Offroading - BASIC RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
 

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By: Jimmyb

A lot of discussion amongst the newbies on the forum has been around the topic of "what do I need in a recovery kit"?
Well what I will try and give you here is merely my opinion, but is a good starting place for a kit that when driving with other people will help to get you out of most situations.

One of the first fundamentals to remember when going offroad is that if you get stuck you will need to either need to be winched out or pulled out with a snatch strap. Now if you don't have a rated recovery point both on the front and rear of your vehicle you will still be up to your waist in mud come work on Monday. A lot of clubs require that all members have recovery points fitted and any trips that I run I ask people to make sure they have them as well.

What do I carry my goodies in?
Now what I run in the Cherokee is a large plastic lock box from ARB. This box can be strapped down to the floor and will carry all that you need. Some people may not have the luxury of space though so a carry bag of decent strength would also be a good start so you dont have all your bits flying around everywhere acting like projectiles.

Now some simple basics first. I always carry things like zippy ties, fuses, some electrical wire, heavy duty tape, selection of spanners, hammer, pliers. All these types of things can also be carried in a small tool box. Really this list of things as with the forthcoming recovery list can be expanded on but what we are looking at here is a "basic" kit.

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Straps
Now that you have your rated recovery points attached to your vehicles you need to be able to attach yourself to another vehicle. A snatch strap is a good place to start here. This really depends on your budget but I would reccomend at minimum a 20 mtr strap. It can always be doubled back on itself if it is to long but better to have one thats too long than too short. Also in with the strap should go rated "d" shackles. Now these should only be used to attach a strap to your vehicle, NEVER attach two straps together with a "d" shackle.

Protection
While using a winch, a muddy strap, or checking under your vehicle in the bush its also a good idea to have a heavy duty pair of gloves available. You don't go walking into mud without shoes on for fear of staking your foot, so why wouldn't you use gloves. Just grab a set from Bunnings from the garden section.

Getting it up
In some recoveries you may need to pack rocks, trees or branches under your wheels to facilitate traction. But how do you get the wheel off the ground. Always make sure at minumum you have your factory jack in your vehicle, but also it is a good idea to carry something solid to put the jack on. A piece of steel 25cm x 25cm is always a good base to put your jack on and will be far more sturdy. If your budget lends itself, an exhaust jack can pay for itself 10 times over if used correctly and allows for jacking in some very strange places. Never get under a vehicle when it is on a standard jack or exhaust jack.

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Hard work
Sometimes the more time consuming the exercise the bigger the reward. It has amazed me the amount of times a little bit of digging has got a vehicle out of a bogged position. I went to the local army disposals and picked myself up a foldable hand shovel which packes away very easily.

Driving at night
You never know when your day run will go into the night, and into the night you get stuck again. You can't see what you are stuck on. Having a torch as silly as it sounds is always a must. Recently I invested also in a head band with a light on it from a camping store. That way when you are on your hand a knees trying to look at what your hung up on your not guessing, your can see whats going on.

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A lot of 4x4 accessory companies put out full kits, which will have a snatch strap, rated shackle, gloves and sometimes a tree trunk protector in them all wrapped in a nice carry bag. These are the easiest way to get started with a good recovery kit.

From this you expand with extra items as necessary. Obviously this article is only a starting point. Winches either vehicle mounted or hand with extension straps are one of the more valuable accessories to purchase especially if you enjoy touring of wheeling by yourself. But the kit above will not only help you but will also help the mug behind you thats stuck and didnt bother to bring any recovery equipment along. Just remember, if its a new snatch strap and it gets dirty, its been worth it.

thanks for the recovery info, much appreciated.
do you think an exhaust jack is a good idea in the woods and on rock? thinking of getting a hi-lift jack-whats the deal with jacking points, do you buy them and weld/point them on?
cheers,