Let me get straight to it; I don't have a winch, and I'm not planning on buying one for my upcoming World Trip, either.
Now you know. But why?
Zombie Apocalypse
For the first World Trip, I researched everything regarding safety, like a roll cage, a winch, protection for the diffs, the fuel tank, the steering rod, and the oil pan. You name it. The more I researched, the more pictures I saw of 4x4 vehicles built to survive a Zombie Apocalypse, with heavy protection from top to bottom. If you're new to Overlanding, this can be overwhelming.
When you've recovered from the visual violence of badass off-road vehicles, the next shock awaits you: the costs (it ends with three zeroes and doesn't start with the number one), and let's not forget the extra weight you're putting on. A winch, for instance, often means installing a heavy-duty winch bumper.
The Zombie Overlander © Top Gear
So, I made a list of what I really needed while exploring the world. For protection, it isn't much, and here's why.
Rebuilding my 2002 Defender 110 into an expedition camper was time-consuming and costly. I made it into a reliable house on wheels and planned to travel as far as possible. Of course, things break down. That's what to expect when you drive a heavily loaded car on unpaved roads for a long time. But you won't look for ways to destroy your house on wheels you've worked so hard on, are you? I mean, the car and everything in it is all you have. In other words, avoiding extremely difficult roads is the way to go because you're an Overlander first and an offroader second!
I take my changes!
But what if I have no choice? Well, let's be honest... there's always a choice. So, a winch is a good idea if you want to get in trouble. But what if I accidentally get into trouble? Wouldn't a winch save me, then? Yeah... Nope. Because there's a big chance there's nothing around you to attach the winch cable to. And trust me, that happens more than you'd expect.
By the way, the 'what if' is the most used reason people get a winch. "You never know when it might come in handy" is an often-heard argument. But when you are planning to go on an Overlanding trip, and the 'what if' scares you the most... You're in for a treat because there are a lot of other 'what ifs' to worry about. That's what makes it an adventure!!
If you'd asked an Overlander (who installed and used a winch), he could have avoided the situation. The answer would have been yes, nine out of ten times. For that one time... I take my changes!
If I do get stuck, it won't be forever. Stay calm, don't do anything stupid, everything will be ok because sooner or later someone will see you and offer help.
An easy river crossing in Turkey
Looking back on my first World Trip (I ended up in North Iraq due to the pandemic). I didn't avoid difficult roads. Sometimes the most challenging roads lead to the most incredible wild camping spots. But I can tell you this... I didn't need a winch to get there or to get out of there.
When I bought my Defender, there was already a skid plate installed. It's the only underbody protection I have. Knowing that when traveling down a rocky road -slowly- and I'd hear a rock banging against my skid plate, I would stop and check. It happened to me twice simply because I'm careful when driving my precious Expedition Defender, which still looks BADASS without a roll cage, heavy underbody protection, or a winch!
If your also not going to buy a winch, invest in this equipment :
⌁ Good quality tires. I'm really happy with the GT Grabber AT3
⌁ Air compressor. Lowering tire pressure will improve your chances of getting unstuck.
⌁ Waffle boards/sand ladders. It's all about grip. I have two aluminum sand ladders.
⌁ A good shovel. Yes, shovel your way to freedom!
⌁ Recovery tow strap.
⌁ If you have zero experience, spend your money on an off-road training.
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