Yep, you read correctly – if you want the look of the trail without the effort, you could just fake it! Spray-on Mud is a product that seems to make the rounds of commerce every few years, giving “mall crawlers” the opportunity to fit in with real wheelers.
Although the mud shown here is as natural as it comes – the product of true grit out there on the trails - you too could get this look with Spray-on Mud... ha!
I found out about Spray-on Mud from my husband who, always the smart-ass, suggested it to me as I was bemoaning the cleanliness of my Jeep after a recent visit to the car wash. So, because I couldn’t believe that Spray-on Mud could be a real product, I did some research.
It turns out that in 2005, Spray-on Mud (in a can!) was available to off-road wannabees in the U.K., and as recent as 2014 it was making rounds in Australia. Ingredients: water, dirt, may contain small stones. Firm supporters of the product appear to be of a more miscreant nature, using it to obscure license plates from law enforcement. (The product comes with warnings against such use).
Earlier this year, Volkswagen created an off-road kit that actually won awards in Dubai! This kit, designed as a humorous marketing ploy (and done in great detail!), allows would-be wheelers to look the part even as they sit in traffic to drop their kids at school before they head to barre class. “It gets you to the great outdoors and back in less than 5 minutes. Without having to travel there at all.”
Really?!
Spray-on Mud would certainly make a good gag gift for a friend who likes a clean car (or a friend who won't drive her Jeep on the trails!). A better idea? Make your own sprayable or paintable mud, or give your kids the task of making a mud pie and then painting your ride with it (they’ll love it!). But the best idea? Head for the hills, immerse yourself in nature, and get dirty the real way – it’s definitely worth it! Happy Trails!