Guidance on basic recovery gear, please (1 Viewer)

[CharlieS]

I've got some good advice from this board already, but want to make sure I have the right stuff. I don't plan to keep this in the vehicle, only put things the 200 when I am headed out to the trail or the beach.

I don't want to haul around a winch, so this is for self recovery and in case a helpful passerby will lend a hand.

So far, here's what I have in mind:

• 30' snatch strap
• Tree saver strap
• Two D-ring shackles
• Receiver hitch D-ring mount, with D-ring (holes for both horizontal and vertical pin orientation)
• Air gauge/deflator
• Shovel (was just going to toss the old military trenching tool in the back)
• Pair of recovery tracks*

* I have to admit that I already cheaped out and bought inexpensive x-bull tracks instead of the better brands. Based on the reviews I've seen, they seem good enough, and the price was right (under $60 shipped!). Hopefully I wont regret this choice.

I already have two rated recovery points (ARB) on front of the vehicle in place of the factory tie down points and a vehicle mounted compressor with hose, etc.

So my questions:

• Am I missing anything obvious?
• ARB feels like a safe choice, but are there other brands that you'd recommend for this gear?
• Where would you recommend buying (I'm based in the US, if it matters)?

 

[BAY2MTN]

Not an expert by any means, but you may want to consider soft shackles instead of the D-rings as a “safer” alternative. They also don’t bang around in your recovery kit

 

[Mark W]

You probably won't be using a tree saver strap without a winch.

A decent come-along is not expensive and will often get you right out of a minor stuck. And then you have a reason for the tree saver too.

A 50-100 foot section of synthetic winch line is compact and light. if you find someone replacing line on their winch it can be cheap too. It will let you reach out a lot further with the come-along and in pinch can be used to rig up a "wheel winch" if you know what you are doing. And face it, rope in general is never a bad thing to have on hand.

Highlift jacks are dangerous when used wrong, but can be very handy for recovery/extraction. Get a wide base plate for it.

A small 12 volt compressor will let you air tires down and bring them back to road pressure once you are free.

Work gloves are nice to have.

Ideally, more of a shovel... don't get all posuer overlander about it. Just a plain old hardware store short handled spade will do all you need.

Flashlight/headlamp.

Lots of other stuff that you could carry, these are just the first basics that come to mind with no idea of your specific environment or likely situations.

Mark...

 

[RET2]

Personally I would lose the trenching tool and get a real short handled shovel. 3 or 4 large trashcan liners are priceless, you can kneel or lay on them and put the muddy/dirty traction boards in them too.

 

[CharlieS]

Thanks guys. Adding to my list based on your guidance.

Just one quick clarification, the tree saver is to connect the front recovery points as an equalizer strap, not really for trees in my case. I saw this recommendation on an Australian youtuber's offroad video: see around 8:10.

And this one:

 

[CharlieS]

What about the "recovery dampener blankets" are those commonly used?

How about a pair of small walkie talkies (we already have some of these)?

Want to get stressed out? Watch this video:

 

[RET2]

The coats or sweatshirts of someone on the trip are commonly used.

 

[BAY2MTN]

I’m starting my own kit, so I went on a little shopping spree (kinetic energy rope, Hitchlink 2.0, and a D-shackle for good luck) the other day: Factor 55 | Winch - Safety - Solutions

Though I bought Bubba Rope Gator Jaw Pro soft shackles on Amazon.

 

[Mark W]

The only thing an "equalizer" will do is add additional off pull loading on your recovery points. Completely pointless in 90% of pulls/snatches and a negative in many as well.

Don't put to much stock in staged "disasters" from reality TV shows.



Mark...

 

[Sandroad]

I second (or by now fourth) the good shovel. In addition to the above, I carry a 16” round piece of 3/4” plywood as a jack support, as well as one of @LandCruiserPhil jack centering tools for the rear axle.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Just my opinion, there are still a lot of good ways to do something, this just how I like to do stuff.

I would like to offer that a military shovel is all you will ever need. Why carry something that is larger, and takes up more space?

The most you will run into with needing a shovel is sand buildup in front of tires. Which can be cleared with just pushing it out of the way with your foot honestly. If you do what to use a shovel, you will be down low trying to get the sand away. You have a frame and bumper that your head will be try to avoid, so you're on your knees anyway. A military shovel is super small to pack, and trust me, you would be amazed and what you can dig out with one.

That said, don’t drive in a way that you dig yourself in. Keep your wheels straight (that’s where you have the most traction). Kills me when I see someone loosing traction, then they start turning their wheels frantically left and right to “find traction.” It unfortunately doesn’t work like that. If you’re wheels are straight, and you come to a stop, then STOP digging in. Get out, push the sand away from the front a back of your tires. There will not be much at all, then slowly apply the accelerator and you’re back in business. (I spent a lot of time driving in the desert, it’s really not hard and can even be relaxing so have fun)

For recover without a winch:
I use a 20’ kinetic rope
A 10’ kinetic rope
Three soft shackles
Two bow shackles
A stainless steel hitch pin with a permanent retsiner (no pun o drop in the mud/sand)
A dampener
Optional: a hitch link (don’t need it, you can put the rope in the hitch and use the pin, but you must pull strait on. Which is what you want to do anyway, but sometimes is hard to get the perfect angle)
And that’s it.

