Recovery Gear 101: Know Your Recovery Accessories For Overlanding
Know Your Recovery Gear Before Tackling The Outdoor Trail
Imagine this: You are having a long, weekend camping adventure, everything is already set; you have your ever-reliable roof top tent ready, you have your canoes and any other outdoor activity equipment mounted to your rack, you have prepared delectable dishes using your kitchen grill accessories, as in everything is perfect and smooth-sailing.
Then suddenly, your rig got stuck to a pile of mud and cannot go through this obstacle, or all of a sudden, inconvenience got in your way to ruin your supposed to be memorable vacation. What will you do?
According to research, the number one problem faced during an off-road camping is bad weather. Yes there are weather forecasts that are available on the news or your mobile phone, and let's you expect what you are against, but of course, these reports aren't really accurate and does not specifically state the gravity of the weather disturbance.
On the way you are experiencing a bright sunny day, but in a matter of few minutes or hours, we cannot tell that you'll be experiencing the same. This is when RECOVERY GEAR comes in play. Recovery gear, or sometimes recovery kits, are essential outdoor accessories that, well, help you recover your vehicle from a tough spot.
You cannot tell what will happen off-roads, especially when there's an extreme weather condition along your way. Recovery kits help your off road vehicle out of deep snow or mud. Sounds easy you may say, but when you are all alone, in the middle of nowhere. These recovery gear will come out handy and all you have to say is: Thank God I have these recovery kits!
What are samples of recovery gear, and how do we use them? This tutorial teaches you different kinds of these accessories and how do you fully utilize them. So let's start!
What Are Winches ?
These are hauling or lifting device consisting of a rope, cable or chain winding around a horizontal rotating drum, turned by a crank, but usually a motor or other power source.
Winches are the most useful recovery kit you may have. As these accessory are handy, and very practical to have. Once stuck on a pile of mud, mount the winch to your aftermarket bumper, then tie them to a nearby tree or sturdy rack, and in no time, you'll find your vehicle free from the mud.
Here are some notable brands of winch, all available here!
TJM Torq Winch With Synthetic Rope
This winch in particular uses a synthetic rope, that can withstand gigantic amount of force. Available in two variants, the 9500 pound and 12000 pound capacity, the winch from TJM Torq can handle weight without giving you a hard time.
This recovery gear comes with a wireless remote, so you'll feel safer when using it.
Smittybilt XRC-9.5 Gen 2 Waterproof Winch
Another reliable winch in the aftermarket is Smittybilt's XRC-9.5 Gen 2 Waterproof Winch. This recovery accessory possesses 6.6 HP motor and a 3-stage planetary gear system that provides increased pulling power in an incredibly fast speed. Not only that, the XRC-9.5 Gen 2 is waterproof and rust-resistant. You have no worries using them when stuck in a river way.
Recovery Straps And Tow Straps
Recovery straps are often mistaken as tow straps. Yes, they look similar with each other, but have different defining features and purpose. Recovery straps or snatch straps oftentimes have rubber-like characteristic, tied usually to an accompanying vehicle's recovery point.
While tow straps share the same function, they are less elastic, and doesn't stretch much. They are used as winch extension and has hooks on its end.
Safety reminder in using tow straps, these accessories doesn't have elastic capabilities, so avoid yanking up your vehicle using these. When not used properly, it can cause projectile motion and can cause severe injuries.
TJM Snatch Straps
One popular brand when it comes to snatch straps is TJM. They offer wide selection of load capacity depending on the user's needs. They even offer Snatch Strap Recovery Kits to fully maximize the utilization of the straps.
TJM recovery straps are made from high quality nylon webbing with neoprene protectors, and can withstand up to 15,000 kgs. strength rating (depending on the variation)
Recovery Tracks
Recovery tracks, or sometimes known as recovery boards, is one of the most useful recovery gear that you can bring on your off-road journey. They are compact and easy to use. Some outdoor enthusiasts use them to level their off-road truck, but there's more into that.
Recovery tracks provide traction to the wheels of your monster truck. These vehicles often get stuck in mud, snow or sand because the wheels lack traction and doesn't grip to the surface. These recovery tracks supplement the trail and help the truck to be drawn out.
MaxTrax MKII
A lightweight, easy-to-use vehicle recovery that can easily carry your 4x4 truck out of sand, mud or snow. Made of UV stabilized, flexible and super tough engineering-grade reinforced nylon, the MaxTrax MKII provides that much needed traction and firm base to get your vehicle back on track. Coming with a handy recovery shovel to remove excess earth, the MaxTrax MKII also has six comfortable handles to help you with its mobility.
Hi-Lift Jack
Hi-Lift Jack is a rugged, highly versatile jack that gives you extra mobility when lifting, pushing, pulling, winching or clamping your off-road truck. They are compact and lightweight, but don't be deceived by its looks. The Hi-Lift Jack has a tested capacity of 7,000 lbs. These jacks help you survive stuck positions whether in sand, mud or snow.
How to use the Hi-Lift Jack? Just put the jack under the bumper, remove the handle keeper, leverage it against the ground, and start jacking up the handle. When the vehicle is high enough to slip your recovery track in place, release the handle and you are now ready to go back to your track. Make sure you read the user's guidelines to prevent accidents and injuries while using this.
Recovery Shovels
There are special types of shovel specifically made and engineered to aid in recovery. There are numerous brands of recovery shovel that are heavy-duty and durable while being portable and light-weight. These recovery shovel helps maintain and prevents the wheels from going deep, helping you avoid getting stuck.
DMOS Recovery Shovel
One popular brand for these recovery shovel is the DMOS Recovery Shovel. It is made of aircraft grade aluminum which is perfect because it is meant to be used in emergency situations such as vehicle recovery or even for off-road and camping use.
It is compact so you don't have to worry if it will fit inside your vehicle because it will. It is also very lightweight tool so it won't put too much weight on your already existing cargo. The handle can extend to 57" and you can use it to shovel snow, dirt, mud, sand or pretty much anything getting in your way.
Let's Wrap It Up
Recovery Gear are as necessary as all other accessories when having an outdoor adventure. They are specifically made to ease up your life when you get stuck on a bad situation. These accessories make you less worry about instances wherein you are not be able to continue moving your vehicle because you are in deep trouble. Be sure to have at least one recovery gear handy when going out for an escapade. Or else, just pray that there are enough resources in the wild to help you get out of the muddy trail.
Be sure to be familiar with your recovery gear, and know the most suitable accessory for you. Also do take note of the space it occupies when not in use. Some recovery gear are bulky, thus have an option to be mounted on your roof racks. While others are handy and portable and just fits at your bed rack.
Let us help you in familiarizing your recovery gear further. Talk to our expert representatives to know more. Reach us out and send an email to: info@offroadtents.com or feel free to call us at: 844-200-3979.
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