I'm a little new to 4x4 vehicle recovery and I'm putting together a specific bag for when I go wheeling. For those of you that have a legit off road vehicle, what do you keep in your recovery bag and how do you organize it?

My truck has front and rear winch bumpers with a 12k lb winch in the front and another one on the way for the rear. I also keep 20L specter 20L gas cans and a High Lift with a dual hook wheel lift attachment.

So far I've got chains, hooks, a snatch block, tree saver, tow strap, tire repair kit, tire gauge, multi bit screw driver, magic siphon hose and 10mm-21mm impact socket set.


I do also have a vehicle emergency bag with standard survival gear for me to grab and go so I'm just looking to make an offroad recovery bag.

I run a tow strap and a snatch strap (Bubba Rope) and a Warn winch instead of chains. Only thing I can think of for your kit other than what you've gathered is:
pioneering tools, first aid kit, and spare consumables (ie u joints, fluids, and axle shafts) and an air compressor.

Here is what I keep in mine. plus a 100' chain, but looks like you have it about covered.

No pics of truck?

I was just looking at ordering a Bubba Rope.  I was also looking into an air compressor.  Any suggestions for a budget compressor?

I do keep fluids like ATF, oil, coolant, and PS fluid.  I also for to mention jumper cables and large industrial zip ties.  What repair parts should I keep?  Also the 1st aid bag is in the emergency B/O bag.  I want this bag to be one I can drag out into the mud to get myself going again so I'm keeping them separate.

Here's the truck as it sits now.  Still need to add another 5" lift, even bigger tires, front and rear fogs and some light bars.



Ass shot.  The winch goes under the plate.  

I like the VIAR compressors.... I have a 450P mounted on the fender under the hood of my TJ. Eventually I wanna wire in a VIAR continuous duty and add a air tank underneath for air tools and faster tire fills.

How about hi lift accessories? Any must haves?

Get the wide, flat base plate is something great to have when using one. It supports it so much better than the foot that is on it. I try and avoid using a hi lift at all causes but will it I have to. Something else goo to have is a tall bottle jack. You can normally do almost everything needed with it.

Id ditch the chain personally and run straps. Running your dual winch setup and a ton of lights may be beneficial to also look into running a dual battery setup as well. It sucks having to keep your RPMs over 2k while doing multiple pulls or long pulls.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_17/671594__ARCHIVED_THREAD____my_wife_did_most_of_the_documentation_of_this_event_from_inside_her_car____.html&page=4#i11488111

ar-jedi

Definitely pioneer tools, at least a good shovel and axe. I've had to cut down trees plenty of times, either because after sliding off the trail there was no way to get back on the trail without removing them or for use as shoring and levers.

I'd add gloves, tools, traction boards, onboard air, a really good towel, large base for hilift jack, tire kit

I like the bumper strap for the farm jack over the tire straps.  Personal preference really, as I still lower the rig onto something so the weight is not on the jack.  I agree as well on the bottle jack much safer for most of my lifting needs.

That's most of at I used to run,  

Snatch block
Tree saver
Strap
Rings
Always packed a high lift but rarely found a use for it. In fact the only time I found a use was when I screwed up a coilover and the spring got caught up and needed all the pressure taken off it in order to straighten it out (limit strap was trashed and overextended the CO).

I use black jack tire kits quite a bit.

Don't over complicate it.  I have been in some pretty hairy positions and never found much use for a come along or anything else.

Any ideas where to store the axe and shovel?  The hi lift is bolted to the roof rack, is there a similar method of attaching the other tools?  The truck has 3 rows so the trunk area is pretty limited.

I'd lay the 3rd row of seats down and then the durangos have a handy storage space in the back. Always thought it would have been perfect for a pick and pluck rifle storage. I had a leftover piece of industrial carpet in the back of mine so you could t see the lever unless you knew it was there. I kept straps hitches jumper cables ice scrapers lug wrench and lot of other stuff back there.

I usually can't lay the seats down. because the family goes mudding with me a lot.  I also keep all my shooting and target stuff in the back.  I'm building some locking drawers soon that might help with the small space.

Do you have any pictures of the setup you're talking about?

Strap them to the brush guard.

You can get locking  bolt on similar to your hilift attachment at any 4wd shop..get locking ones or they walk...

example

I keep mine in the space in the rear door of the hummer....you don't need a full size shovel..just a small entrenching tool works fine.

I used to only carry an Etool till i dug for 3hours in the snow with it. now days i keep a full size shovel strapped to my roof rack.

