Recovery Kits?

Since I'm starting out fresh, I was wondering if I could save a little by getting some basic gear in a kit: d-shackles, tow strap, etc.

So far, I found this at my local offroad store. If this works, I estimate it saves me $70 or better buying it separately.

Is the tow strap too puny or the parts too cheap?

 

I didn't start out with a recovery kit. And if I ever buy one, it won't be cheap.
Gloves, any will do, but if you're going to be working in the, make sure they feel good on your hands. Take the time to go down to Home Depot or Lowes and get a good pair for you.
You can get 3/4" shackles almost anywhere, the same goes for the hitch receiver. A good stretchable tow strap you can find almost anywhere as well. 2.5" x 30' is a good length to go for.

You really won't need the block until you have a winch. And anyone with a winch should already have one.

 

I already have badass gloves, so that wasn't really a big deal.

I took a look online a few minutes ago, and I can probably get the same deal or better buying things separate - the shop's prices were high on a few items, and if there's no reason to have the block... yay!

 

If your going this route, just get the shackle/hitch mount and a tow-strap = $50 to $80. No point in paying the extra for a zippered bag and some stuff you don't need. If you really want to save more cash just take the ball off your hitch and put a D-Shackle in it's place (only $20-40 for recovery).

Plus, if you do get a winch later on you'll probably want to get a decent winching kit with it... and that will come with snatch blocks.

 

Buy the stuff separately. A couple D-shackles and a good tow strap is all you need.

The kit you listed has a Snatch Block in it - which you don't need unless you have a winch. If you do have a winch, I'd do some research and find a snatch block that's suited for the winch capabilities & winch line you're using. Not to forget, if you have a winch - you should also have a tree saver strap.

 

Whoah there! I guess I should give some back story.

I'm planning on doing some roading in a few months with some other guys from the forum. The majority of the trails will be prerunner-friendly, some of us (including me) are pretty much brand new to all this. I'm willing for the more experienced guys to help get my feet wet, but I'm not venturing out of the kiddy pool!

I have some play money, but I'm not looking to make this truck into a beater for another 15+ years. Phrases like potential body damage, rollovers, water damage, burying to the axle... all that makes my manhood shrivel! Maybe I'm overly cowardly, but at this point I'm erring on the side of situations that I can solve without reprocussions.

At this point, I need the very basics - Timmer, your proposal is probably minimum of $300 or better, and I don't know how to use some of that anyway. A good tool in the hand of an idiot is simply an expensive shiny stick.
I was hoping to put something together nearer $100. If this is unrealistic, or I am putting myself in a situation that I shouldn't be in, you can be blunt.


On a side note, maybe I need to watch some videos of a hi-lift in action, but I don't understand how you can use it without buying a big bag of accessories or some serious mods.

 

The hi-lift originated in an era of square tube steel bumpers; about the only place it'll fit on a stock 2nd-gen is the trailer hitch. Nevertheless, with a lift mate ($30?), you can lift straight from the wheel easily and quickly.

My recommendations (based more on reading than experience) would be about in line with timmer; it's a very versatile set for vehicle to vehicle or self-recovery, and gives you a few good options for dealing both with high-center (stuck on a rock) and loss of traction (sand/mud). There's a whole range of trails out there, and definitely being willing to say, "no, that's not for me" is the best piece of 'recovery gear' you can have.

This article on the hi-lift is what sold me on it. 1/2" x 4" carriage bolts slide into your bed rails and also fit the holes on the shaft of the hi-lift, so you can non-destructively and securely mount one for about $5, if you splurge on nuts and washers.

That $300 recovery kit will last you for years and years if you keep it out of the elements. The next step up is pretty much winches and the addition of easy attachment points. Which, given the weight of a 2nd gen, means a 8000lb winch minimum and a new front bumper to mount it on.

There's really no such thing as 'non-serious' off-roading.

 

Personally I carry a whole arsenal of recovery gear and tools but the 3 things I keep quick access to are my 30' strap, gloves, and a shovel. Chances are you'll only need to worry about fixing a flat or getting stuck. You should bring a couple of large flat/thick pieces of wood to put under your stock bottle-jack incase you're forced to change a flat in rough terrain; it's also a good idea to pick up a basic jack-stand for extra insurance once you get the truck jacked up.

I have a trail building background so I bring a rock bar, axe, pick-mattok, saw, shovel, chain, straps, jack-stand, bolt cutters, Hi-lift (with bumper strap, wheel strap, winching kit and tree-saver, large base), emergency tire chains, and a sleeping bag. I also bring an air compessor, tire plug kit, and full tool kit. I've been wheeling for work and play for over 15years and I've been all kinds of stuck (not very often any more) but I've used every piece of my kit at least once and always bring it. Alot of times when I go out we only have 1 vehicle and are remote, so if I get stuck I gotta get myself out and still get where I was going... if you have 2 or more vehicles you'll be fine with a strap and a shovel.

 

Do you have a drawbar?
I mentioned this in another thread.

If you already have a drawbar with a ball in it.... take the ball out and put a D-ring shackle in it. That's your tow point.

Get yourself a good strap ...and that's all you need.

 

Personally, I wouldn't use a hitch pin as a tow point.
But that's me....

 

I really hope I'm not conveying the wrong idea here, and I'm certainly not upset with you. The problem is that this truck is the most expensive thing I have ever purchased, I'm still in the process of paying for it, and I want to keep it as nice as I can for at least the first 10 years.
I've been stuck - cool, that's fine. It's been mostly in relation to a lack of traction. I can deal with that, there's no permanent damage to deal with. That's the type of stuff I'm ready to tackle, thrown in with situations that require a bit of clearance (I'd get a lift if I could afford it). Inclines, loose ground, uneven terrain, let's do it! I've gone on what Brown's Camp labeled a 'double black' muddy hill climb, and never worried because it was a wide path, the entry was unobstructed, and the worst that I feel could happen is that I would simply need to coast back down the hill.
However, I watch videos and pictures here where people are buried with broken parts or in need of a body shop, have very narrow trails with rock walls scraping gouges in the door, and I never want to deal with that. You might think of it as a typical outing or the exciting dare of the trail, but I don't need to go bald any faster.

For example,
I would be willing to do (and have already done) short trails that are near this level... at least the first two pics with my stock truck. I would either stop or seriously analyze anything involving the next few pictures.

I would definitely pass up a trip like this once we got to picture 17. I'll stay back at base camp and keep the guns company

I think nvdeserted and Janster have an idea of what I'm trying to accomplish. My idea is to be properly prepared for the trails that I can handle without buying gear for an expert level user.