What ONE piece of recovery gear will you never leave home without?

JohnnyS

Explorer
Nice kit, looks like mine :)
Add a 12K Warn and a few more snatch blocks and they're almost identical.

My truck is always stocked with food and water, if I stay with the truck I'm solid for a week. I also always have my EDC (every day carry) pack and a well broken in pair of boots, so if I opt to walk back to civilization I'm comfortable for several days.
Of course the walking out option only applies in some cases. I've found many people who decided to walk out and doing so either died or ended up in very bad predicaments.

If I couldn't take my normal kit I'd probably have to chose a nice solid shovel.....or maybe a hi-lift....or a Pulaski......too difficult to chose!!

No substitue for brains to fend off the zombies though!!



I never leave home without this. I consider it ONE kit.
 
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Elroy

New member
a shovel is my number one tool i always carry, aside from tons of other tools i carry on a regular wheeling basis
 

RMP&O

Expedition Leader
Aspirin and a pack of smokes or shackles and a tow strap depends on the situation. :)

Funny....

It looks like most of us go prepared which is a good thing! I think the items I have used the most over the years would be my high lift and a shovel.
 

stephen13

XDrive
If I wa travelling remote areas, I would think about taking a second spare tyre and rim. Always helps when you have a puncture, to know that your trip is not in jeporday for a few days. Also some water and rations would be nice as well. Even a simple recovery task in any kind of heat, can prove to be very taxing and could even be life threatnng, without some water on hand. sometimes taking ten minutes to look around and think about your predicament, can make a big difference to how you eventually extract yourself. Mostly also a good sense of humour and some patience also goes a long way to making a bad situation an adventure.
 

Rezarf <><

Explorer
I agree with the folks here that recovery equipment is high on the list of "don't leave home without it."

However, I would say the #1 item to have with you is some form(s) of communication. Cell phone, HAM, CB, Flares etc. That combined with people knowing where you are and when to expect you back is #1 in my book.

I do a lot of solo-driving in Colorado's high country and my other gear that I wouldn't leave home without is a decent pack with essentials in it to sleep with the rig, or hike out to a main road. Good shoes/boots, warm clothes, sleeping bag, water, food and a way to cook it. I also carry detailed maps for the area's I explore.

Once those items are covered my go to items are (my fj40 is 36 years old mind you).

*Good tool kit
*Manual for unfamilar field repairs
*Fluids
*Recovery gear, including Hi-lift, straps, shackles, chains, gloves, tree saver etc.

Other than that have a blast.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Certified
We get it. Ignore everyone else. The only tool for self-recovery is a pick maddox.

Stiff wire brush - thrice daily - carry on... :p

winch is only usefull if you have something to winch off of

Shovel is a multiuse basic tool- with time - the vehicles jack and the shovel you will get free.

But I'll up the anti to a pick matock

ever tried pulling dirt from under a truck with a shovel ?


The pick matock breaks up rocky soil - moves soil like a shovel and can also pull dirt from under a vehicle
if you sharpen the blade - think axe

it is heavier- but to me more usefull

Winch / highlift /straps etc etc all have their uses- but you need a second item to make them useful

the shovel matock etc work on their own

31Hv45fg%2BPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


heres a few examples

here I am stuck- I used a dog bowl and a hammer to dig out the difs and eventually found a frozen rock to winch myself off of
It would have been faster with a pick mattock

DSC_0009-1.jpg


oops stuck again

pick mattock too the rescue- had a winch - but nothing to winch off of
DSC01802.jpg


used a high lift as i had the lift points- but lacked a shovel to fill the hole once I'd lifted the front- note nothing to winch off of

DSC_0155.jpg


Obviously rocks like Moab need a diferent approach - but most trails are'nt solid sandstone

You convinced me...I bought one this weekend. I am now official.
 

98dango

Expedition Leader
I would say the one thing you need is knowing how this stuff work. You can bring every thing but if you have no clue about rigging or the best use you are worse off. I have been stuck many times I always push the limits so i get stuck. I grew up in a tow truck doing recovery if you know how to rig your winch you can winch out of any thing. Yes it may have to re hook more than once forward is not always the way to go.

this is one set up kit by the way
http://treefireguy.smugmug.com/Family/Sveum-Adventures/i-9RF9sxB/0/M/Picture-066-M.jpg
 

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