To get you to some hunting and fishing spots on forest service roads? Or have you re-thought your intended usage...

 

I started with an 07 Sahara JKU. Open front, LSD rear. Added a Rock Krawler 2.5" lift and 33's. Then a Rough Country hybrid stubby bumper and an 11,000 lb winch, ACE rails and a Rock Hard oil pan/transmission skid plate. Built that up over 2 years. Had a blast. Followed my Rubicon owning friends most places but not everywhere. Traction was an issue at times. Used my winch frequently, both for myself and others. I have 4.10's in a box that I was going to install with either lockers or True Tracs eventually.

Had an 'incident' with my Jeep. I am now waiting on a few odds and ends to arrive so I can put all that stuff on my '13 Rubicon. So now I have lockers and everything else. If I had gone with a Sport or another Sahara I would have put my winch on FIRST. Before lift, tires, or anything else. All are great to have, but that winch has bailed me and a few friends out of crap that lockers wouldn't have helped in. I say at the end get both, but start with the winch. Peace of mind and insurance. My two 30' tow straps and d-ring to connect them also live in my Jeep just in case. Recovery recovery recovery. Worry about getting stuck worse when those 3 bases are covered. Just my $0.02 after having done a rear locked Explorer (Aussie) with no winch, and an unlocked JKU with a winch and now a Rubicon that will have both lockers and a winch.

Good luck with your build and your decision.

 

No, I haven't re-thought my usage. I just see quite a bit of rocks on the trails from videos I see online is all. Was wondering if that should be a concern or not. I notice a lot of Colorado guys posting on here who Im sure have more experience on the trails than I do.

 

Definently get sliders they protect the sides and these do get hit periodically its cheap insurance....

When buying a jeep first things first
- gusset the c's
- sleeve it or truss up front
- synergy ball joints
- lower control arm skids
- sliders if it doesn't have em

These are worth their weight in gold for reliability and then move on to the other stuff....

Even going hunting or fishing doesn't matter there are rocks and logs anywhere so definently sliders...

 

Okay found it and uploaded it. You might want to fast forward to the last minute. I had both front and rear lockers on, and keep in mind this one is an Automatic so when you see the jeep going backwards, that's all gravity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0ddlVQhoj0&feature=youtu.be

 

You're going to find that a winch has many uses. Just make sure you get all the goodies you might need to go with it. Tree Strap, Shackles, Snatch Block, Snapple, Sandwich. Pretty much anything that has an "S" in it. One of the tools I use the most is an on board air compressor. I air down on our rough trails to save my temper. Running with full air in the tires makes for a rough day. I bought a cheap cheap cheap harbor freight one with a warranty that lasted about a year and took it back and got a new one free. You can only exchange once then you either have to buy another warranty or take your chances. I decided that when the replacement compressor goes, I'll invest in a ARB twin compressor next.

 

You know, it might be worth your while to venture up to Denver this weekend and visit 4wheelparts truck fest going on at the Denver Merchandise mart, Sat-Sun. It would give you a chance to see a bunch of winches and bumpers and what not. Check their website for more information if you like.

 

Yeah I have gathered that a good recovery kit is important. So far Im going to get ARB straps, Master Pull Snatch block, and Crosby shackles. For air Im thinking the VIAIR 300P portable for now. Ive also read a lot on the benefits of airing down. I try my best to do some research before I ask questions on here. I know you seasoned wheelers probably get tired of the same questions over and over. I have learned a great deal on this forum, so thanks to all.

That sounds great! Unfortunately my sorry ass is in Afghanistan till next June, ha ha! I ordered a JK while Im here and figuring out what I want to do to it now. I will not actually have it till when I get back. Odds are I will have parts before I even have a JK.

 

When you are alone and heading to your hunting or fishing spots, my guess is that you won't be going out of your way to find the hardest paths to get there, right? Just because there is a big ass rock in front of you, doesn't mean that you 'have' to drive over it. -drive around it or take the bypass. If you find yourself wanting to run the harder trails with groups, then it's time to start thinking about all of the skid and corner armor options.

I tend to go out alone far more than I go with groups. A better set of sliders has been on my list, but for my solo trips up into the mountains here, the stock skids and a cheap set of take-off rubi rails has worked fine so far. Take a look at the housing upgrades brut4ce mentioned, (plenty of other threads to read through about them) and start looking into full sets of skids and corner armor if/when you start tackling the harder trails with groups.

 

Yes and yes....always extra credit and if there's a big rock in the vicinity than you have to hit it, its fate and a message from the rock gods to crawl over it...they challenge you by putting it there....