What's in your off road recovery kit for NC/East Coast?

[TheElegantFox]

I'm thinking of building up a recovery kit since I'm wheeling more often. I wanted to get some insight from club members on what ya'll are running in your kits.

So far I'm thinking of some Amazon cheapo recovery boards, a strap, and an air compressor.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Hi-Lift jack, two or four d-rings (bow shackles), a tree saver, a good recovery strap, and a kinetic recovery strap. If you don't have a winch, the hi-lift can be used as a come-along, which can get you out of a pinch.

Power-tank for air, and above all, a tire repair kit is a must. Small air compressors work in a pinch, but take a long time to fill up tires.

 

[TheElegantFox]

Hi-Lift jack, two or four d-rings (bow shackles), a tree saver, a good recovery strap, and a kinetic recovery strap. If you don't have a winch, the hi-lift can be used as a come-along, which can get you out of a pinch.

Power-tank for air, and above all, a tire repair kit is a must. Small air compressors work in a pinch, but take a long time to fill up tires.

Wow, those power tanks look much better than the compressors.

 

[lt1fire]

Highlift, winch, snatch block, snatch strap, gloves, tree saver, tire repair kit,, some kind of weight to hang on winch line. If using a compressor get a good one. I think the magnum line is still the best, unless doing a puma or something like that.

 

[lt1fire]

Doh, forgot a shovel.
That and above is what I had (need to put one back together actually)

Another decent thing are maxtracks or something similar. I have never owned them but they are good when you need it.

 

[JohnVee]

I'll echo most of the above, and will include this statement: You must resist the urge to leave behind any items that you own have just because they never get used or you think you won't be in a situation to need them. Make a pack and keep it intact, and secure it safely in the truck - a loose D-ring will rip your head off faster than that tissue box in the old drivers ed videos if the unthinkable (tho likely!) should ever happen.

If you have tow hooks, you might think shackles aren't necessary but they are because the guy towing you out might only have loops or bumper holes.

Also, learn the difference between tow and snatch, or kinetic, straps. One stretches, the other doesn't.

Powertank is an awesome device but only you can decide if it's worth it. Other than very fast fill ups, I see its best use as more easily resetting tire beads if you've popped one. That won't happen too often. Instead, for $75-150, look at a Superflow MV50 or Viair equivalent. I've had both and am very impressed with each. Don't even think about the $20-30 cheapos.

Lots of people laugh at me when I have my long handled shovel strapped to the truck but none have laughed if they've even had to use it dig under a truck or from a safe distance! But, any shovel is better than no shovel. Just remember than you're probably already in a world of s*** if you need to dig, so how much hurt do you want to add?

Get recovery boards if you drive in sand a lot while alone. Side note: always have them either mounted outside the truck or have large enough garbage bags to hold them if you've used them, especially in mud. You can't imagine that mess until you've seen it!

 

[JohnVee]

Oh, and keep whatever you buy easily accessible. A stuck is often a dirty spot and a precarious situation.

 

[izzyandsue]

They can be very different and terrain specific. East Coast from FL to Maine can go from sand to deep mud do clay, etc. Recovery boards, previously known as sand ladders, are great for that, sand. They are not great on mud. But can start with the basics:

• Gloves
• solid recovery points on vehicle
• soft shackles
• screw pin bowed shackles
• A strap, 3", tree saver, 8 or 10ft
• Gloves
• shovel, medium length (you will likely use this the most, keep it handy)
• winch line extension, 50ft is good enough
• HiLift xtreme
• Gloves
• HiLift winch kit (or just make your own, simple one)
• HiLift base (the branded one or a 2x12 board)
• Glow sticks (yes, you will be surprised how handy the are)
• Axe or limb cutter of some sort
• Tire kit (solid handles)
• Small compressor and spare valve caps
• Gloves

If you are not doing VT Trophy trails or getting deep into difficult situations, most times you might be doing simple traction extraction type recovery. As you venture deeper, then winch and all the crap that goes with those will be very useful. But the best thing you can by, of course in my opinion, is some good 4WD training. You might avoid getting stuck with stuff you learn there. Rock sliders if you dont have them yet are very useful too.

