[Jukelemon]

Two things I think about:

1- Trails have gotten POTENTIALLY harder if so inclined
2- People tend to THINK they need something because well, damn it, it is fun to do. Makes you think you are working on that old BMX bike or something. Point being, folks buy stuff they will NEVER need.

With that said, when I was in high school my friend had a 1986 mini, std cab, 2.4 4x4. We put in 33's with 0 lift and 0 lockers. We were up in Big South Fork so many times I cannot remember. And back then, the park had not yet become Federally sponsored/funded so there were 1- not many regulations and 2- lots and lots of horse trails/logging trails that would take you WAY back.

We NEVER had a locker, NEVER even had a come along/winch and went through stuff that I cannot believe we got out of. It is all about the line and knowing your truck.

I experienced a similar thing in my old 40. I never ran a lift-just healthy springs and 32x9.50 TSL's. NEVER got stuck and besides bolder dancing, I went up whatever anyone else did.

Man, I WISH I had pics of those days. There were trails that put our truck at such an angle that sitting in the passenger side one could touch the ground of the road as we went by a particular section. Crazy stuff but we just never thought about it.

Paranoia brings on all kinds of "think I needs"