Using carpets for stuck wheels when snowbound

[Whoever]

Exactly where do you put the carpet pieces in relation to the wheels?
In front of them to try and drive onto them?
Behind them so you reverse o to them slightly?

And how can you retrieve your carpet again once you're moving again if you're in the car on your own? It seems to me that you need somebody to retrieve the carpet for you while you're still moving or you'd simply get stuck again ? Am I missing something here?

[Buenchico]

First, ensure that you know whether the car is front- or rear-wheel drive
(Simply note which wheels are spinning when you try to pull away).

Place carpet strips immediately in front of the relevant wheels, attempting to jam then underneath. Then try pulling forward GENTLY in SECOND gear. Upon reaching what you hope will be an area with better grip, stop and return to collect the carpet.

Chris

[Toureman]

It's very simple to tie a long piece of string to each piece of carpet so you can tow them behind you and recover them when you have got out of the snow or ice.

[TWR]

You are waisting your time with the carpet Whoever, as soon as the car, in this weather sets off it will spin the carpet from under the wheels get your self a dag of road salt 7 a small spade.

[Wak]

Last year I bought a pair of thick rubber doormats with a very open pattern from Wilkinson's to use under spinning wheels on slippery, compressed snow. Useless!!! They just shot out as TWR suggested.
I reckon two pieces of expanded (diamond pattern) sheet aluminium about 2ft x 1ft would do the trick (or metal doormats for scraping the boots on) but I haven't been able to trace anything suitable yet.
Whatever is used would have to be fairly rigid. Any other suggestions??

[MantaRay]

Don't waste your time, if the tyres don't grip the surface then bits of old carpet certainly won't either. I have managed to inch a vehicle along a little at a time using planks of wood and a jack. Long winded but it can get you out of trouble, eventually.

[carlton23]

If you have a rear wheel drive, carry a couple of heavy object's in the boot, ie: paving slabs or sand bags, these put extra weight on the drive wheels, thus giving better purchase to the road. Never been stuck in 50plus years of driving.