Not recovery directly, but for tire changing.
A safe jack (@RET2 tild me about, thanks as always)
An x-jack, not as use full, but in a couple situations, it’s pretty handy.
Factory bottle jack (the best adjustable jack stand, not so much a good jack, but a good jack stand it is, and, there’s already a place for it)

If I’m getting pulled out by my front end, use the 10’ rope as a bridle to pull from both frame rails instead of one (why add stress to a frame for no reason?) the. Connect the 20’ rope to the center of the 10’ bridle, and connect to the hitch of the pull truck. Put the dampener at the pull truck side so that way if it snaps, it saves you truck. If your side snaps, it hurts the other truck, but with a bridle, it’s less likely. Find yourself in a tight spot, you have a 20’, 15’, and 10’ options. Need as long as possible, you’ve got a 30’ option also.

I’ve found for me, that 25’ was just perfect, BUT, situation dependent of course.

for winch recover (which is the only way I recover for me) I add a deadman and my winch, easy. Also, a deadman is a legit piece of equipment. It can be a tree saver, a winch line extension, a rock wrap, a ground anchor (with your handy military shovel that packs so small), and safer “flip someone else’s truck back on their tires” device, and an impromptu love hammock.

Things I never carry are a hi-lift, because they are worthless and dangerous with so many other good option available. MaxTraxs, so they aren’t bad, lots of people like them. I’ve just never needed them. From sand, so snow, to mud, I’ve found safer ways to keep moving. They take up a ton of space, and are expensive.

In the end, recovery only happens because your driving skills are lacking. It’s okay, we all are learning. I’ve just yet to see a driver with bad driving skills, then be a phenomenal recovery specialist. They kinda go hand in hand.

Go with a group, get some formal education, and I bet you won’t use much of your recovery gear.

 

[CharlieS]

Maybe opening a can of worms, but what are the benefits of kinetic rope over straps?

Is 7/8" kinetic rope the right size our rigs? Any preferred brand? Source?

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Ropes stretch more than straps. Which reduces stress on the vehicles.

Straps are cheaper to produce and pack away (generally) smaller than ropes.

If you don’t play in the sand or mud much, and the odds of using a kenetic recovery are less, you can save money and cargo space with going to a strap. If you want to spend the money and have the space (albiet small increase) then a rope is a better choice.

Size doesn’t matter, just take YOUR fully loaded truck and times by 4. That’s the strength you generally want.

What is sized for my 200 with a off road trail will be over the top for a stock 200. And as such, won’t stretch as the proper rate.

 

[4gotalot]

A driver on our last trail ride brought out his new knock off budda kinetic rope from amzn. With a ten foot slack line bump, he managed to pull the receiver hitch cross member off the back of a much lighter vehicle stuck in a snow drift. Turns out the rope was just made of polyester and had no stretch. I ended up using my kenetic rope attached to 100 feet of 10mm synthetic I made myself for about 30 more pulls. We made it through almost through the third drift that was almost 100 yards long but we had had enough after 4 hours of recovery (training).

 

[empty80]

Not recovery directly, but for tire changing.
A safe jack (@RET2 tild me about, thanks as always)
An x-jack, not as use full, but in a couple situations, it’s pretty handy.
Factory bottle jack (the best adjustable jack stand, not so much a good jack, but a good jack stand it is, and, there’s already a place for it)

Rob, thanks for the Safe Jack plug! I’ve been looking for Hi-Lift alternatives, and this looks like a much safer alternative.

 

[OregonLC]

The best recovery gear to invest in is yourself. Get some professional training from a certified I4WDTA member. Poor technique with the best gear will break a truck or worse.

Home - I4WDTA

 

[turbo8]

Check out Matt's off road recovery on youtube. He does a lot with just kinetic ropes.

 

[UCrazyKid]

As far as ARB, sure they have a name you can trust, but they are expensive and not the end all in what is basically industrial rigging. Go with a rated strap, etc that exceeds your weight requirements.

 

[Markuson]

[I love when my eyes work!]

I like and use soft shackles.

Just a word of caution re SOFT shackles used with ARB recovery points or similar:
-The inner edges of the ARB recovery points are a sharp 90 degree corner and can CUT into soft shackles (even where the reinforcement band is around the strands)
-Remedy=grinding/smoothing of the inner edges of the holes & repainting. I smoothed mine with a dremel & repainted. Made all the difference.

Just enough to take the bite off. Looks ugly at first, but it gets better...

No more soft shackle damage.

 

[RET2]

Check out Matt's off road recovery on youtube. He does a lot with just kinetic ropes.

He does but he also does some things that are out right dangerous like hooking to an existing trailer ball on the stuck vehicle. He does however get the job done.