Recovery gear is one of those gear categories where you need to consider several factors before putting a kit together. For starters, consider your current training level and the training you’ll get in the near future. You can hurt yourself, or worse, and damage your vehicle with improper use of recovery equipment. Also, consider where and how you travel. Plenty of great adventures can be had along gravel forest roads and two-track, and if this is as far off the beaten path as you plan to go, your recovery gear can be limited to a shovel, some traction platforms, and a snatch strap. On the other hand, if you plan to hit more technical trails, or if you’re bad at turning around when the going gets tough, you’ll want more gear to make sure you can get yourself and others out of recovery situations. Suppose you’re traveling mostly solo versus with a group or travel partner in a second rig. In that case, you’ll need a comprehensive kit, plenty of gear to assist with self-recovery, and prioritize items that increase your mechanical advantage. Lastly, match your recovery gear to your vehicle. A full-sized truck with a loaded slide-in camper will require heavier-duty equipment than a lightweight overland build. All that being said, these items are some of our favorite pieces of recovery gear for our overland journeys. Use this list as a general guideline for what you should consider when selecting your overland recovery gear and accessories.
AEV — Trail Recovery Kit
Looking for an all-in-one (bag) recovery kit solution? AEV has you covered with this ensemble that includes an AEV recovery strap, tree strap, winch extension strap, snatch block, a pair of 3/4-inch anchor shackles, tire deflator and a pair of gloves. It all comes in a tough U.S.-made bag to keep things sorted. Depending on your vehicle, you may need a larger or different kit, and AEV has multiple options.
MSRP: $633
GlueTread — Full-Size Sidewall Repair Kit
A massive tire failure can be just as bad as getting stuck in the backcountry. Of course, a full-size spare is a huge help, but for an added level of preparedness, it’s well worth packing along a Sidewall Kit from GluTread. It’s a lot of peace of mind in a small package, and it comes from a team of experts who stand behind their product.
The patches in this kit are specifically designed for oversized tires and 4×4 use. The adhesive is specifically designed to dry quickly so you can get back on the trail in as little as 10 minutes. Each package includes four patches of varying sizes, four bottles of GlueTread’s specifically engineered adhesive, eight applicator tips, and ten pieces of sandpaper, so you’ll be covered for plenty of sidewall tears in the future. It all comes in a resealable bag for easy storage.
MSRP: $49.95
ARB — Recovery Gloves
During any vehicle recovery operation, it’s a good idea to have some gloves on to protect your hands from abrasion and increase grip since you’ll be working with ropes, harnesses, and even clearing dirt and rocks from wheels. This pair from ARB offers breathability and wear resistance in a quick-drying fabric. Keep a pair (or two or more) in your rig, and you and your crew will be ready for action. Hand injuries can quickly end your attempts to manipulate your recovery equipment – and keep you from working and playing. A tough pair of gloves protects your hands and also gives a bit of warmth in cold situations.
MSRP: $17.95
MaxTrax — MKII Traction Platforms
Orange traction platforms are rather ubiquitous in the world of overlanding. While there are some good options and plenty of copycats out there, you can’t deny that MaxTrax are pioneers in the market, and for good reason. A set of MaxTrax MKII traction platforms will get you out of the muck without pulling cable, and they can make sketchy spots on the trail feel much safer.
The fiber-reinforced nylon boards won’t break, crack, or stress whiten with use. They’re also UV stable and won’t fade if stored outdoors. Beyond added traction, they also work as shovels to clear snow, sand, and mud. MaxTrax traction platforms are backed by a lifetime warranty and are proudly made in Australia from Australian materials. Once you use a set, you’ll quickly see why they’re so popular.
MSRP: $259.99
Bubba Rope — 7/8″x30′ Rope
Bubby Ropes are legendary for providing quick and relatively easy ways to recover bogged vehicles. While safe operation and proper training are still a must, these are simple to use compared to other recovery methods, and they will recover vehicles in situations that will surprise you. This specific rope is a slightly smaller, and therefore easier to store, version of the classic Bubba Rope.