You are carrying pretty much exactly what it do.  As has been mentioned already, you might want to carry a collapsible shovel.  Do you have an air compressor or on board air?  I carry a decent Goodyear branded little pump that can air up tires fairly rapidly.  You might want to consider a length of chain, cable, or tow line to extend the reach of your winch cable if needed.  I also carry a couple of mil-spec 5000 pound tie down straps, they are useful for all kinds of stuff, holding your vehicle together or pulling parts into alignment if needed, even light duty towing in a pinch.

That reminds me.  Does anyone know the load rating for the standard Army static lines?  I've been keeping a couple in my truck but I have no idea what they're rated at.  I did pull a small car once in an emergency.

As for an air compressor, no I don't have one on the truck now but I plan on installing something soon.  I'm still researching what's out there.

Bike store hand pump.

Unless you are going to have a volume bottle, just get a bike pedestal pump. The kind you stand on with your feet and pump up and down with your hands.

Small air compressors work fine, but they don't have the cfm do do anything.

If you are hard set on just buying something.  Then get a refillable co2 bottle and a hand pump.  The  bottle let's you actually have cfm.  The hand pump is a backup.

for a budget air pump look for a mv40 sold under several names (knock off of a viar)

for one to drool over look for oasis air xd4000

I use the wide base ones but always have a larger plank type board to put u deer it to give even more surface area.  

I like the braided Kinetic Recovery Ropes, if you know how to use them they can be great.  I always buy name brand shackles like Crosby or Gunnebo etc.  A lot of people run no name ones but for a little bit more I prefer a well known name with actual ratings.

I usually have a flat shovel with a long handle.  Short shovels are a pain.  A decent bow saw and hack saw can be invaluable at times.  Chainsaws at others.  Make sure you have good recovery points on all four corners of possible.  Some people try to rely on the smaller loops that are tie downs which may work a couple times but pale in comparison to real recovery points.

Depending what winch you have you may want a spare relay/contactor/Albright whatever it uses.

Bring oil for the highlight then.  Storing them outside in the elements perpetually sucks, particularly since people use or inspect them Infrequently.  I can't tell you how many times I've had someone pull one off the outside of their rig only to find it no longer works, or if it does work something goes sideways because of the condition.  Google "John Cranfield High Lift Jack" ...  John was no inexperienced 4wheeler and he is reminiscent dead every day what sometimes happens with high lifts

if you are not in a land yaght a 20,000lb 2" nylon recovery strap and maybe a 3/4" shackle have gotten me out of almost any jam I've ever been in. A 12V aircompressor and tire repair kit, oil,coolant, ATV and belts and hoses if you are really going to be in the middle of nowhere.



ETA dont wheel alone and you dont need a winch. just an extra 100lbs you have to haul up the hills.

Looks like this is mostly covered.

What I have in my bags:

Chain
Hi-lift winch kit (uses chain to winch)
Tree-saver
2x snatch blocks
Strap
Shovel (full-sized, it fits in the front tube of a Jeep frame and is bolted to the bumper, so no help for you OP)
Bumper and tire lifts for the hi-lift (note: I have never used these)
Spare hub for the off-road trailer
Pretty complete tool kit
Control for the winch
Super-siphon
297X U-joint
Jump Starter/air compressor combo

I've also got a small high-volume compressor, but it doesn't stay in the Jeep all the time like the above stuff does.

I carry a small kit I made similar to the pre-made one shown above. Tree saver, axle strap, snatch block, gloves and winch remote all go in the canvas tool bag which stows nicely beside the passenger seat frame and it strapped in place. When it is time to do work, I just grab the bag have what I need at hand. I also have a high light and a shovel on the spare tire carrier.   As others have said, having a compressor is great. I run ARB's so I have one. Nice to be able to air down on the trail and then back up for the drive home. I usually air up enough to drive safely until first service stations and top off, because my compressor is small.

Thanks for the tip, I actually worry about that.  I do use it fairly often since the truck is taller than my bottle jack, sometimes the Hilift is easier to use.  I keep it pretty coated in white lithium spray grease.  Do you think that's good enough?  Are those neoprene covers any good?  Has anyone ever needed to use their repair kit that they sell?

I'm thinking of using my old Army duffle bag for the shovels and axes.  It's not super water proof but it's about the right size.

As for recovery points, there are 2 on each bumper.  I ordered 4 7/8" 16000lb shackles from rigid but they sent me 4 3/4" 9500lb shackles instead.  They are a bit loose in the holes.  I have a 12000lb winch and the bumper is supposedly rated at 2 or 3 times that, I can't remember the spec.  The truck is around 5000lbs.  Will the slightly loose 9500lb shackles be good or should I ship them back for the 7/8"ers?  I'm worried mainly about snatching, which I've used a lot and mangle some under rated shackles before.


