What should I have for recovery gear?

[bassist]

#2 I agree with
#3 I have never seen them work in my part of the country.
#4 tow vehicle should take slack out (mild throttle) prior to stuck vehicle applying throttle.

Using a hilift can be dangerous. This being said with a good bumper and a piece of wood to place it on you could have jacked the rear end off the ground and pushed the vehicle off to one side where better traction was available.
Just because you do not know how to use it does not make it dangerous. Using it in a dangerous way is. Hooking yank straps, come-alongs chains and winches can be dangerous when done poorly as well.

After taking the slack out, the tow vehicle should stop. Then we go.

The highlift is unacceptably dangerous compared to something like the ARB hydraulic jack. Highlifts tilt as you raise them, and it’s not uncommon for people to take a handle to the head.

Besides the ARB hydraulic, there are also exhaust jacks to consider - they’re like a giant beach ball that use your exhaust to inflate and lift.

I personally never had good experience with traction boards, but worth a try.

They also have some interesting traction/pulling aids abroad where you basically attach them to an anchor and your tires, and then start your tires turning to basically warp them around the tires while pulling your vehicle forwards or backwards.

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[wgw]

As a newbie to anything more serious than poorly maintained dirt road offroading. What should I guy have to not be completely helpless if he gets in a situation where he needs vehicle recovery? I've been doing my research but I would love to hear any advice from the highly experienced folks here. I am planning to do several trips over the next ~year to:

- Moab (nothing advanced)
- Colorado San Juan Mountains (alpine loop and similar)

I have a Badlands (non SAS) with the modular bumper and tow kit and I'm working on getting proper gear for my first "big trip" in May.

My research tells me I should have:

- food/water for 2-3 days
- bottle jack /w wide base
- 3 good steel shackles, not cheap/soft steel
- tire repair kit with plugs and replacement valves
- air down tool + pump
- trench shovel
- gloves/first aid
- tow strap and/or snatch strap

possible:
- beacon/sat com

Does this seem like a reasonable start? And recommendations on particular gear (especially jacks and straps)

Also, I'm not afraid to say I'm a total newb at any recovery skills, so I have little idea how to safely use a tow strap or a snatch strap, and am looking for advice on what a person like me should have and what resources (videos, etc.) there are that would give me the right information to have a prayer if I get into a pickle.

Thanks!

Find a good class given by folks with experience, and certifications, learn how to be safe…… its a great hobby but keep yourself safe. I wud also recommend a good first aid course, minimum 8 hr class…,

 

[BleednBlue]

I've run many green and blue trails in both Moab and San Juan Mountains. May will be too early in the year to run many of the San Juan trails. Both Engineer and Cinnamon pass will probably open mid-June. Likewise with Ophir pass.

That said, your recovery list looks well thought out. The only thing I would add is a proper tires. If you are running OEM, I would look to replace all 5 tires with a minimum of 6-ply.

Have fun and be safe!

 

[KABQ]

My absolute favorite piece of recovery gear is buddies who know what they're doing.

 

[Brian_B]

Shovel and a towel never come out of my Bronco. Everything else i only load up situationally.

Hitchhikers Guide is absolutely right about the towel - amazing the things you can use it for.

 

[Valhalla]

Shovel and a towel never come out of my Bronco. Everything else i only load up situationally.

Hitchhikers Guide is absolutely right about the towel - amazing the things you can use it for.

Two, two towels... it's amazing how many people forget to bring a towel!....

Oh and 42

 

[Snacktime]

Two, two towels... it's amazing how many people forget to bring a towel!....

Oh and 42

Harbor freight packing blankets, bigger is better!

 

[swooshdave]

Yup! iPhone 14 and later support calling for emergency help via satellite, and if you have iOS 18 installed, you can also send SMS and iMessages.

I haven't tried the messaging yet, but last year when I was in Moab and Colorado, I was able to use satellite to update my location with people back home who I had already shared my location with on my iPhone.

The next iOS update is supposedly adding Starlink access. The current satellite connection is slow and it doesn't seem like there are a lot of satellites available. Starlink will completely change that.

 

[swooshdave]

I have tried to used traction boards several times. So far I've had to resort to something else. Maybe one day they will work. I'm sure when they do I will be happy I have them.

The ability to air up and down can provide more traction than you can even imagine. Plus it can make it smoother too.

I added a winch because I do go out by myself. But the one thing that will keep you out of trouble when you are by yourself is don't do anything risky.

I was in Colorado a couple years ago in mid-June and Engineer was closed and Cinnamon had just opened.

