Basic recovery gear/skills

[Blackeagle]

My new Ranger is my first vehicle with 4WD and this much ground clearance. While I'm not planning to take up offroading as a hobby, I do other outdoorsy stuff, and having this truck will probably tempt me to journey to more remote campsites and trailheads. The flip side is that sometimes four-wheel drive just means getting stuck further from the paved road than if you only had two-wheel drive. So, I figure if I'm venturing further from the asphalt, I probably ought to have some basic gear for getting myself unstuck.

The environment is most likely to be the mountains and deserts of the western US, and if I get stuck, I'll probably be out there with only one vehicle. So what would be a good set of equipment (and knowledge) for this sort of situation?

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[subquark]

Recovery boards, shovel, recovery straps and soft shackles, a come-along, good jack.

A winch if you think you'll get really stuck. I've managed with a come-along for some bad situations (including 3 days getting out of a swamp).

Many here will have more detailed advice and you'd be surprised at how helpful others are if you get really stuck. Seems to be more out there than you may think.

Good luck and you're way ahead of most by thinking about this, that's your best piece of equipment!

 

[Ranger305]

What is a come-along, pray tell?

 

[BS67]

https://www.harborfreight.com/1200-...Ya9EEO_uXvimqDYEPoq8lVajUKaXKLcxoCrQYQAvD_BwE

 

[RedlandRanger]

To add to what @subquark said, I would opt for a winch if you are "older". I used to have a comealong, and they do work, but they are a LOT Of work. A winch is SO MUCH easier and faster. I have a winch that is on a receiver tray and I have front and rear receivers so I can attach it to whichever end is better. I don't do a lot of real offroading, but I do go where few people go and have gotten myself into trouble on more than one occasion. Better to be prepared and not need it than be stuck somewhere because of something stupid....

 

[notsolinear]

I came up with a similar list as @subquark. One other popular item is a 12v air pump; Viair seems to be a popular brand. That way you can lower tire pressures to get more traction and still air back up when you return to the road.
EDIT: I also grabbed one of those Slime brand tire plug kits in case of a puncture.

 

[subquark]

I came up with a similar list as @subquark. One other popular item is a 12v air pump; Viair seems to be a popular brand. That way you can lower tire pressures to get more traction and still air back up when you return to the road.
EDIT: I also grabbed one of those Slime brand tire plug kits in case of a puncture.

Great catch - an air pump and a tire plug kit. Those plug kits really do work. It won't fix a torn sidewall, but does wonders for punctures. The Farm Project on YouTube has a great video on them.



Now depending on where you live, I'm a huge advocate for snow chains too. =)

 

[Frenchy]

It truly depends on how far you end up going. First thing to.do is get a good set of All-Terrain tires first. That will help you from getting a puncture. As others have mentioned there are other things to get. Traction boards can help in the right situation. That said if it looks questionable, simply stop and evaluate it.

Personally I have only been stuck once with the Ranger and that was in snow and me not being smart. Simple as that

 

[9zero1790]

a full size good quality shovel is worth its weight in gold. i know the lil ones are nice to save space but if your needing to use the shovel the little ones make life harder. ive got a lot of recovery gear in my truck but mostly as im alone most times and dont expect to have others happen by often. a list of what i take with me off the top of my head no certain order. some place i have a checklist. i know folks will laugh at me but ive used most of the stuff in past or wished id had the stuff.
shovel
heavy duty gloves
traction boards
assorted tools for basic road side fixes like changing a battery or small swaps
come along
3 snatch blocks
assorted shackles soft and steel about 8 total
winch line extension 50 ft. (also works with come along)
ten foot tree saver 2 of them
30 foot tow strap
20 foot snatch strap
tire plug and patch kit
tire inflator
jump start pack
extra lines, 25 foot pieces with double loops, 4 of them. works with winch and come along
extra full size spare
first aid stuff basic meds
water gallon per day per person extra - not what you plan to drink
food high calorie
tp baby wipes
rubbing alcohol
sun block
extra pair of socks and undies
clean jeans
clean shirt
decent ball cap or hat
flashlights
hi viz shirts
matches or lighter
ball of steel wool
signal mirror
radio like ham or cb gmrs murs etc.
a real jack and lug wrench - toss the stock one in the steel recycle stack lol.
yes also have a winch

 

[9zero1790]

not to direct you away from the 5g sponsors but i got several items from these folks. its good quality and good price. They test it in lab and real world. They warranty it and stand behind it. Tell them Mark sent you, they may make you a package deal price. https://www.tgl-global.com/pages/about-us

 

[Wes Siler]

Trouble in the southwest is your going to struggle to find an anchor for a winch or come along.

Most important is going to be a set of Maxtrax. Buy the real ones if you want to be able to rely on them.

Next is tires. P metrics don't like rocks. LTs will hold up better. Get a quality air compressor or Power Tank, plus an Indeflate or EZ Deflator. Boulder Tools plug kit on Amazon is the best I've found. Big can of Fix a Flat helps with tricky repairs.

Beyond that, just two hitch receiver recovery points, two 3/4 inch shackles, and a kinetic strap and you should be good. Oh, and a shovel.

 

[subquark]

So many awesome suggestions and I realize I didn't say "welcome to the forum @Blackeagle!"

It's a great bunch here and, since no one seems to have really good answers for you on this topic because ... probably the most important tool hasn't been mentioned yet.

Yes, that's right ... a damper! =D

Why is that an important recovery tool, you might ask?

Well, the last thing you need is a tailgate to slam down when you're in such a difficult situation. It just adds to the chaos and noise.

You need to be Zen and focused. So a nice slow opening tailgate gives you a moment (or two or three) to breathe deeply and relax - letting your mind focus.

Plus, if you're really stuck, sitting on your tailgate enjoying a cold beer from your onboard 12V fridge while you wait for help will turn a bad day into a good one! =D

"I don't always get stuck, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."

 

[9zero1790]

oh and pictures! one most post pictures of the adventures with the ranger for all to see.

 

[Bob902]

not to direct you away from the 5g sponsors but i got several items from these folks. its good quality and good price. They test it in lab and real world. They warranty it and stand behind it. Tell them Mark sent you, they may make you a package deal price. https://www.tgl-global.com/pages/about-us

I like that hitch step.

 

[raytwntrvlr]

Interesting thread with lots of good advice.
This... " Trouble in the southwest is your going to struggle to find an anchor for a winch or come along. " reminded me of a situation I found myself in many years ago while surveying a cross-country cable line west of Gerlach, Nevada in the Smoke Creek desert area. I was driving a 3/4 ton Ford crew cab 4x4 and tried to cross a small water way and buried that sucker. The PU had a nice winch setup but nothing within miles to latch onto.
So, my brilliant mind decided that we could dig a really deep hole and bury the spare tire for an anchor. After lots of sweat by myself and the crew, I fired up the truck, put it in compound low, and engaged the winch only to watch painfully as a five foot plug of desert arose from the hole we had worked so hard to dig. I ended up hiking out to the county road and luckily was able to flag down a passing rancher who came to our rescue.
Best advice for the OP that I could give is to always travel with someone else when in country you are not familiar with. A second vehicle makes a winch much more capable.

Good luck with all your future adventures.

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