Recovery Equipment Recommendations

Mania Toad

Adventurer
I just bought my first truck, and my off-road experience is limited to wandering off-pavement on large street motorcycles.
I'm ready to start buying recovery gear but would like the advice of someone who knows what they are doing.
I plan on building or buying a habitation box later.
The truck already has a Gast air compressor (currently not functional), and a Warn M12000 winch.
I plan on buying a pair of Maxtrax (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01C3I9OUS/ref=olp_twister_child?ie=UTF8&mv_color_name=5)
and a hi-lift (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017T3P3C/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3VE8FI8H7ZGAU&colid=36KBDEE2LTYSF&psc=1).
I could use some guidance on designing the rest of the kit. If you were to take this truck anywhere, what else would you acquire?
IMG_1385.jpg
IMG_1386.jpg
IMG_1399.jpg
IMG_1401.jpg
 

Joe917

Explorer
Shovel , air compressor. Digging and airing down are the first steps. A winch is great if you have something to hook to, rope/ kinetic strap for assisting or assistance from another vehicle. Hi lift jack.
 

Superduty

Adventurer
It's an older rig. I'd spend most of my money on making it as reliable as possible.

With regards to recovery gear, I suppose there are two kinds. A. When there are multiple rigs. B. If you are all by yourself. Recovery gear differs a little depending on whether you are with other rigs or not. Pull strap is pretty useless if you are by yourself (though you might use it wrap an anchor for your winch line). An anchor for the winch (pull pal or other types) could be important if you are solo, whereas if you are with another rig you can usually use the other truck as an anchor.
 

CampStewart

Observer
For winching:
Snatch block
Shackles, 3/8" and 5/8" The 5/8 so you can attach to tow straps
Pull pal winch anchor
A couple of lengths of 3/8 or 7/16 chain with grab hooks
Tree saver strap



20 and 30 ft 2 or 3 inch wide tow straps that don't stretch

Kinetic recovery strap

Strong anchoring points front and rear on rig

Means to deflate and inflate tires

Scissor jack and a means to control it so you are not under the truck

Hydraulic jack


I would just get the basic hi lift unless money is no object. Larger foot for hi lift, liftmate, and those hooks to attach your wheels to hi lift.

I wouldn't buy those maxtrax until I found that they for sure would have helped me at least a couple of times. Aside from that your rig is very heavy and they may not be up to its weight.

A recovery kit is something you should piece together as you gain experience and see what you need and know how to safely use.
 

Warn Industries

Supporting Vendor
Our recovery kits give you everything you need for winching recovery and will work with your 12,000 lb. winch:

Epic-Backpack-Medium-Duty-N.jpg

Medium-Duty Epic Recovery Kit
When you hit the trails, you go prepared and carry the right gear for getting the most out of your WARN winch. That's why we offer the WARN Epic Accessory Kit. The kit includes premium WARN Epic accessories that wear durable powder coatings that protect against abrasion and the elements and stand up to the most rigorous recoveries. The components fit neatly inside the modular backpack, which also acts as a winch line damper, and is easy to transport. Available in medium duty (for winches 12,000 lbs and under) and heavy duty (for winches 18,000 lbs. and under).

•Two forged 3/4" Epic Shackles with E-coat/powder cost finish (for 18,000 lb. winches and under)
•Epic Tree Trunk Protector, including forged end loops with E-coat/powder cost finish (2" x 8'; rated to 14,400 lbs.)
•Epic Snatch Block with E-coat/powder coat finish (for winch capacities of up to 12,000 lbs.)
•Premium Recovery Strap (2" x 30'; rated to 14,400 lbs.)
•Winching Gloves with Kevlar reinforcement and synthetic leather
•Backpack carrying case: Made from ballistic material with modular interior. Doubles as line damper.
https://www.warn.com/truck/accessories/medium_duty_epic_accessory_kit.jsp


Medium Duty Recovery Kit
MediumDutyAccessoryKit.jpg


Our most popular winching accessory kit has been upgraded so you can get even more from your WARN winch. Designed for winch capacities to 10,000 lbs. (4536 kg).
•20,000 lbs. (9072 kg) maximum capacity snatch block, with grease port.
•2" x 8' (5cm x 2.4m) tree trunk protector, rated to 14,400 lbs. (6531 kg).
•2" x 30' (5cm x 9.1m) standard recovery strap, rated to 14,400 lbs. (6531 kg).
•3/4" (20mm) D-shackles (2x).
•Heavyweight denier carry bag.
•WARN winching gloves (XL).
https://www.warn.com/truck/accessories/medium_duty_winching_accessory_kit.jsp

