Day 3 of the Permagear challenge in SnowRunner sees the Scout sidelined, the GMC doing the groundwork, and a new MVP emerging in the form of a mud-munching monster named Frank.

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day Two? Find it here.

---

⛽ The Day the Scout Stayed Stuck

With my Scout still stranded halfway up a hill like a confused goat, I decided to pivot. It’s clear I’m not getting that thing down anytime soon without divine intervention—or a winch the length of Michigan.

So, I fire up the GMC and focus on the Fallen Powerline task. The first run goes well: I load up some metal beams and get them to their destination. On the way, I spot a trailer with four concrete blocks—tempting, but it’s a long trailer and I’m not ready to play articulated trailer roulette with Michigan’s charming mud paths just yet.

---

🛻 The Scout Redemption Arc (Sort Of)

After a quick refuel, I foolishly decide today’s the day to retrieve the Scout. It starts off promising. I’m making progress, even getting the Scout to flip—then miraculously flip back onto its wheels.

With that minor miracle behind me, I press on. I uncover two more watchtowers, pick up a handful of new tasks I’ll pretend aren’t overwhelming me, and eventually find myself blocked by a landslide. Classic.

Having proven itself one last time, the Scout earns a rest. I snag an engine upgrade for it, give it a respectful pat on the bonnet, and leave it where it is. The mountain claimed it. I just made peace with that.

---

🚛 Fleetstar to the Rescue (a.k.a. Frank’s Glorious Debut)

Back to base. I offload the GMC and climb into the Fleetstar. This was meant to be a test run, but it turns into a full-blown audition—and Frank absolutely nails it.

Equipped with All-Wheel Drive and Diff Lock, Frank handles mud like it’s mildly inconvenient wet grass. He tows a trailer of service parts to the landslide site like it’s a minor chore. No slipping, no tipping, no stress.

Feeling bold, I then take on Motel Woes, hauling a curtainside trailer across uneven roads. Frank doesn’t care. Frank dares the terrain to fight him.

Upgrades? The moment they’re available, he’s getting the works. Engine, suspension, fresh paint—maybe even a sticker that says “Certified Beast.”

---

🚛 Final Thoughts

The Scout had its moment. The GMC did its duty. But Frank?
Frank has potential. Frank is trustworthy.
Frank is family now.

Want more SnowRunner? Read Day Four here.

Day 2 of SnowRunner starts with optimism and ends clinging to a winch on a steep incline. Join me as I upgrade my scout, take on a task I probably shouldn’t have, and learn the hard way that not all paths are visible… or survivable.

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day One? Find it here.

---

Climbing Regret Mountain, One Winch at a Time

Day 2 kicks off with my usual ritual: staring at the map and pretending I know what I’m doing. Several jobs seem a bit out of reach (both literally and figuratively), so I settle on something that sounds reasonable—Fallen Powerline.

Seems easy enough. Famous last words.

I jump into my trusty Chevrolet scout, cruise toward the task, and along the way discover a bonus job: The Place Beyond the Spruces. It’s a scout task, so I mentally bookmark it for later. First, Fallen Powerline.

I reach the task marker, accept it… and immediately regret it. I need concrete blocks, and from what I can tell, the only place that has them is in uncharted territory. Brilliant.

---

Time for an Upgrade

Back to the garage. I top off the fuel and swap out the scout’s tyres for 38″ AS II wheels. Big, beefy, and made for the kind of rough terrain that got me stuck yesterday.

---

Good news—they’re working. I scale the hill much more easily than before, retracing the route toward the Watchtower. I pass the turn-off for that and continue forward.

Bad news—the map claims there’s a path where my eyeballs clearly see nothing but trees, rocks, and despair.

---

The Path Less Traveled… Because It Doesn’t Exist

So, I make my own path. It’s slow going. The winch saves me more than once. Somewhere in the chaos, it dawns on me that if this scout gets stuck, it’s game over for this vehicle. There’s no backup. Nothing to rescue it. Just me, the hill, and gravity slowly eroding my optimism.

The end goal is in sight, but the terrain isn’t giving up without a fight. Every inch is a battle. Gravity starts to win. I start panic winching.

But I make it. Task complete.

Victory is mine—sort of.

Because now I’m sitting at the edge of a steep drop, staring into the void, and wondering…

Now what?

I have no clue how I’m getting down.

---

Next time: I either become a physics-defying downhill expert or I lose my scout in a deeply emotional farewell. Stay tuned.

---

Want to find out what happens? Read Day Three here.

My SnowRunner permadeath journey begins with a scout vehicle, a few tutorial missions, and one very heavy curtain trailer. Day One sets the tone: slow, strategic, and a little bit chaotic.

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

---

🛻 It Begins With a Scout

My journey starts in a Chevrolet scout, an eager little vehicle that handles like a nervous goat but gets the job done.
Mission One: Find the Watchtower.
Easy enough—until I hit mud.

Lesson learned:

Use low gear in sticky terrain.
Turn on AWD whenever possible.
Fuel up when the game offers. (Not optional. A warning.)

Watchtower found. Map revealed. Let the chaos begin.

---

🛠 A Truck, a Bridge, and a Hopeful Start

Next up: Find the truck.
It’s nearby. It doesn’t have AWD. I’m sure that won’t be a problem.

Mission: Repair the bridge.
Step 1: Deliver metal beams. The truck barely handles the terrain, but low gear carries me through.
Cue a satisfying cutscene where the bridge assembles itself like IKEA furniture—only sturdier.

Step 2: Fetch timber from the lumber mill and complete the job.
Done and done.

---

🏚 Finding the Garage (And Dragging a Dead Truck)

Mission: Find the garage.
I switch back to my scout—it’s lighter, faster, and slightly less grumpy than the truck.

On the way, I:
• Discover another Watchtower
• Spot a broken-down truck near the garage
• Stumble upon a raised suspension upgrade for the scout—a very tempting find

---

The catch? I can’t install it until the vehicle is safely in the garage.

So I finish the trip, reach the garage, and then use the scout to tow the dead truck across the yard like I’m dragging a fridge with a rope belt.

Once everything’s safe and parked, raised suspension installed. My little scout has grown up.

---

🧊 An Invitation to Alaska (Declined)

The game suggested I check out Alaska.
I suggested it wait its turn.
We’re sticking to Michigan for now—it’s got enough ways to kill me already.

---

📦 The Curtain Call

With the tutorial chain complete, I take on my first real contract:
Deliver a curtain trailer to the farm.

The trailer’s right by the garage, so I:
• Switch to the same truck that repaired the bridge
• Unlock a raised suspension upgrade for it too (thanks, Michigan)
• Install the upgrade in the garage
• Attach the trailer and hit the road

It wasn’t fast. The trailer was heavy, the truck groaned, and I crept toward the farm like someone afraid of commitment.

But I made it. Trailer delivered. First contract—and Day One of this adventure—is complete.

---

Want more SnowRunner? Day Two can be found here.