All of my vehicles have decent tires and a hand powered cable winch in the trunk. Beyond that - don't drive into the mud. I take my off road vehicle into situations I wouldn't take my sedan or minivan but still I am careful not to take unnecessary risks. If I'm off-roading with friends for the fun of it I might challenge new terrain but if I am in a Bug-out situation or driving alone I am fairly conservative about the terrain I will attempt. If it looks suspect and I can drive around well why take the chance. If you need to ford a swamp or something similar where you know you will be encountering deep muck and it is unavoidable then hit it with a lot of momentum and hopefully you can get accross the top without getting mired. The wider the tire and the deeper the tread the better. Hit it fast, keep them spinnin and pray.