Basic Recovery Gear?

[Jr87mustang]

If you or anyone else here are looking for traction boards and want something that works and is easier to store then these are great. Best thing about them is that they fold up and can also be used as leveling blocks if you have a more door or rooftop tent that you plan on sleeping in. They are super tough I have used mine with my 4x4 van many times. There are some utube videos of people testing them as well.

GoTreads - Foldable tire traction mats to get out of mud, snow, or sand.

I saw a lot of people switching to these so I bought them as well. The guys at Blue Ridge Overland always take them on their trips. The boards are just so bulky and look ridiculous strapped to the outside of a rig. Yes you can use them as a shovel, but I will just bring a small folding shovel.

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[Vantcrst]

I saw a lot of people switching to these so I bought them as well. The guys at Blue Ridge Overland always take them on their trips. The boards are just so bulky and look ridiculous strapped to the outside of a rig. Yes you can use them as a shovel, but I will just bring a small folding shovel.

Yep they make a lot of sense. I have had mine for almost 4 years with no issues.

 

[Snacktime]

Round point full size shovel. This is the number one tool, why do people even think a short stubby shovel is going to help? If your stuck 90% of the time some form of physical labor is needed to prevent more damage.

Why a full size shovel? Less likely to put yourself in harm, less likely to strain yourself, more likely to use the shovel, something to lean on and mock stuck people.

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

The mod bumper will be fine with soft shackles.

I keep anchor shackles on the vehicle and use soft shackles to attach rope to them. Conventional wisdom is keep the knot up on soft shackles (but I'm not sure why).

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

Round point full size shovel. This is the number one tool, why do people even think a short stubby shovel is going to help? If your stuck 90% of the time some form of physical labor is needed to prevent more damage.

Why a full size shovel? Less likely to put yourself in harm, less likely to strain yourself, more likely to use the shovel, something to lean on and mock stuck people.

I have a full size Fiskars shovel that I forgot to mention. I keep the e-tool in the vehicle at all times while the full size I'll just throw in depending on where I'm going.

 

[Jdc]

I have a full size Fiskars shovel that I forgot to mention. I keep the e-tool in the vehicle at all times while the full size I'll just throw in depending on where I'm going.

I haven't done a huge amount of off-roading but I have used an e-tool quite a bit to dig some decent sized holes. Sure it'll be slower than a full size shovel but the ability to fold the head into a hoe is awesome.

 

[BulldogBear]

Some additional info

1. MAKE SURE, Before you purchase ropes/straps/shackles/etc, you get items with the correct Working Load Limit (WLL). A Bronco GVW is ~6200lbs. If you get a strap rated for "Minimum Breaking Strength" of 7000lbs, you are not getting a strap with the proper WLL, and you, or someone helping you, will be sorry. When your vehicle is stuck, the load on that strap is a lot more than ~6200lbs.

2. You want a Safety Factor of at least 5:1 on your straps/shackles/etc.

3. The static straps like the ARB versions have a 'recovery lifespan' - many are rated for 10 full-load pulls and are supposed to be retired after that.

4. Always wear gloves during a recovery.

5. Clean your straps/ropes after use (soap & warm water). Any foreign material (sand, dirt, mud, etc) trapped in the fibers decrease it's WLL, and will cause premature fatigue/failure. Last spring I pulled two side-by-sides out of some AZ quicksand where I used both my 150' synthetic rope and my 100' ARB strap. When I cleaned them, there was about 2" of sand left in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket I used to wash them.

6. When you have to walk across the rope/winch line/strap between to vehicles (not under load), always step ON the rope/line/strap. If it's under load, always walk the long way around.

7. Don't trust your rigging to anyone but yourself.

8. If you're using a "D-ring" (screw pin anchor shackle) - tighten it to where it's snug, then back it off a quarter turn.

Recommended equipment:
- Gloves
- A working jack that is tall enough to raise your tire off the ground
- Shovel
- Properly rated tree strap
- Properly rated recovery strap/kinetic rope/synthetic rope
- Several (more than 2) Screw pin anchor shackles (D-rings) AND soft shackles
- Tire plug/repair kit
- A way to inflate your tires
- If traveling solo, a come along/winch/Hi-Lift

 

[BroncoBuckaroo]

I like the Bubba Rope kits

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Looking for some basic off road recovery gear. I gather I need a recovery strap (vs a tow strap) and two soft shackles, correct?

Do I need D shackles (or whatever they're called) as well?

We actually sell some recovery "kits" that ARB makes:

https://www.4x4truckleds.com/other-truck-accessories/recovery-gear-jacks/

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