Recovery Gear You Actually Need for Overlanding
I learned everything in this article the hard way. You will get stuck eventually. Maybe not today, maybe not on easy trails, but at some point you’ll find yourself buried to the axles in sand or mud wondering how you’re getting out of this mess. The difference between “annoying delay” and “call for rescue” comes down to what you packed.
The Absolute Basics
Recovery strap: Not a tow strap – a kinetic recovery strap that actually stretches. That elastic energy helps yank stuck vehicles out with momentum rather than brute force. Get at least a 3″ x 30′ strap rated to 2-3x your vehicle weight. Cheap insurance.
Recovery points: Factory tow hooks are designed for loading onto flatbeds, not for recovery pulls that put serious force on them. Real recovery points bolt directly to the frame. You need them front and rear – getting pulled out only works if there’s somewhere solid to attach.
Shackles: Connect your strap to recovery points. Soft shackles are lighter than metal ones and won’t become dangerous projectiles if something breaks under tension. That matters more than you’d think.
Self-Recovery Tools
Traction boards: Maxtrax or similar products. Shove them under your tires, drive out. Works in sand, mud, snow – basically any situation where your tires are spinning uselessly. Worth every inch of storage space they consume.
Hi-lift jack: Lifts way higher than any bottle jack ever could. Can also function as a manual winch in emergencies. Learn how to use it safely though – these things are genuinely dangerous if you don’t respect them.
Shovel: Sometimes you just need to dig yourself out. Folding shovels are compact but a full-size shovel is better if you have the room. Digging in sand or mud is already hard enough without a tiny shovel making it worse.
Next Level Equipment
Winch: For serious overlanding, especially solo travel where there’s nobody to yank you out. Synthetic rope is safer than steel cable if something fails. Get at least 10,000+ lb rated for most midsize rigs – you want capacity to spare when you’re actually stuck.
The goal is never needing any of this stuff. But when you actually need it, nothing else will do.
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