Many of us may think that if we get the right mud tyres, we can go mud driving anywhere we feel like and not get stuck.

However, this is simply not the case. Even the best mud tyres won’t keep you from bogging if you don’t know what you are doing or where you are going.

That is why the first tip for driving through the mud is to take a long-handled shovel with you to help get you unstuck, and enough food and drink to keep you in good spirits until you do. Remember, it may be awhile before you get rescued – if that’s necessary. Also check out our 4×4 recovery article for noobs if you haven’t done so already.

“the first tip for driving through the mud is to take a long-handled shovel with you”

Another good tip to keep from bogging, in addition to having a good set of mud tyres, is to stay on the track. It is always fun to go off the track, and other ways may even look easer to navigate than staying on it, but you only have to get stuck once to realize why no one else has gone this way.

When you go off the track, one of the easiest ways to get stuck is by losing momentum. If you get caught in the mud at the bottom of a rise, you may start spinning your tires to keep going, while all you are doing in throwing mud and digging yourself in. You can keep going better if you stay on the track and keep a consistent speed. It is also a good idea to stay in the existing ruts.

Your mud tyres will also work much better if you stay off the brakes. Hitting the brakes hard can lock up the wheels and cause you to lose control of the steering. It is much better to keep a consistent speed and if you need to slow down, use the gears to retard your momentum instead of the brakes.

“if you need to slow down, use the gears to retard your momentum instead of the brakes”

Many of us make the mistake of thinking that accelerating our mud tyres and pushing heavy on the brakes will get us out of any situation; but it is always much easier to keep an even speed and stay on the track. It doesn’t sound like as much fun, but it is better than being stuck for hours or even days.