Andy
 

SoCal Tom

Explorer
It kind of depends on what you will be doing. For the desert, a snatch strap ( kinetic style), a shovel and a air compressor ( and a set of tire deflators) would be first on my list.
Tom
 

krick3tt

Adventurer
Don't tighten the shackle pin too tight. Finger tight should be enough or it might take a tool to release the pin. I will be trying my new soft shackle one day, hope it is everything it is touted to be. Any thoughts on it?
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Don't tighten the shackle pin too tight. Finger tight should be enough or it might take a tool to release the pin. I will be trying my new soft shackle one day, hope it is everything it is touted to be. Any thoughts on it?
I think it's something that needs to be clear, the pin on a bow shackle needs to be snug when you use it. It doesn't need to be wrenched tight but the prevailing advise of leaving the pin loose so that it can be removed is wrong.

If the shackle is deforming such that the pin is either loosening or tightening then it is or has been overloaded or suspect in some way (perhaps a counterfeit). When used properly the pin on a bow shackle will not become any tighter than when you started. IOW, it will return to the exact same shape and dimensions.

39c517d2-6da8-4939-9f2b-9f7f00b4d31d_885x1000_mid.jpg

Directly from a highly reputable manufacturer: http://news.thecrosbygroup.com/news/shackle-to-shackle-by-crosby

The screw pin threads shall be fully engaged and tight and the shoulder should be in contact with the shackle body.

Thus, contrary to popular believe, you should never back off the screw pin before use. The shackle pin should be a minimum of hand tight before the lift begins.

Turn.jpg

Always make sure the shackle pin is tight!

If the screw pin cannot be threaded into the shackle by hand, this may be the result of deformation.
 

Westy

Adventurer
Keep your recovery kit simple and based off your needs and locations of travel - practice and learn how to use each piece. A snatch strap, tow strap, pair of quality rated shackles and snatch block will go along way - consider a 50-80 foot winch rope extension too depending on your terrain.

I prefer to avoid hi lift jacks for their risk associated. Used and carried one for years, they are very heavy and can be risky to operate. Be sure if you use one to service it, store it indoors / garage and learn how to properly use it. Don't get me wrong, they are very useful and I've used them to get out of some situations or make quick work on a tire change. Consider a good bottle jack with enough height to get your tires changed OR a small floor jack - remove wheels bolt on aluminum plate.

pull pals, Xjack, etc etc are all accessories - lots of stuff out there and you could load up on a ton of recovery gear but I'd just start with the essentials and like others mentioned service/maintain truck first and foremost and then don't spend a bunch on unnecessary items - spend it on gas / maintenance / getting out and using the vehicle and enjoying outdoors.
 

Mania Toad

Adventurer
It's an older rig. I'd spend most of my money on making it as reliable as possible.
This sounds like great advice. The beauty of an older rig is that it is easier to see its flaws. The engine is solid (12V Cummins), and I figured an older truck would be easier to fix. I plan on making this a built-to-last truck.
 

Mania Toad

Adventurer
A recovery kit is something you should piece together as you gain experience and see what you need and know how to safely use.

This sounds like good advice, since it goes against my habit. But, there's no harm in designing the kit now and buying it later.

To clarify, I want a kit for going solo in most conditions, since I like my habit of wandering with minimal specific planning. Although, I am not at all opposed to traveling in a group. So a tow strap with other possible uses sounds like a good addition.

And yes, I have read in other threads about going solo, to be prepared to walk out of a situation. So I would also bring full backpacking gear. I'm the first to admit when I don't know what I'm doing, so I've definitely got a backup plan.
 

