The Land Rover is the ultimate ‘go anywhere, any time’ vehicle. But there’s a range of extra accessories available specifically designed to make driving in winter conditions safer and less stressful.
As the acknowledged experts in all things Land Rover, at LRParts we supply a massive range of such parts and add-ons to thousands of enthusiastic customers the world over.
In most cases, these can be fitted easily and quickly to your vehicle with minimal specialist knowledge, or are items which are handy to carry should you ever find yourself in a sticky spot - or just as likely, be in a position to help a less fortunate motorist who is.
Here, we present a run-down of 10 of the products we believe any Land Rover owner who’ll be venturing out this winter should be armed with. So if you don’t want to be caught cold on your travels, read on.
1. Jump-start Power Pack
This lithium battery-powered small wonder - measuring little more than a cigarette packet - has a special high-power battery to give you a fast jump-start on icy mornings.
Yet it’s a versatile addition to your armoury, as it can also be used to charge your mobile phone, tablet computer or digital camera too. So it’s well worth you finding space in your glove box for.
View this product: Multi-function Jumper Starter for Small Petrol Engines
2. Jack
They’re renowned for their durability and ruggedness, but it means lifting a Land Rover for wheel changes or other minor repairs requires some suitably heavyweight support.
So this hi-lift jack gives you all the lifting power you need, with a capacity of 2.3 tons (more than 2,100lbs). The heavy-duty bar which lifts your Land Rover off the ground is made of extra high-carbon steel. Yet the equipment is designed to be easy to move and position. Just be sure to always find a piece of solid, level ground to place it on before using it.
View this product: Hi-Lift Jack
3. Ultra-high Traction Tyres
Putting down the weight of a Land Rover on slippery surfaces made even more tricky by frost, snow, mud and wet leaves demands some really sure-footed rubber.
These mud terrain tyres are designed to give the highest level of traction in tough conditions, and to withstand the bumps and knocks you’re likely to encounter once you leave the asphalt behind.
The ultra-thick, aggressively-grooved tread pattern leaves you in no doubt that these tyres will bite down hard on what’s underneath them, no matter how soft and slippery, to keep you moving and eliminate all possibilities of slip-ups.
View this product: Insa Turbo Special Track Mud Terrain Tyre
4. LED Spot Lights
Poor visibility often becomes a daily problem in the depths of winter. Standard lightbulbs produce about 750-850 lumens of light. But these XS Lynx Led Combo Beam Spot Lights throw out a massive 11,000 lumens from their seven 10W LED bulbs.
Each individual bulb provides a highly-concentrated beam of light. The whole unit is set in a die cast aluminium housing, which helps reduce its overall weight, yet is incredibly durable, and the lens over each light is made of unbreakable polycarbonate, so it can shrug off stones and other missiles kicked up by other vehicles.
The connectors are specially formed for quick and easy wiring, while safety is built-in with over- and under-voltage protection. The lights are also guaranteed not to interfere with your radio reception.
The minimum working temperature of -60 degrees C means these lights will stay operational in the hardest freeze. So when you need extra guidance through the dark and fog, they’ll provide it.
View this product: XS Lynx Led Combo Beam Spot Light
5. Lamp Guards
When winter is at its darkest, you’ll be reliant on your headlights more than ever. But this time of year also brings extra hazards, in the shape of stones and other objects which can be caught up in other vehicles’ tyres and flung out at high speed towards you.
Even the rock salt which is spread liberally on our roads to keep us from slipping to a halt when the mercury dips creates its own problems, as it can soon cake your light units, leaving you with reduced vision and, in turn, making you less visible to other road users.
While Land Rovers have the massive advantage of being raised high off the ground, and so are much less vulnerable to such airborne hazards, a set of front light guards, with their custom slotted design to keep as little of the lens areas as possible unobstructed, will give you extra protection to help ensure that you’re always clearly seen by other drivers and road users.
View this product: Freelander 1 Lamp Guards
6. Snorkels and wading kits
Deep water can make many roads no-go areas for most vehicles. But of course, a Land Rover is especially built to go where plenty of others can’t.
If you need to keep moving through rising waters, though, there are important pieces of equipment which you can use to help.
A snorkel fits to the side of your Land Rover’s engine, and helps ensure a smooth flow of clean air to the engine compartment in wet or flooded conditions. Such items are very popular with LRParts customers because they’re proven to give protection where it’s most needed.
View this product range: Snorkels, Raised Air Intakes and Wading Kits
7. Radiator muffs/wading blankets
Road grit, snow, ice and all kinds of detritus which you can pick up while on the move can easily clog up your Land Rover’s radiator flutes, meaning that the heat generated in the inner workings of the engine can’t escape as easily.
Made from premium materials, with an integral mesh grille protector which can sift out the small particles which can clog up your radiator flutes - think of it as a bigger version of a tea strainer - a radiator muff fits over your Land Rover’s front grille panel, and is fastened with rigid plastic J-clips at the top, bottom and sides.
Intended only for use in the coldest conditions, a ‘rad muff’ can be rolled up or down to give partial coverage for your radiator grille when on the move, then to cover it up completely for extra protection when not being driven.
View this product: Premium Radiator Muff Cover Defender Puma
8. Sand track
For the purposes of this article, we should probably describe these as ‘snow’ or ‘ice tracks’.
That’s because, while these pairs of long pieces of metal are primarily designed to help your LR get a grip when the ground underneath is constantly shifting (hence their name), they do just as good a job when placed under your front wheels to help them grip in deep snow.
The first few yards are always the most difficult when you’re trying to pull away in tricky conditions. So these long, slim tracks act like a pair of grooved rails, onto which you can drive to get you moving in thick snow (or sand).
Their thin profile also means that, after use, they can be easily stashed away in the back of your vehicle.
Again, if you turn up in your Land Rover to rescue another vehicle with a set of these sand tracks in the back, your job will be made so much easier.
View this product: Aluminium Sand Tracks
9. Torch
This should be considered essential equipment for any vehicle which you might drive slightly off the beaten track in winter.
With so few daylight hours, you’ll need to see and be seen. And if you need to delve under the Land Rover’s bonnet - or even just for supplies you’ve stashed under a pile of gear in the back - a little extra light always helps.
Whether you need a simple hand-held design, or one that’s head-mounted so you can keep both hands free, we stock a carefully-chosen range of useful designs. Choose between battery-powered or rechargeable models, depending on how much you’re likely to need that illumination boost.
View this product: Inspection Lamp with power Bank
10. Tow rope
Of course, Land Rovers are far more often doing the rescuing rather than being rescued in the depths of winter.
But the very fact that your vehicle has ‘go anywhere’ capabilities most motorists can only dream of is likely to sooner or later mean that you’re called on to perform a rescue mission.
Maybe it’s a piece of kit that you buy but hope you never have to use - but winter is most likely to be the time when your own tow rope comes into its own.
View this product: Kinetic Recovery Rope
Why not keep this article in mind when drawing up your next Christmas or birthday present list? As well as being incredibly useful, there are items on this list which suit most budgets, so if you drop a few hints in the right places, you could bag a gift that keeps you rolling through the winter and beyond.
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