There’s nothing better than spinning your wheels in some mud on the weekends, however any type of off-roading demands that we are prepared to recover our vehicles if necessary. All off-road 4WDs should have various recovery gear and equipment to help you get out of sticky situations, and we often need them when we least expect it! To give you an idea of the type of gear you should have readily accessible in your 4WD, today’s article will provide an overview of essential 4×4 recovery equipment.
Snatch Strap
Every off-road 4WD should have a snatch strap (or a winch if they’re traveling solo) to help you recover if you get bogged. Your snatch strap rating should be at least three to four times the weight of your vehicle and can only be used on rated recovery points. You’ll also need a couple of shackles to connect your snatch strap to both vehicle’s recovery points. Always store your snatch strap and shackles within easy reach of the driver’s seat so you can grab it quickly if needed. You can easily lose access to doors, windows, and your trunk after getting stuck.
Shovel & Recovery Tracks
Before using your snatch strap, you should try to dig your way out with a long-handled shovel and recovery tracks. By lowering your tyre pressure and digging out around the tyres and underbody (if necessary), most of the time you should be able to simply drive out. Of course, this isn’t always possible, hence the point above, but a long-handled shovel and recovery tracks are convenient in many scenarios. In fact, some recovery tracks even double up as a shovel, but a dedicated shovel comes in handy when building a fire pit and plenty of other mundane tasks!
Tyre Repair Kit
4WD tyres can easily get damaged and when you’re in the bush, sometimes changing a flat with your spare tyre isn’t always a good idea. All 4WD owners should have a tyre repair kit so they can temporarily repair a punctured tyre instead of risk damaging their spare tyre as well. While you’ll still need to get your tyre professionally repaired, you will be able to drive at reduced speeds until you can.
Tyre Pressure Gauge & Air Compressor
It’s well-known that the best way to get more traction when off-roading is to reduce your tyre pressure, but remember that the lower your tyre pressure, the more damage you can do to your tyres. On standard tyres, you can drop your tyre pressure to as low as 8psi when trying to recover from being bogged in sand, mud, or snow. To ensure you don’t deflate your tyres too much, a well-calibrated tyre pressure gauge is required along with an air compressor to inflate your tyres when you’re back on sealed roads.
Jump Starter
No longer do you need to depend on another vehicle to jump start your 4WD. All you need is an affordable, easy-to-use, high-capacity lithium ion battery pack which can not only jump start your 4WD, but also provides portable power for your phone and other devices too. Most of these battery packs can be charged off your cigarette lighter, but don’t just throw it in the pack of your trunk and forget about it. It needs to be regularly charged to ensure it’s ready when you need it.
Recovery Jack
Lastly, a recovery jack is a very useful accessory to help you get out sticky situations. Whether your 4WD is bogged on the beach or stuck on a log, the recovery jack will raise your vehicle so you can place something under your tyres to gain more traction. Keep in mind that they can’t be used on all vehicles, but an air jack that’s attached to your vehicle’s exhaust pipe by a large rubber cone will also do the trick.
Whether you’re spending your weekend at a 4WD park or touring around Australia, having the appropriate recovery equipment is paramount. When considering the costs of your 4WD, these pieces of recovery equipment is really just a drop in the ocean. If you’re interested in purchasing any recovery equipment for your 4WD, get in touch with the professionals at TJM Australia by phoning their friendly team on 07 3865 9999.
