While I'm at it...

Ever heard the story about how a poor trades person always blames their tools....

If you are giving the bag away i will take it
The real question is what went wrong with your using the BULLBAG?

Do you have a 75 series? was it the 4wd or the hub that was out

that was funny, know how you feel. the only thing maybe i can say about airbag jacks, and i don't have one, is that i only know they are great in sand. Q is with sand there is no downward suction similar to when yr bogged in mud as you were. Stick a gumboot deep in sand and pull it out, no problem. Stick a gumboot in deep mud and your foot might come out before the gumboot. Apply the principle to the 4WD and maybe take the bag thing when yr goin to the beach and take a 10,000lb winch when yr goin in mud. I own neither a winch nor a bag and have many sore a back from shovelling sand (gotta get that tyre pressure down before i get bogged next time) and many a bored moment waiting for help (why is there so much mud?). winch one day.

The car popped slightly out of 4WD WTF???????? does that mean.

You are either in 4WD or you aren't.

Am I making the wrong assumption here that you DID HAVE your front hubs locked in.

We are going to need a bit more info to help you out on this one.

Tyres tyres tyres tyres , Driving skills driving skills driving skill.

First No NO , going off road alone

second , tyre pressures , did you lower them ?

did yo uhave mud tyres ?

when you first got stuck , did you try to reverse out ?

did you bother to get out to check the depth first ?

Diff locks dont get you bogged , the brain that says , lets try this , gets you bogged lol

Things could've been worse... I once approached a big muddy hole, locked hubs, selected L4, checked the depth, good firm bottom, mud not to sticky, proceeded to roll on in, tree root sticking out of the mud came to rest against the arm which activates the clutch...??? 10 minutes trying to figure out why I had no drive, N0 chance of moving the car myself, snapped the shovel handle, no-one to help me, 2 hours of standing around thinking about how you can get stuck real good even when you assess the risks and proceed with common sense.

"Learnt 2 things today... "

Really?????

Wheely,

Can now understand from your description what you are saying about the exhaust jack on soft, uneven ground. Must admit a hadn't thought about their practicality in that sort of condition.

I don't have a high-lift jack but in circumstances similar to yours and after trying the exhaust jack, I guess I would have tried the standard car jack which also has a smaller footprint. Or placed a board underneath the Air jack. I usually carry a piece in the Camper.

TIP, don't get rid of the Air jack. They are still the most useful piece of kit to have and they don't take up too much room.

Hi-lift jacks have there place but make no mistake - a high lift jack will prob kill you quicker then an air bag any day. Hi-lifts are more unstable then an air bag, they are even very good for turning a vehicle around in a confined space by deliberately pushing the vehicle off the jack ! Is your vehicle set up to use a high lift ? Most vehicles are not hence the danger. Next time out if you take a high lift you better know how to use it safely or you will be learning more then 'two new things' :-)) There is more experience available to you on this site then you will get in any 4wd mag with glossy pics showing a hi-lift as a "must have" accessory on every vehicle. I suspect that your so-called "most 4wd trainers" do not use airbags very much so they don't rate them. Reading how some of these expert trainers do recoveries soon sorts out which ones I would have you listen to. There is the easy way and the hard way, or should that be, the safe way and the dangerous way? Take it easy and learn how to use the equipment rather then blame it if it does not do what you want when you want.

WheelTravel,

I think your Girlfriend knows you better than you think.
You still need to learn some more about "having fun"
Getting stuck is not fun, and as you found out it is a lot of work, not just to get out but also when you get home and do all the maintenance on the vehicle.
If this had been done the last time you went through water and mud you provably not have had the lack of maintenance problem that got you stuck this time.
Going out alone with the attitude that I have diff locks and a winch and wont get stuck is not the right way. They are after made by man and can fail.

I will go through mud if I have to but if there is another track I will use that, not only does it save the track but also the vehicle.

And for the exhaust jack and your comment that a high lift jack would have been better. You vehicle was bogged, so what size base plate would you need to stop the high lift jack from bogging.

Maybe a refresher course in recovery and if you do it with a experienced instructor they will show how the exhaust jack works.

Wayne