OCD Overland

Explorer
Here's my list in order of importance -

1. Cell phone and credit card. These two items will get you out of almost any jam in the continental US.
2. A decent go-bag kitted with what you'd need to keep you safe for a night or two when your recovery efforts fail. First aid, water, etc.
3. Gloves. Get in the habit of using them whenever you're working on the vehicle.
4. Spare Tire and Tire Puncture Kit. Tires are the weakest link on any vehicle and you don't have to be out in the mud or sand to have a failure. Be sure your spare is in good shape and puncture kits are cheap, light, and easy to stow.
5. Compressor or Power Tank. Because your puncture kit is worthless unless you can air the tire back up.
6. MaxTrax. The first line of defense when stuck in sand, snow or mud. If you have these, you'll try them first before pulling out ropes and chains.
7. Shovel. Your second line of defense. A regular one and also one of those knock down aluminum snow shovels for sand and mud (hint - drill some holes in the snow shovel and it will allow water to drain when shoveling mud - not too many or it will be useless for sand. Or just get two, they're light and relatively compact, and then your friend can shovel, too.)
8. Basic Tool Kit. Customize it for your vehicle. Include some repair items like silicone tape, zip ties, etc.
9. A 1' square board or other platform for your jack. Because most jacks just sink in the ground in mud and sand.
10. Fuel. You never know.
11. A small tarp or pad to use while working on the vehicle. You'll thank me later.

That list should give you what you need to get out of the most common situations, and can all be handled by a single person traveling alone. Once you have that kit together you can start worrying about ropes and winches. For that stuff, you're probably best off getting a kit from ARB or something, but if you collect them separately, I'd probably go in this order:

1. Kinetic Tow Strap and a few soft shackles. If you're stuck you can always wait and hope someone will come by, and having your own strap means even that guy in the Prius can lend you a hand. Soft shackles are easier to use and are a lot lighter, and probably won't sent you to the hospital if they break. These two items will also allow you to help someone else who's in a jam, should you be the charitable type.
2. A better jack. Pick what's best for your vehicle. I prefer the racing style jacks like the Pro Eagle for full size trucks.
3. Winch or pull pal, straps, blocks, etc. Finally!
4. Deadman anchor. For when there are no trees.
5. More exotic, specialized kit like air jacks, bridging ladders and stuff.

Cool truck, by the way.
 

LandCruiserPhil

Expedition Leader
Airing down is your first and best line of defense to avoid getting stuck in the first place.
With the size and weight of your vehicle I would go with a Kinetic rope not a strap. A quality kinetic rope has 33% stretch where the same quality strap yields 20%. The difference could mean getting out if bogged in. Because of kinetics it gives you a much better chance of getting out with a lighter vehicle attempting the recovery.
As for your winch buy the WARN recovery bag. I bought the Warn recovery bag 20+ years ago with my Warn and never looked back.
 

Westy

Adventurer
This is a good rule of thumb, thanks for the correction Phil. I always forget now days about the names of the specific types of straps/ropes. Kinetic is preferred. Infact late last year I had this similar situation as you describe occur. A 2wd Dodge Ram quad cab loaded down with gear was stuck out below Horseshoe Dam near the Verde and the kinetic strap along with airing down his tires worked great to extract the big Dodge from the river bed with the Land Cruiser.

Airing down is your first and best line of defense to avoid getting stuck in the first place.
With the size and weight of your vehicle I would go with a Kinetic rope not a strap. A quality kinetic rope has 33% stretch where the same quality strap yields 20%. The difference could mean getting out if bogged in. Because of kinetics it gives you a much better chance of getting out with a lighter vehicle attempting the recovery.
As for your winch buy the WARN recovery bag. I bought the Warn recovery bag 20+ years ago with my Warn and never looked back.
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
Lots of good advice; but recovery should start, IMO, with solid, strong, frame mounted recovery points.
When using a snatch strap, or a winch with a snatch block or even a hi-lift as a come along; you still need a way to attach one (or both sides) to either/both vehicle(s) in a way that will not be over stressed/pull off, in use.
I favor strength overkill for recovery points and usually go for at least 2 to 4 times the weight of the vehicle minimum (an 8,000 pound winch can generate 16,000 pounds of force with a snatch block and a 20,000 lb. snatch strap can generate at least 20,000 pounds... (Who knows what drunk Bubba (shudder) in his nitrous powered mudder taking a run with a long barge rope could generate???)
...have seen lots of vehicle destruction over the years and even pulled a few, poorly installed bumpers and trailer hitches off...make recovery points stronger than they need to be...even though most light stucks and vehicle assists probably take less than 1,000 pounds of pull.

Enjoy!
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
185,534
Messages
2,875,615
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top