BigSteve

So you got the big wheels and tires, you got the lift, you upgraded driveshafts, you got some armor.....what is that thing or things that you hit the trail without that has you kicking yourself? What is that part that you could have upgraded but you decided nah i'll be ok without it, only to find out otherwise? Maybe it not a part, maybe its knowledge like not knowing how to properly use your new winch or poor knowledge of the trail your on. Lets talk this out.

Tonka_yellow

Driving skill or not knowing how to use the tools you have.....

I have been up stuff in my pretty much stock 2008 x that my buddy with a rubicon with a lift and 33x12.50 couldn't get up. I am not joking he was locked and getting on her hard but couldn't get up it. I also towed his jeep out of the woods because he over heated it and blew a water pump..

spicoli

I had them in the car, but wasn't utilizing them.... straps or bungies.

My dog doesn't like the car ride that much, and is much happier up close to us (wife and I) so I pack all the junk in the trunk and fold the rear seats down for him to have a bed close to us, this makes him much more relaxed in the car. Well, I once learned the hard way to strap that stuff down so it doesn't come flying forward, now I strap or bungie the junk so it doesn't slide forward on down slopes. We were going down this steep section with rocks and when the front tires hit dirt coming off one of the bigger rocks, all the junk came flying forward and our dog jump into my lap avoiding the avalanche of trunk junk as I'm trying to navigate a difficult and steep section... it was not funny at the time. He was in the car at this point because right after I came off that rock, there was a fast and deep river crossing we had to make.

My dog is a golden retriever, so he is a decent size. Junk is from camping... bins of cooking, food and camp gear, coleman grill, etc.