Mud ... try to go around or thru the guts

If you have walked the stretch and proded with a stick as you have said then go into the tracks and follow the ruts when things are tight. Also lightly turn the wheel side to side which will allow the front tyre sidewall lugs to get some grip in the ruts.
Just use common sense to guide you . Use the 4wd laws.

If in doubt, stop and get out.
Assess think and decide.

Assess the situation against your vehicles capabilities...water depth, size of ruts and the bottom surface and ask yourself if I do get stuck how am I going to get out. If confident go for it, if not ask yourself do I really have to do this, if so then look for an alternative path.

Trev,

2 things.

First thing:
The "chicken tracks" as they tend to be known around the side of the bits you are talking about are environmental vandalism. If you and your vehicle are capable of travelling the main track AND you have no alternative route that is on a formed track, then stick to the main track and if you get stuck deal with it responsibly - winch, snatch etc. If there is an alternative route on a formed track and you are concerned about your ability to travel your intended route backtrack and detour.

The first of the chicken tracks tend also to become bog holes and another chicken track is made. So on and so forth and eventually there is a big bog hole or mess of tracks 5 4wd widths wide. These are major ammunition for getting 4wd users kicked off public land. They are also extremely expensive and difficult to repair for government land management departments, even after the track has been shut.

Second thing:
May I suggest you go and do a 4wd course - either commercial or through a club. You will learn all about safe passage through these sorts of obstacles, and when to decide that backtracking and finding another way around is the better option.

The mud is fun. We all love it a little bit but it is great ammunition for green groups when it is abused.

I have made one trip to Toolangi which is probably about 2 hours too close to Melbourne to keep the clubs and groups that want to go nuts in the mud from being there every other weekend.

I didn't know how bad it was until I saw it, having basically heard about this great place with some good tracks and fantastic forests from a magazine trip note. I got well and truly stuck trying to stay on the main track in some spots (30" deep not 10") and not make the chicken tracks any worse. I won't be venturing back.

We aren't all as lucky as the guy who inherits a swamp in the Jeep commercial. Unfortunately action such as this on public land has consequences - and a small number of less than responsible 4wders threaten public access for all as a result.

Dave

more related to water pools always through the deepest part of the pools because the water is pooling there because it has a solid base rather than a porous muddy one.................. sometimes

Trevor,

back up about 400 meters, then floor it. Hit the water at full speed and let your momentum carry you through ;-)

I don't know about heavily used tracks but in my experience flooded desert tracks are best tackled 'through the middle' where the base is firmest.

There is no hard rule on it as every situation is different..
EG terrain, how well used etc etc

You may dip it with a stick, but it may be full of logs, and rocks and other crap that may spear a tire.

Trev, the water is laying on the track longer because the base is more compact and therefore it takes longer to soak away. The sides of the track although not holding water are generally very wet and venturing off the beaten track generally leaves you sitting in a quagmire waiting for a tow out.
The vehicles that have passed before you chopping the track up leave the ruts but if you have good ground clearance and follow most of the advice given previously, you won't have a problem.
Cheers
Alpaca

When the Hughenden to Richmond road was dirt there was a black flat on the highway where our entrance to the property was. I cannot tell the number of times we had to pull cars out of the bog when they would leave the road and try and go around the water on the road - the flat would look dry and the road had water on it so obviously the road would be the boggiest - not so, the road had a hard gravel bottom and it was virtually impossible to get bogged on it. I helped pull a Fairlane out that had burried his nose in the table drain trying to avoid the water on the road.
Generally speaking the presence of water indicates a hard bottom - stick with the water.

Best of luck

Graham P

Depending on the situation. For gravel roads I was always taught to go through the middle as it will be hard and compacted, going around the outside will just be mush.

However this is more for well travelled roads, bush tracks you'd need to make a decision on the fly depending on the circumstances.

I was out playing one afternoon. I had a car full of guys all dressed for church not digging in the mud. We came across this mud hole in the middle of a track. Encouraged by my passengers and the fact that I knew the area pretty well I drove in.

Got stopped, no probs engage both diff locks and try again. Try in reverse, try forward, try reverse. Still no good. Try forward and then reverse reel quick still no good. This was starting to look bad. I mean with two diff locks in and still stuck, I was feeling pretty stuck.

I stopped to think for a while before getting out of the car in my Sunday best. One last try I thought. Put it in reverse and went back about 1 car length before stopping. I then tried again to reverse and out she came no problems at all.

What was happening was that the water piled up in front of the car going forward or behind the car going in reverse was too heavy to push out of the way. When I went back then stopped the water had time to flow past the car. I was then able to back out because I wasn't lifting so much water. This was a very deep hole, it had been dug out (by people getting stuck and wheelspinning) so that the bottom was about 1m below the surrounding ground but the water was only about bumper bar deep. Because of the depth of the hole it could not get away easily.

The thing I learned is if you are going out to play in the mud don't wear your Sunday best.

Also if you do get stuck take your time think about it and be prepared to try different things. Remember the throttle will get you into trouble if you use it wrong.

Duncs

As most have said, every situation requires a different approach and an assessment of the conditions.

90% of the time go straight through the middle, but what is the point in going thro the middle if there is 30 inch of water and below that 14-inch deep wheel rut’s and holes that you can’t see, your going to go diving in end up on the diffs and be well stuck and unless you have brought your scuba gear or a water pump you will be going no wear fast. (If you are alone)

If I came up to a big stretch of deep mud and water and I was not sure of the condition of the track under it all I would be using the “Chicken Tracks” (If that was the only other option) If you happen to get bogged you can still Jack and dig the car out and apply traction aid’s to the surface to get moving/ out, You can’t do that when half the car is under the water stuck in mud.
(If in a national park I would not do this I would ether find another track around or call it a day.)

Remember always ask yourself do I need to go there, is there a better way around and if I get stuck how can I get out

No point playing hero if you are looking at 50 odd thousand worth of 4WD Decomposing into the mud.