It's winter and I find myself secretly wishing for major snow storms so I can go take my Bronco out to play in it. I'm not completely selfish though- I have my recovery kit(s) with me so if the snow gods ever bless me, I'll be ready to render help to those who need it too 
The thing is though, most people think that their 4x4's are going to be fine in snowy or icy conditions. The truth of the matter is that the AT or MT tires that comes with Broncos and other 4x4's are not the best tires for winter. That is not to say you won't be fine 90% of the time but it is to say that then things go wrong they are going to go very wrong. In that way, winter driving should be treated similarly to being in sand or mud. You have to be prepared for the worst.
This is where people start to talk about "triple peak" or other snow rated tires. Those are certainly are a solution but they are an expensive solution. I don't know about you but keeping or selling my good MT tires for a new set of snow capable tires is a hard pill to swallow for me. Here in the northeast, save some places that are are higher elevations, we rarely get the type of winters where dedicated snow tires makes sense. So, some years ago, I found a solution that I used for my car that had performance tires.
Enter the tire sock, in particular the brand I choose was autosock, https://autosock.com/
Simply put, a tire sock is a textile material that goes over your tire and has characteristics that allow it to stick to snow and ice. That in turn gives you the traction needed to operate your vehicle. Not only are these products DOT approved but they are less expensive than chains or cables products (I was a big fans of z-chains before I found these). They are washable and reusable so, depending on use they might last you several seasons. Even if they don't, they are cheap enough relative to other products that you won't be crying if you have to buy another set. The main negative of tire socks is that they may not be a durable as chains or cable products but I can tell you from experience they are much easier to put on then chains or cables. They self adjust once you start rolling and the ride quality is excellent since the material is snug and flat against your tires. You do have to operate at lower speeds relative to other products but if the weather is that bad, that is not a negative for me.
These as part of my vehicle EDC once winter hits. Once my I start carrying my snow brush, the tire socks live in the Bronco with it.
The thing is though, most people think that their 4x4's are going to be fine in snowy or icy conditions. The truth of the matter is that the AT or MT tires that comes with Broncos and other 4x4's are not the best tires for winter. That is not to say you won't be fine 90% of the time but it is to say that then things go wrong they are going to go very wrong. In that way, winter driving should be treated similarly to being in sand or mud. You have to be prepared for the worst.
This is where people start to talk about "triple peak" or other snow rated tires. Those are certainly are a solution but they are an expensive solution. I don't know about you but keeping or selling my good MT tires for a new set of snow capable tires is a hard pill to swallow for me. Here in the northeast, save some places that are are higher elevations, we rarely get the type of winters where dedicated snow tires makes sense. So, some years ago, I found a solution that I used for my car that had performance tires.
Enter the tire sock, in particular the brand I choose was autosock, https://autosock.com/
Simply put, a tire sock is a textile material that goes over your tire and has characteristics that allow it to stick to snow and ice. That in turn gives you the traction needed to operate your vehicle. Not only are these products DOT approved but they are less expensive than chains or cables products (I was a big fans of z-chains before I found these). They are washable and reusable so, depending on use they might last you several seasons. Even if they don't, they are cheap enough relative to other products that you won't be crying if you have to buy another set. The main negative of tire socks is that they may not be a durable as chains or cable products but I can tell you from experience they are much easier to put on then chains or cables. They self adjust once you start rolling and the ride quality is excellent since the material is snug and flat against your tires. You do have to operate at lower speeds relative to other products but if the weather is that bad, that is not a negative for me.
These as part of my vehicle EDC once winter hits. Once my I start carrying my snow brush, the tire socks live in the Bronco with it.