 

[jofer]

FWIW, traction boards are _way_ more useful for smaller vehicles. They've gotten me out of some rough spots with other vehicles, but I've gotten even more folks out without needing to reach for more invasive tools. A shovel and traction boards are really good tools to have, even if you don't use them for yourself.

They're great for sand, snow, and some-but-not-all mud, especially if you're getting other folks out. They shine the most for things with less clearance.

On 35's, in those same situations where they're most useful, you've got enough clearance + power + knobby tires that you can often power through things you'd use recovery boards for in other cases. Anything with big enough tires and a traditional part time 4wd system can usually unlock diffs, adjust tire pressure (sometimes up, too), turn traction control off, and get up enough wheel speed to clear tires or cut down into something harder. That's less true in sand, but again, wide tires with low pressure go a long ways.

But in a smaller vehicle, you'll quickly get high centered with that approach. If you're not bigger than most things on the trail, you often want traction + control over which direction you're going to get out of a rut/etc. That's where they shine. They're also great for similar cases where you need to jack things up and put something under the tires because a vehicle is high centered. But all off that occurs more often the less ground clearance you have. If you're the among the bigger things on the trail, they get less useful.

They're also occasionally handy for bridging small washouts to avoid getting too far off-camber, leveling things out, and acting as a jack plate. They have enough other uses to be worth carrying.

But I've used them most to help out other vehicles. When you have a minivan stuck in the snow, they're absolutely fantastic. You can't easily pull things without front tow hooks / etc, and if you pull from the A-arm or frame on lower vehicles, you'll just break the bumper/etc. It's way better to get it out under its own power, and traction boards are a really really good way of doing that. Even if they're not that useful for you, they are sure as hell useful when helping another vehicle.

 

[raqball]

• Metal shovel
• Soft shackles (safer and will save the paint on your hooks). If you go with steel shackles they must be RATED for vehicle weight, not just "good"
• Definitely both a tow strap AND a kinetic recovery strap/rope (be sure to size it correctly for vehicle weight – this is often overlooked)
• Tire deflator
• Air compressor
• First aid kit (I carry a full-on trauma kit) and a wilderness first aid handbook
• Water cans for potable water to carry double the water you think you will need
• Sat phones are expensive, but if you are soloing in the middle of nowhere, are very good insurance
• Recovery boards (Maxtrax), depending on terrain
• A toolbox: wrenches, pliers, hammer, mallet, etc
• Zipties and duct tape (seriously)
• WD40 or other spray lube
• Baseplate for your jack
• 2-way radios (GMRS or VHF) if going with more than one car

ETA: Warm blanket to stay warm when stranded, and bungee cords to hold everything down (credit to @RallyGorgo )

Excellent list!

I'll add:

• Extra tie rods for the Bronco since the stock ones are trash
• Snatch block

 

[Qarlos]

Excellent list!

I'll add:

• Extra tie rods for the Bronco since the stock ones are trash
• Snatch block

LOL. Yeah, I have an inner tie rod stashed in my tool box. The inner will fit either side and it’s the one that breaks. The nut is huge so I also carry a pipe wrench.

 

[Mjasi3]

LOL. Yeah, I have an inner tie rod stashed in my tool box. The inner will fit either side and it’s the one that breaks. The nut is huge so I also carry a pipe wrench.

Are the inner tie rods the same HOSS 1,2,3?
I have a 24 Wildtrak with HOSS 3.0. I’m seeing some go for 25 bucks in others $85. Is it just material difference? What’s the part number for the my HOSS 3.0 Wildtrak setup? TIA

 

[bassist]

Are the inner tie rods the same HOSS 1,2,3?
I have a 24 Wildtrak with HOSS 3.0. I’m seeing some go for 25 bucks in others $85. Is it just material difference? What’s the part number for the my HOSS 3.0 Wildtrak setup? TIA

Tie rods should be different. This also goes for the 2024 Badlands which also got the upgraded steering rack with beefier tie rods.

 

[CalvinT]

If you decided to have steel shackles, learn how to use them. There's a right way and a wrong way. The wrong way can cause failure. If I remember correctly Robert Pepper has an excellent video on proper use of hard shackles.

Also get good ones, non chinesium. You want 3/4" S rated screw pin bow shackles. Van Beest green pin, Crosby, Columbus McKinnon (CM) and Chicago Hardware are industry standards. I wouldn't buy any other no matter how good the reputation of the company selling them. There are a few reputable companies selling recovery gear who sell Chinese shackles. A good shackle will be forged with the brand, size and working load limit stamped on it.

Hard shackles do have their place, but their place is not at the end of a kinetic rope or attached to anything that may break. I have two which make it easier to attach to the tow points on my Bronco. I won't use them anywhere else.

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