Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How do you carry sand for traction on ice?

After many years with only 4WD vehicles and never needing sand, there is now a 2-wheel drive(front) car in the family. Something is needed that won't roll around in the trunk and is easy to use if needed. The car has new snow tires, the studless kind. Chains will be carried, but if the problem is just an icy parking spot, it isn't worth putting chains on for a 20 ft move.

Thanks,

Bruce

I carry 300# of sand for ballast in the winter (countering the snow plow).

I picked up some 75# bags of it at Home Depot for, like, $3-4 a bag.

that was 3 years ago and they're still intact.

It's tough keeping it from getting wet and then freezing in the back of a pickup.

In a car trunk, the best thing may be cat litter.

that's what camper shells are for!


the bigger problem is trying to clean elk blood / hair off the stacked bags.....

Can't fit round bales inside the cap!

You want sand to put under the tires for traction. I had to read it twice. Get a bucket with a lid. Ken

What kend said. Dry sand. Those round blocks aren't much good.....

I prefer a transfer case lever!

Get a car or truck innertube and cut a section out of it. Wire one end shut and fill it up, the wire the other end twist tie fashion. Doesn't roll around, adds weight, and you can access the sand when you need it.

I have a small bag of kitty litter in the truck of my wife's car.

Something I am glad to not have to worry about!

But when you do worry about it, you got bigger problems!

Here we call it Wednesday!

The only time sand bothers me is when it gets real dry and the sugar sand appears in the pastures, that crap will grab ya quick.

My wife has a front wheel drive Chevy Venture van and we/she has never needed anything for traction and we get a fair amount of snow here in Buffalo, NY. I bet you've heard about us. <grin> Although.....it is flat as a pancake here!

Front wheel drive vehicles are pretty darn good on ice and snow, IMO. My 4x4 is of course fine.

Around here a lot of places sell "tubes" of sand for traction. They are waterproof thankfully as I have had some experience with trying to use frozen sand. NOT GOOD, actually,I may just try the kitty liter... I have some clean stuff

But not as much as Rome, Cheektowaga, or Tonawanda, eh?

+ 1 on the kitty litter. My wife keeps it in her car and last year she used it to get going after getting into a "slick spot".

Ernie

In the sand box.

Around here the sand is sold in tubes. Sometimes inner tubes tied at each end.

You could always pick up a few sand bags and fill them too.

I had a 2 WD Toyota Hilux pickup in Fairbanks, once upon a time. I said it had a "maximum-slip differential" - it would put the power to the wheel that was slipping the most!

One time in the Safeway parking lot I was parked head-in on just the slightest of slopes and could not back out, and no way to pull forward.

I left it in gear and got out and pushed my truck to where there was some gravel for traction, ran and jumped back in, and then drove on my merry way!

I don't recommend it for those less fleet-footed, but it worked!

You can also use a bag of sidewalk salt. I use the tubes of sand here. Also poured about half of one out and use it to weight down my lead sled for shooting.