ASUsax,

Why do you have 2 snatch blocks?

How do you store the tool kit?

I'm not sure how your shackles are rated,  they should be marked with a SWL, (safe working load) etc.  I think you'll be ok.  This can turn into a lengthy topic in and of itself...  Safe Working Loads, Working Load Limits, etc.  If you've bought a reputable brand from a reputable company you should be fine.  The safety factor is pretty considerable with the good ones (because they are rated for rigging overhead loads).

If it were me I'd only mount the high lift when I thought I might use it.  Of course that sort of conflicts with the mantra of being always prepared.  If you keep it well would and check it periodically you should be ok.  Just don't be one of those guys who mounts it and leaves it for 6 months at a time without checking it.  It also would be worth keeping a rebuild kit for it in the glove box.

Don't under estimate the bottle Jack. A good one can be really handy.

Not sure what kind of jacking points your truck or the bumpers have?  Also if your suspension has a lot of flex sometimes you have a hard time jacking the car high enough to change a flat.  You might need some blocks so you can use a Jack under the axle.  Practice at home, you feel silly if you get a flat on the trail and can't get a spare on... ;)

Make sure your winches are wired and grounded well.  If you go wheeling in winter this can be even more important IMHO.  On one wheeling trip we had problems with a Superwinch ES9000 and I'm pretty sure it was due to cold weather and inadequate wiring.  

More snatch blocks are handy IMHO.  You can rig up so you can winch backwards with only a front winch, also remember your winch only pulls full strength on the first layer.  It's not always just the mechanical advantage of the snatch blocks but the fact that you've payed out more cable and thus gotten to the inner layer that helps too.

Practice with all this stuff in good weather and favorable conditions.  You don't want to be figuring it out for the first time, or finding out something doesn't work, or fit or whatever when you are thigh deep in mud, or up to your navel in icy water. :)

There are some situations where you can use more than one on a pull.



...And Amazon had a pair of them with damaged packaging in their warehouse deals section...



All my tools are behind the back seat of the Jeep; recovery and otherwise.

My toolbox back there looks like this (I'm not sure it's this exact model, it's been a while)



As I've had to buy special tools, I make sure that they fit in there somehow. There's a lot of shit that would be slow with that kit; but I can do it.

I have this in the 4x.  Buy a strap rated for the pulling strength, which is much higher than your vehicle weight.  Don't rely on some cheap Harbor Freight tow strap.  

 

This strap is not only for pulling out others, it is for when you get in a jam too.

Someone may have already mentioned it but make sure you secure all this stuff, if you get in an accident a toolbox full of 50# of tools can be a nasty projectile.  A lot of people overlook that.

And DO NOT buy one with hooks attached. They are projectiles.

Buy one with loops at both ends and use D-rings or hooks that are firmly attached to the vehicle.

Just a safety note:  anytime you use chains or nylon slings connected by shackles or other metal fasteners, ALWAYS lay a jacket, blanket or other object(s) over the lines.  If they break the weight of the object will make the line lay on the ground.  Otherwise they will come sailing through the front or rear windshield of one of the vehicles.  I witnessed a 25' chain go through the rear windshield of an older F150, on through the front windshield and destroyed the hood and front grill of the truck.  Afterwards, his guys uncle showed us this old trick, we laid a blanket over the same chain and the cable it was attached to broke again and they chain simply lain down on the ground.  We ended up with three trucks and a small ford tractor stuck that day.  

Sounds like you have everything or everyone else has told you what you are missing.  The only thing I'd recommend outside of everyone else's list (unless I missed it) is a Hammer, small 4-5lb sledge hammer, I've found myself more times then I'd like to admit using a wrench or the jack handle to hit with.  

Good call.  I meant to put one in but forgot.

At what point do you start to worry about overall weight of the rig causing reliability issues? 37s on a Durango with big bumpers, two winches, and a bunch of tools sounds really heavy.



Not trying to be a buzz kill, but big tires and lots of weight with presumably V8 power makes me worry about breaking the sort of parts that can't be fixed on a trail.  Specifically ball joints, tie rod ends, cv axles, auto trans failure (which that era of Dodge is prone to), or rear axle shaft failure on a semi-floating 9.25 axle.



The truck will be more capable with less weight, and less prone to breakage.



My trail kit is bare essential tools for what is needed on the truck (not a full set, just the common fastners on the truck), patch kit, 12v compressor, lots of potable water, one winch and kit, hi lift and kit, serp belt, tensioner, fuel filter (diesel), and two spare tires.  If the rig has a common failure point (distributor module on old fords, CPS on 7.3 diesels, etc) make sure that part and the tools to replace it are on board.

