Wilco Off-Road's Hitchgate Solo solves spare-tire issue, but can pose hurdles

There is no law of physics, nature or probability that assures only one flat tire will occur when traveling wildland roads.

Wilco's Hitchgate Solo mounted on our 4Runner.

That's why we carry two all-terrain spare tires, and recommend that our clients do so as well.

However, the problem of where to carry a large, 70-lb. (32 kg.) or heavier second spare wheel is difficult to resolve.

To get the the added security of a second spare tire, we opted a few years ago for Texas-based Wilco Offroad's Hitchgate Solo, a spare-tire carrier that mounts on the tow hitch. Initial fitment difficulties, and subsequent difficulties getting Wilco to fulfill our order for small replacement parts (worn Delrin washers for the swing arm) left us no option but to give a luke-warm early recommendation, with warnings.

Now, after thousands of backcountry miles, we've resolved these issues, but only after some effort by us.

The Hitchgate Solo remains solidly mounted, wobble free and easy to use regardless of the terrain. The only maintenance has been to snug up the swing arm's pivot bolt, a simple and infrequent task; and replacing the Delrin washers on the swing arm, also an infrequent task. (They do wear out, so order spares.) We've found that it does indeed provide the peace of mind that a second spare tire provides, as well as a place for our trash container and extra-fuel can.

Don't let weather, wildfires and work derail your wildland travels. Just ask for 'Plan B'!

As potential consolation for the risks posed by wildland travel's three dreaded "Ws" -- weather, wildfires and work -- we'll be offering 2024's clients exclusive free use of our GPS-guided "Plan B" data file with routing through the most beautiful part of Idaho, in the American West's northern Rocky Mountains.

Travel-season storms can make many of the West's dirt roads impassable. Wildfires can close backcountry roads, forcing travelers onto long highway bypasses.

Perhaps worst of all: Your phone ... and the office has your number.

For clients who suddenly must shorten or even cancel their journeys on our western wildland routes, we've compiled as compensation a free, plug-and-play GPX route file that can guide them along spectacular day trips that are second to none.

These routes -- all readily accessible from a single base -- traverse terrain that is more mineralized than clay-based, and thus more resilient to inclement conditions than many western regions.

The region is more open and less forested, and thus less prone to fire. It also is convenient to the airport and amenities of Idaho Falls, a dynamic small city just west of Wyoming and south of Montana.

The routes can quickly be accessed from a backcountry campsite or even a rustic motel.

Each route is selected and documented via GPS not only for its beauty, but also for, soils that are less likely to turn to mud when wet, abundant RV and tent camping opportunities -- both dispersed and in campgrounds -- as well as lodging, alpine hiking, fishing, and mechanized trail riding, a mountain setting that is authentically Idaho, proximity to Yellowstone-Teton country, Ketchum/Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Range and ghost towns.

So be assured that if the three "Ws" find you, our "Plan B" just might save your trip -- while still providing the memorable wildland adventures you were looking for.

Contact us soon at backcountrybyways at gee mail dot com! 

Heart of the West Adventure Route: USA's convenient multistate wildland journey

Heart of the West Adventure Route -- the plug-and-play solution to the risks of planning an overland trip -- will continue in 2024 to provide wildland travelers a GPS-guided network of interconnected loops and routes that remains unparalleled in North America.

This premium service delivers convenient and customizable routing for travelers in SUVs, or on dual-sport and adventure motorcycles.

H.o.W. will remain an adaptable, GPS-guided 2,800-mile-plus loop along backcountry roads through some of the American West's most iconic landscapes. We've also chronicled optional routing that can extend the experience far beyond H.o.W.'s core six states. Using supplementary routing, backcountry travelers can journey from Canada to Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean or even the Mojave Desert for a fraction of the cost of guided trips.

Tow strap, folding hand saw can keep forest deadfall from ending your wildland journey

Now and then we encounter forest roads blocked by deadfall ... trees felled by fire, age, drought, insects or wind. Often they can be cut away with the folding hand saw we keep in our moto and SUV tool kits.

Tow strap being used to move deadfall

Sometimes, however, they need to be pulled off the road using a tow or recovery strap.

We've never used our 30-foot-long recovery strap for its intended purpose: hitching to a second vehicle to be extracted from a hole of some sort. We find that good judgment, used preventively, is the better tool.

We have used the strap a number of times to pull deadfall either completely out of the roadway, or far enough to make room to pass. (Why 30 feet instead of, say, 20? We find that a longer strap can probably be made shorter with wrap-arounds; but a shorter strap cannot by itself be lengthened if necessary.)

There is a nail waiting for a tire along every wildland road, so be ready for the inevitable

"Flat tire!" adventure-motorcycling videographer Sterling Noren called out from his BMW F800 as we rode from our campsite along the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. He was there to film the Touratech USA- and Butler Motorcycle Maps-sponsored inaugural ride of the border-to-border route. I was there to write about it for RoadRUNNER, the motorcycle-travel magazine.

COBDR campsite where Sterling Noren's BMW got a flat tire.

Sterling's words are among those that every ADV-style motorcyclist dreads, for they proclaim the inevitable along America's wildest roads.

It was the second flat of the trip.

Backcountry Byways LLC's web address changes to 'www.backcountrybyways.com'

Backcountry Byways LLC's web address has been changed to www.backcountrybyways.com.

The change enables us to better reflect the range of premium, personalized services we've provided to wildland and overland travelers since 1993. The URL previously directed web visitors to our ground-breaking Backcountry Byways guidebook series.