 

[lt1fire]

They can be very different and terrain specific. East Coast from FL to Maine can go from sand to deep mud do clay, etc. Recovery boards, previously known as sand ladders, are great for that, sand. They are not great on mud. But can start with the basics:

• Gloves
• solid recovery points on vehicle
• soft shackles
• screw pin bowed shackles
• A strap, 3", tree saver, 8 or 10ft
• Gloves
• shovel, medium length (you will likely use this the most, keep it handy)
• winch line extension, 50ft is good enough
• HiLift xtreme
• Gloves
• HiLift winch kit (or just make your own, simple one)
• HiLift base (the branded one or a 2x12 board)
• Glow sticks (yes, you will be surprised how handy the are)
• Axe or limb cutter of some sort
• Tire kit (solid handles)
• Small compressor and spare valve caps
• Gloves

If you are not doing VT Trophy trails or getting deep into difficult situations, most times you might be doing simple traction extraction type recovery. As you venture deeper, then winch and all the crap that goes with those will be very useful. But the best thing you can by, of course in my opinion, is some good 4WD training. You might avoid getting stuck with stuff you learn there. Rock sliders if you dont have them yet are very useful too.

How many hands do you have???

 

[izzyandsue]

How many hands do you have???

They will get wet and then get slippery and nasty and you dont want to wear them, or you will slide them in your back pocket and one of the 2 will seek asylum in the forest so you are left with one hand like michael jackson, or they will rip open, or you lend them to someone one and forget to get them back, or....
I keep about a dozen in the truck in various places.

 

[lt1fire]

They will get wet and then get slippery and nasty and you dont want to wear them, or you will slide them in your back pocket and one of the 2 will seek asylum in the forest so you are left with one hand like michael jackson, or they will rip open, or you lend them to someone one and forget to get them back, or....
I keep about a dozen in the truck in various places.

Very true.... I normally keep a nice pair for myself that I treat like gold. Then I have a second pair for people that lose theirs

 

[TheElegantFox]

Like mechanix gloves?

 

[izzyandsue]

I keep a variety. For example the prime ones Al mention are my lamb ones that can get wet and stay soft, dry soft, and work wet (HydraHide). Then I have a box of these:
Amazon product ASIN B0761NZGT1
Nice rubber hand, easy on and off. Mechanix type are fine too, remove the velcro closure so if the glove gets caught on something you keep your hands, gloves should slip easily off.

 

[afgman786]

Cheap option: Just wheel with these guys and you'll know they'll have everything you need.

I've bought a good chunk of my recover gear off amazon. If you don't have a place to store them, plano boxes are cheap and a real good place to keep in the back of the rig. I see you have a 62 as your picture, not sure what the rear recovery points are on that or if you have a hitch but a hitch recovery point is a good investment if you don't have proper points to pull from in the rear.

 

[lt1fire]

Like mechanix gloves?

For recovery gloves you need something that will protect your hands from the steel cable at the very least. I can't remember what mine were but I got them off a ranch store for guys that deal with barbwire/razor wire and steel cable a lot.

 

[TheElegantFox]

Cheap option: Just wheel with these guys and you'll know they'll have everything you need.

I've bought a good chunk of my recover gear off amazon. If you don't have a place to store them, plano boxes are cheap and a real good place to keep in the back of the rig. I see you have a 62 as your picture, not sure what the rear recovery points are on that or if you have a hitch but a hitch recovery point is a good investment if you don't have proper points to pull from in the rear.

I've used the tow hitch as a rear recovery point so far.

 

[lt1fire]

Cheap option: Just wheel with these guys and you'll know they'll have everything you need.

I've bought a good chunk of my recover gear off amazon. If you don't have a place to store them, plano boxes are cheap and a real good place to keep in the back of the rig. I see you have a 62 as your picture, not sure what the rear recovery points are on that or if you have a hitch but a hitch recovery point is a good investment if you don't have proper points to pull from in the rear.

Most recovery companies will sell just their empty bags for damn cheap. I have a viking offroad bag but my gear was a mix of tjm/arb/etc.... I think I paid something like $20 for the recovery bag during a black friday sale.

 

[afgman786]

I've used the tow hitch as a rear recovery point so far.

As in you have one of those d-ring hitch attachment points? Or just running the loop into the hitch and having a pin hold the strap?

 

[izzyandsue]

I've used the tow hitch as a rear recovery point so far.

Careful with the tow system, never use the ball, can shear right off. You can get a Factor55 or similarly designed system for a tow bar, combined with the proper Grade 8 hitch pin from Tractor Supply (about $6) so you don't shear the typical pin that comes with a ball system. D-rings are very different than screw pin bowed shackles.

 

[TheElegantFox]

Yeah I need to add some rings to it