Those types of things are very dependant on the vehicle in question. I carry a spare U-joint, and a Hub for my trailer. I've got other parts that I have brought in the past; but generally they stay in my Garage.

But I've known people who, for instance, wheel a Wrangler with a Dana 35 rear axle, and carry extra axle shafts. They know it's a weakness in their particular vehicle, and they compensate. (Other Jeeps - like mine - have Dana 44's, and this tends to be not a problem)

When you're dealing with things that can't be easily fixed on the trail (like your tranny)... well, people tend not to deal with that. But fairly easy trail fixes; some people do carry that stuff if it's not easily improved. I live in Jeep world, myself... there are upgrades for EVERYTHING. You can't make shit bulletproof... but you can address most of the weaknesses in your particular configuration. (Though in a Wrangler, for instance... stay 35's or smaller in a D44 Jeep, or 33's in an unlocked D35, and the major components are generally up for it.)

For more just recovery gear I carry
full size spare tire
Highligh jack
Tow strap 20' rated over 20,000lbs
Tree saver strap
Arb air compressor for tires and air locker control
Air chuck and hose
Rachet strap to tie stuff down and reseat tire beads
Tire plug kit
Oil filter and oil
Zip ties
U joints
Jumper cables
I have a smittybuilt winch but it stopped working so buy a warn lol

As for tools I carry enough to remove and replace every fastener on my jeep and then Some. Internal and external Torx bits, Allen sockets, wrenches in metric and standard, pry bar, 48oz ball peen hammer, brass hammer, 1/4 and 3/8 standard and metric deep and shallow sockets with good Matco locking flex head ratchets. Carry a few impact sockets for tires and axle nut sockets. Cordless snap on 1/2" impact, cordless drill spare batteries. Inverter to run battery charges or small electric tools. Test light, wire crimp connectors and electrical wiring tools, obd2code reader. Butane soldering iron, numerous pairs of pliers of different types. I'm sure there is more but I've used it all at one time or another.

^^^^Good advice^^^^

The blanket or jacket will also act as a wind break in the event of a failure, slowing the danger down considerably.

Some ready made recovery kit bags will velcro around a cable to do the same trick, it works.

Obviously, if you have chain and need it, it will be used. Use it wisely, don't hammer down and take up slack, something may break. Google "offroad recovery injuries" and notice the use of chains and steel cables, also the lack of common sense, but we cannot control others, only limit the collateral damage.

I use synthetic on my winch mostly because it is easy to deploy, my wife can carry it without gloves, were steel line needs gloves to avoid the painful broken strands poking your hands. Synthetic is so light, it floats, maybe of some use in wet locations. Synthetic does not store the energy that steel has when it breaks, much safer. It has it's cons too but safety is not one of them.

Two blocks can come in handy for more than increasing pulling power too, they can be used to redirect pulling direction if a recovery vehicle cannot get a straight line pull. Tie off to a tree or rock with a tree strap or another tow strap with the block tied to the end if needed.


Stuck on the TC skid, all four wheels spinning, just a little help needed:


An hour later being more careful LOL:

Whats the recommendation for a good receiver mounted d ring shackle? It seems like the options are shitty Chinese stuff (Smittybuilt, no name stuff) or Warn. Thats about it. Is the Smittybuilt decent enough? Everyone seems to like to talk about d rings, and there seems to be a lot of good options for those but I dont see much about how you mount that to your rig?

I'd like to have a quality receiver mount, is Warn the only game in town? I did find a Factor55 aluminum mount which looks pretty slick but it also has a bit of a price tag for that flash......

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_17/671594__ARCHIVED_THREAD____my_wife_did_most_of_the_documentation_of_this_event_from_inside_her_car____.html&page=3#i11484568

http://www.billet4x4.com/pro-shackle-bracket.htm
http://www.billet4x4.com/pro-shackle-bracket-machined.htm
http://www.billet4x4.com/pro-shackle-bracket-cast.htm

ar-jedi

Aaaand that cost me a few hundred.

USCargoControl also has a pretty good selection of things that hold things.

Do you mean this: Air comp?

I have the MV50 and have used it extensively to air back up after crawling. It works great, but it's slow. A large CO2 tank is faster. A lot of guys have been using Instant Air Supply with good results. Plus you can put your beer in the coiled CO2 line when airing up your tires to get it icey cold!

Mine said mv40 but is the same one

only mine is almost a decade old now summer 2006



 

This one has worked really good for me:

https://www.extremeoutback.com/product/14/ExtremeAire+Magnum+12+Volt+Compressor++Part%23+007-222.html