage. See if your truck still gets stuck. Still getting stuck? Upgrade to a 4x4. Sell your truck with the stockers on it, throw the A/Ts and recovery boards and winch on your new 4x4.

If you read off road magazines, most of them will tell you not to go off road by yourself in the first place. None of them will tell you to take a 2x4 off road, but none are going to tell you that a 4x4 simply will not get stuck.

These for getting unstuck.

Traction mats
https://www.amazon.com/Innovations-20333-Escaper-Orange-Traction/dp/B00AV2HONS

hah, never mind... I figured it out

These are on the expensive side but are great to carry for all terrains

Here

Maxtrax

Also D-Rings and a tow strap or snatch strap for somebody to pull you out.D-Ring Snatch Strap

I am trying to mount these recovery boards to my stock rack...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AV2HONS/?coliid=IYRC7HV9LHNZ0&colid=318YY8ABBB2YU&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Ideas?

Good looking wheels! The sand mats are from Amazon and help to completely block any view out the rear window so I have a rear view camera with wireless 7" display screen that is searching for a good mounting solution.