Essential Overland Recovery Gear - Everything You Need for Off-Road Recovery
Recovery gear is one of the most important things to pack and get prepared before you start your next Overlanding adventure.
Since there is a ton of recovery gear on the market, it can get very confusing on what items you need. Below we have compiled a list of gear and equipment to consider before heading off on your trip.
Traction Boards
Traction boards are great because they can help get your wheels traction in the toughest of terrain whether that’s mud, snow, sand, etc. Some people get by with having only one traction board but it is best to have two so that you can get traction to two wheels at once or just have a backup in case something happens to your other one. There are a lot of traction boards on the market, but the most well-known is MaxTrax. If those are a little out of your budget, you can also find some on Amazon for a pretty good deal.
Portable Jacks
A portable jack like the ARB Hi-Lift Jack is a necessity in case you need to get your vehicle off the ground in certain situations. It makes something as simple as changing your tire so much easier while on the trails. You never know when you need to lift your vehicle and having a jack handy when out in the middle of nowhere can be a huge lifesaver.
Shackles / D-Rings
The purpose of shackles, sometimes called D-rings, is to provide a towing / recovery point for your vehicle that can withstand a lot of force. If you get into a situation where you need to be pulled out, a shackle is the safest way to get the job done without risking damage to your rig. You can pick up D-Ring shackles about anywhere.
Tow Straps
Whether you are doing the towing or getting towed, having a tow strap handy is always important. Tow straps are made to support a large amount of weight, such as a vehicle, to make sure someone can pull you out. These paired with shackles are an amazing and inexpensive way to make sure you can be pulled out of anything and not risk damaging your vehicle. Like shackles, tow straps can be found literally anywhere!
Snatch Block
An often overlooked recovery tool is a snatch block. A snatch block is simply an automotive recovery-designed pulley that is attached to a ring so that it can be mounted and used easily. Snatch Blocks are designed to be used with winches to dampen the amount of force and almost double the pulling capacity from your winch to pull your vehicle out of a sticky situation.
Air Compressor
Another overlooked recovery tool is an air compressor. Air compressors are great because they allow you to be able to air down your tires for more traction and then air them back up to reduce the risk of damaging your tires. You can find a small air compressor that can be easily stored in your vehicle as well as oil-free ones that require less maintenance so you have one less thing to worry about.
Shovel
A small but very handle tool, Adding a shovel to your recovery gear checklist is a great idea because not only can you use them around your campsite, but they can help dig you out of situations. Pairing a shovel with recovery boards is a great idea because if you have buried yourself trying to get unstuck, you will have to dig a hole big enough to fit a recovery board in so that you can get back to your adventure. Some of the cool things about a recovery shovel are you can find ones that fold up to save yourself some space for other things you want to pack.
Winch
Probably one of the priciest pieces of recovery equipment is the winch. Winches allow you to pull heavy items without having to use your vehicle strength. They also come in handy because they can work as a solo recovery tool if you do not have anyone with you to pull out your vehicle. There is a wide range of winches to fit your needs and even ones that mount to the front and back of your vehicle. It all depends on your usage and how you would like to mount them.
Jumper Cables
More than likely, you have been in the circumstance you need to jump someone else’s vehicle or your own. Jumper cables are a super handy tool for jump-starting a dead battery to get you to the nearest location to get a new battery. You probably already have some of these, but just in case you can find them almost anywhere and they won’t break your budget.
Axe / Chainsaw
Having an axe prepared is great because not only can your use them around where you’re setting up camp to get firewood and much more uses, they can also be super handy if you come across a tree in the way of your destination. An alternative to an axe is a chainsaw which will is much easier and faster to use so you don’t have to exhaust yourself and can get back on the road in no time. If you are going with a chainsaw, I would personally recommend getting yourself a cordless electric one so you don’t have to use the gas for your vehicle on it and you can get something like a solar generator or just a normal portable generator to keep it running.