Top 5 Non-Winch Vehicle Recovery Products to Bring On The Trail
A winch is a super tool for vehicle recovery. However, it’s not the only product you might want. In fact, there’s a slew of other items out there that aren’t winches that you’ll want along on your adventures. Some you might use in conjunction with winches, some are great standalone products. Here are our top 5 non-winch recovery products.
Kinetic Recovery Rope
A kinetic recovery rope is an excellent way to get a vehicle unstuck. These stretchy lines function like a giant rubber band. You rig up the rope to an appropriate recovery point on the stuck vehicle (remember: never use the ball on a hitch!) and then to the vehicle doing the pulling. You can use either a hard shackle or soft shackle for the rigging. The rig doing the pulling will then get a running start which puts kinetic energy into the line, and that helps to “snatch” the stuck vehicle out of the muck. These work really well and are also available in recovery strap form, too. Always be sure to purchase the right capacity straps for your vehicle, too.
Traction Boards
You’ve undoubtedly seen traction boards on vehicles and with good reason. Boards, such as Ironman 4x4’s Reco-Tracks Off-Road Recovery Boards, are a great way to get a vehicle unstuck. To use them, place the individual boards in front of the vehicle’s wheels in the path you’d like to drive. Slowly apply throttle until the tires grip the boards, and you should be able to drive on them and get out. With mathematically placed teeth for grip, they offer excellent traction. They can also be used as sand scoops to help dig out before attempting the extraction. Additionally, you can daisy-chain these together to make longer tracks if needed. You can even use them to level your vehicle or trailer out when camping.
Recovery Kits
A must-have whether you have a winch or not is the right vehicle recovery gear. And while you can buy all this stuff ala carte, an Off-Road Recovery Kit bundles many of the things you need into a handy one-stop kit. This includes items like various straps, shackles, snatch blocks, chain, and gloves. If you get stuck, you don’t want to worry about whether someone else has the right rigging for your truck or SUV. So, carrying a comprehensive recovery kit is not only convenient, but also crucial.
Shovel
As basic as it sounds, carrying a shovel, such as the Ironman 4x4 America 3 Piece Shovel and Storage Bag, is a great thing to have when on the trail or when camping. If you get stuck, your first move should be to dig out, especially in sand or snow, giving your recovery method the best chance of success. This will help with any other form of recovery you use, whether that’s a kinetic rope, winch, or traction boards. Shovels can also be super useful at camp or for when nature calls.
Air Compressor
You might not think of an air compressor as a recovery tool, but consider this: Airing down your vehicle’s tires can aid significantly in traction. If you’ve aired down to 18 PSI, going down a few more PSI to 15 may better your chances of getting unstuck. But at some point, you’ll need to air those tires back up. Or, say you pop a bead. You’ll need air after you reseat it. So, while not perhaps traditional, having an air compressor with you can be a great tool after getting unstuck.
The Best Recovery Item? Knowledge
Having all the recovery gear in the world is useless if you don’t know how to use it. Before heading out to the trail, be sure you know how to properly use your vehicle recovery gear. Become familiar with each item, read up on how it works, and even consider getting professional training. Your recovery gear is only as good as you know it, so put in the time and get educated!