Not sure about where you go......but where we go (around 10k feet and several miles of 4wd jeep road) I will not travel without chains. Been going to this spot for 4 years and only needed them once. But that is all it takes. Snowed several times but that wasn't the problem. Now understand we pull in some heavy trailers, but it was when the snow melted that getting in/out was a problem. And it was only a problem in a couple of places. But those were some very muddy places and the chains came to be essential.
Wouldn't go without them myself. Hope you never need them.