The Bubba Rope is made from high-quality nylon, and it can be used for both recovery and towing situations. These are water, UV, and abrasive resistant, so you can expect years of use before needing to replace this trust piece of recovery gear. It’s rated with a breaking strength of 28,600 pounds and includes a mesh storage bag.
MSRP: $240
READ MORE: Editors’ Choice: Campsite Gear & Accessories
Factor 55 — Hitchlink 2.0 for 2-inch Receiver
If you ever plan to use your rear receiver hitch as a recovery point you must make sure you’re hitch is properly secured and you have a safe mounting point. The Hitchlink 2.0 from Factor 55 gives you peace of mind for just such situations with a 9,500-pound rating. It’s made from CNC-machined 6000 series aluminum and provides a lightweight but strong anchor point. It’s secured with a hitch pin (not included) and accepts common 3/4 screw pin shackles as well soft shackles up to 1/2 inch.
MSRP: $83
ARB — Snatch Strap
What’s a “snatch strap?” Think of it as an industrial-strength rubber band built into a tow rope. When slowly pulling a vehicle out with a tow rope doesn’t work, sometimes giving the rescue vehicle a little “runway” to add momentum is enough to get the stuck rig moving enough to get the extraction process underway. The problem is that a hard pull with a tow rope can damage vehicles, snap off parts – sending them flying at high speed, which can cause injury – or snap the tow rope.
That’s where the shock-absorbing feature of a snatch strap comes into play. The stretching ability of the strap allows for the harder “pull” force required for the recovery but also ramps the “pull” force while easing the stress on both vehicles. But again, Proper use of a snatch strap requires instruction to prevent injury and vehicle damage.
ARB has been making snatch straps for years, and we rank a snatch strap right up there with traction boards in terms of effectiveness. With a 20% kinetic stretch rating and a minimum breaking strength of 24,000 lbs, you can be sure that these straps can stand up to the stress of snatch strap recoveries. Don’t be tempted to use a regular tow strap for a difficult recovery. This option from ARB will allow you to safely extract one vehicle from sticky situations with nothing but another vehicle and some know-how.
MSRP: $129.95
ARB — Tree Trunk Protector Straps
We’re big supporters of Leave No Trace overlanding, but sometimes you have to call on Mother Nature to lend a hand (or a tree trunk) so you can winch your way out of trouble. ARB’s Tree Trunk Protector straps are designed to be a non-stretching anchor point for your winch so that you can safely self-rescue without damaging the tree. The three-inch width helps spread out the load to prevent damage to the tree. Nature thanks you for your consideration – and so does the next person who needs that tree to get out of a tight spot.
MSRP: $59.95
Warn — Spydura Synthetic Winch Extension Rope
Of course, you have enough winch line on that spool – until you don’t. Just to be sure, we suggest a winch extension rope like this 50-foot-long option from Warn. It’s highly abrasion-resistant and offers 10,000 lb. breaking strength. Looped ends with fabric covers won’t damage painted surfaces. Maybe get two?
MSRP: $215.59
ComeUp — DV-18 12V 18,000-Pound Winch
There’s no denying a winch, and some key accessories can get your rig out of a lot of sketchy situations. And while there are some big names in the winch market, we like how ComeUp has added some innovative features to the DV-18 bumper-mounted winch, such as a rotatable clutch assembly and line release that can make it easier to haul out a vehicle even if it’s a bit off-angle, and an overheat indicator on the remote control for safe operation. The 7-horsepower motor working through a 315:1 reduction gearing has the power to get even a stubbornly stuck vehicle moving toward safety. An 82-foot run of 1/2-inch rope is included, as is a 17-foot tether for the remote. Just to reiterate, recovery equipment, especially winches, require training for safe operation, but once you’re trained, you’ll be amazed at what a winch can conquer.
MSRP: $1,760
