Kinetic Rope or Traction Boards?

Hey all! With payday coming up, I’m going to order my very first piece of recovery gear.

I’m trying to decide what is more critical for a beginner. Im choosing between a set of X-Bull traction boards, or a Rhino kinetic rope kit (which also comes with soft shackles).

I’ll say I plan on being solo probably 50-60% of the time simply due to lack of friends with 4x4s (I have one buddy with a Jeep but getting him out of his house is like pulling teeth). So I’m leaning more towards the traction boards- but I’ve also read that the rope may be more useful if you’re REALLY stuck. But I guess that also assumes there’s someone around to help.
I’d also like to be able to help others who may be stuck.

I know obviously both options are kind of a necessity, but budgetary restrictions at the moment require that I choose. So what should be first?

 

I do 70+% of my wheeling solo so I can relate to your needs. I'd say go for the traction boards. With traction boards and a good shovel, you can get out of just about anything. (It will just really suck and take forever lol)

 

Yeah this kind of reinforces my original train of thought. I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that I WILL get stuck at some point and it will suck, so I’m not too worried about it taking forever.
Also the total lack of front recovery points is an issue, and I won’t have the funds for a plate/winch bumper anytime soon. So I’d have to be yanked out from the hitch anyway.

 

A good tire repair kit and an air compressor would probably be the best start before other recover stuff if you haven't gotten those items yet

 

If you’re solo, you most definitely want to prioritize worrying about yourself and not others.

Your money is better spent saving for a winch and all the other things that go with it, like a snatch block, tree saver etc.

As far as traction boards and a shovel…that might be the case up in WA, but in Cali where you live, I’ve done all the badge of honor trails out there up in big bear and so forth, and your not digging your way out of a high center on those rocks. When you’re stuck you’re stuck.

When using traction boards, you’re not THAT stuck you’re just having a hard time on something. There’s a difference.

So, it depends what “off-roading” you’re doing.

 

I actually do have both of those, they are part of the general roadside kit I have left over from other cars. The inflator isn’t GREAT but it works- it’s a Fanttik. Works nicely but takes a good minute to actually air up.

This is good information, thank you. And yeah, I really do want a winch, but the options are… limited for first gen’s. The cheapest winch bumper I found was like $600 and didn’t really have the look I wanted. I’m hoping to save up for an ARB bumper.
I’m actually going to be moving to Colorado in 2026, but yeah for the time being it’s all SoCal trails and probably a decent amount of desert.
You’ve definitely given me some food for thought though, thank you.

 

Also, I’m not doing anything too crazy on the trails. Nothing more than “moderate,” since I’m not lifting it (yet) and I’m running the stock tire size at the moment. The previous owner put brand new tires on it right before I bought it, so justifying bigger tires to the wife just yet is going to be a hard sell.
I also have an air locking rear diff, if that makes a difference.

actually I do have a *slight* lift- I have Icon AALs on the back but those were basically a bandaid for shot leafs because of the camper shell. I got maybe a scant inch of lift out of them. And in front I have 5100s with stock springs, currently on the first notch.

 

That's a good point. 99% of the time I get stuck when solo is in the snow. The rest of the time I'm in a ditch or high centered on a log/rock and yeah traction boards aint doing jack in that situation.

Ditto to the winch remark as well, by far the easiest & most useful piece of recovery gear.

 

What about for sand? I don’t mean dunes or anything like that, I’m fairly aware of what my truck is capable of in its current state- but I foresee a lot of trips to Glamis and Ocotillo. However, desert trips will probably be with friends. The jeep guy and another friend who lives in Ocotillo and drives a fully kitted Ranger prerunner

 

Traction boards are super useful in sand IMO. I used to go out on the sand in the OBX and get plenty stuck (on purpose of course ), and traction boards were helpful to get out.

 

Ok, that’s good to know.
I think a good pair of traction boards is the move for me at the moment. It’s not big enough of a spend to put a dent in my saving up for a bumper/winch, and sounds like it’ll be helpful for most of what I’m trying to do.

 

I’d vote for the traction boards.
I mostly travel solo or at least a solo truck, and am 2wd.
They have saved me in sand and other terrain countless times.
I’m in SoCal too.

edit, I have the cheaper x-bull brand ones off Amazon. They’ve definitely worn down some, but still 80% useful after many years of self-recovery.
Most any brand you go with will be “wearable” to an extent. The higher end brands are better at flexing and retaining shape, so better for rocks and bridging.
The cheap ones I have are stiff, but I don’t use them for that purpose.

 

Thanks for your input. I think that’s what I’m going with, for now at least. Side note, if you ever need someone to do some wheeling with lmk! Dying to get this truck dirty. Just about done replacing bushings and bearings. I took it wheeling once so far in Ramona and it did great even before I started replacing all the 27 year old rubber

 

I’ve got maxtrax and a tow strap

 

Their Facebook group is just pure comedy . It is fun driving out there. I did have to chuckle though. Locals are definitely justified for warning out of state folks. But driving in loose sand was a breeze compared to north east slush / black ice. Beautiful beach.

 

But yeah, between the 2 I'd go with the boards. If you need a winch, typically you knowingly pushed farther than you should have alone.

With that being said, I have trails 15 minutes from my house that we ride all the time, and I've thousands of miles on forest roads / class 6 and equivalent roads. I think I've used my set of boards maybe 3 times with one time being for someone else.

I'd also really consider looking for a group to go out with as much as you can if you're new to this. The biggest benefit is that if it's a good group they'll typically do an equipment and tool check to make sure you have everything you need to fix things safely on the trail. Which is way more important than recovery boards or a winch. Anything beyond a trail like this I wouldn't go on solo without experience.

 

"Cheapest" can cause much trouble. I have a Viair 88p compressor, attaches to battery terminals instead of inside plug because of the amps used. One of the most common tasks off-roading is to air-down to 20, then re-inflate. The 88p works just fine. Also useful on the road under normal driving.

ARB front recovery point is a good purchase, though pricey (https://store.arbusa.com/recovery-point-2823010/). Factor55 trailer hitch block (https://www.factor55.com/p-hitchlink-2-0). Do not trust just anyone who says "I know how to use a snatch strap". People die when those who know nothing about using them try for the first time on you (
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/kingman-az-man-died-in-offroad-recovery.774094/).

 

Boards and a proper inflator. One that won't overheat if you air from 16 to 35 psi x4.

Actually, I don't even carry boards. I carry an inflator, a shovel, and a battery jump pack. And if I'm on a week long road trip, a small tool box. Of those, the tool box repaired the propane grill on my camper last week. Last year I was grateful for having it when replacing leaf springs on the side of the road... same camper.

 

For those new to putting that much air into tires ... "overheat" means it stops ... or the inline fuse in the power line gives up (I carry spare fuses for the power line). When used to air up 16->35 X4, the 88P does get too hot to touch the metal, but it still runs.

 

Do the ARB recovery points even fit a first gen? The list of compatible models doesn’t list 1997 as an option.
I actually spend a long time researching this last night. What exactly is it about the factory tow points that aren’t good for recovery? Is it just that the actual “hooks” themselves are too weak? I saw someone mention that using the drivers side hook will twist the frame.
The 4crawler ones are sadly no longer for sale and the ARB one doesn’t seem to fit. I’d be willing to drop the cash for the ARB but it doesn’t look like it’ll even fit based on their specifications