Recovery Gear

Now let’s get something clear from the start. Is this a trip or an expedition?

If it’s an expedition, then you will need to get some serious survival gear which is beyond the scope of this article. What I’m going to assume is that you will be somewhere near civilization, at least in the vicinity of other travellers and therefore will only need to carry a level of recovery gear to save you from serious embarrassment.

So let’s start with a shovel. Yes, it’s pretty basic but you can solve many problems with a good shovel. Note the adjective. Get a good tool for the job and not some flimsy space saving, fold up jobbie. Some prefer the long handled type and they generally attach it to the roof rack. Mine is a short Cyclone shovel which measures exactly 3 foot on the old scale and fits neatly in behind the back seat. When you are moving serious quantities of sand or dirt, you need a well-balanced and sturdy tool for the job.

Next on my list is a Hi-Lift jack. Why? Because unlike most other jacks it can do two jobs. It’s a jack and it’s also a hand winch. You’ll need a good, broad base plate. This could be your bread or chopping board. You’ll only need to use it in an emergency.

Drill a couple of holes in the base plate for nuts & bolts to stop the winch from sliding around. The jack can be carried on purpose built rack fittings. Personally, I dismantle mine and the parts fit into various compartments of my luggage area. It takes less than a minute to reassemble the parts.

ARB also market a set of straps that will allow you to attach the jack to a wheel in order to lift it out of a hole and an attachment for lifting via your bumper. Check out your attachment options prior to purchase to ensure you can actually use this jack with your vehicle. It’s too late to find out after you’re bogged. Practice before leaving home and do follow all safety instructions when using the jack.

Exhaust jacks are also popular but they may take up more room in your cargo area.

Many vehicles carry electric winches but in reality, how often are they required unless you are really on an expedition? Whatever your choice, winches need other accessories like correctly rated shackles, cables and tree protectors. A very useful accessory is a tree to attach your cable to or some other form of anchor. Your vehicle may also need reinforced recovery points to be added.

If you are travelling over sand, a snatch strap is an essential accessory. They take up little space and will get you out of most bogs if you are travelling in company.

Some travellers also carry tracks to drive over in case of trouble. You can pay a lot of money for some brands which I’m sure do an excellent job. We will be reviewing some later. In the meantime, take a good look at your existing mats. If you have a good thick set like I have, a cheap modification is to drill a couple of holes at each end so you can link them together with cable ties to create your own tracks in an emergency.

Finally, you will need a compressor. Not an el cheapo model but something that will quickly re-inflate your tyres after you’ve let them down to cross a loose surface. If you think it will be hard to re-inflate your tyres, you will be reluctant to deflate them when you really should. And then you will get bogged. So get a good compressor.

You have two options: have one permanently mounted or buy a portable one. A portable one is also handy around the shed but a permanently mounted one may be easier to find!