Essential Recovery Gear

Not sure. I was all about Crosby because that’s what is used in rigging in the oil industry but the guy who owns the supply store we go to says that a Crosby will snap before these will bend every time. I only went on his word being that he sells them for a living

 

That's crazy. Maybe it's materials and process? I'd think as long as you stay within the WLL you'd be ok, but knowing you have a much higher margin of safety would be good too, especially overhead stuff.

 

Here's an updated version of a very old idea. We used to make they out of old rims. A bit of welding and some fasteners. Add good rope and away you went. I know a few who once kept them on the rear rims all the time. It made a lot of folks stare and scratch their heads until they were told what they were for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AGvdHqaa3s

 

As a first piece, Don’t overlook the jack that comes with the truck. It’s worthless without a solid base so find a 10” to 16” length of 2x6 or 2x8 lumber to put under the jack. Take a shovel to clear a level base for the lumber to sit under the jack.

 

Sleeping bag and water for when your recovery gear doesn’t work.

 

Talked to the boys in the machine shop where I work - decided you must need different stuff in Arizona (versus Wyoming where we moved from). The common items that everyone had:

• gloves (leather preferred)
• flashlight or lantern

Short list! Tire changing stuff.

After that, huge differences...... I spent so many years traveling western backroads (Wyoming, Montana, Colorado.....) - my wife contends that I drive a truck so that I can carry all of the "necessary stuff"....... And have a job so I can buy the stuff.

Now that I mostly travel in a populated, paved road world, the most used "rescue" items have been the jumper cables and on-board air. Apparently making sure your spare has air is optional.

 

To echo what everyone else is saying, this is what I got to start with: a small compressor (

$91 viair 88p portable compressor kit (12V, 120 psi, forup to 33" tires)

viair 88p), shovel, snatch strap, tow hitch recovery point, and looking to get some traction boards next. I think that is a pretty good basic setup since I don’t venture too far off road or into any really difficult trails.

 

This is what I keep in or on the truck always-
-on board air*
-backup air compressor*
-tire plugs
-gloves*
-8ft strap, 20ft strap*
-two or three shackles*
-snatch block*
-two CVs
-small shovel*
-two bottle jacks (less lift/danger to change a tire than high lift)*
-two recovery boards*
-full size spare*
-full mechanic tool set from harbor freight*
-35mm socket, breaker bar, pry bar, random other Tacoma specific tools
-random assortment of nuts, zip ties, bolts, screws etc*
-lug nuts
-trailer hitch shackle thing
-OBD adapter for phone
-auto electrical wire, tape
-hatchet*
-1000w inverter
-beach towel*
-toilet paper*
-lighter, flint, ammo for each caliber weapon I own*
-glucose tabs, other shiz for type 1 diabetes*

I may have left something out. I’ll throw a chainsaw, fluids, come along, power tools or jerry can of water in the bed depending on the trip. I’ll put an asterisk by what I’ve used “in the wild” thus far, but I don’t plan on taking the others out. I used to wheel or venture out on some family land solo or with my wife a lot, starting to go with groups these days. It’s much less stressful to try new stuff in a group haha

 

Why two bottle jacks? And do you use two of the stock ones that come with the truck? Next thing I was thinking of getting is a better jack, but hi lift seems overkill since my truck is stock height

 

Also, do you have any kind of base for the bottle jacks in case you are on uneven terrain? That’s something else I’ve been thinking about getting

 

I keep a tall one and a short one. Whatever fits under the axle best. Can stack them if need be. They need a solid base though. In my teenage years I was desperate in the mud and yanked a flimsy metal national forest sign off the tree to smooth over some rocks. Surprisingly it worked. Now I keep recovery boards and a scrap section of PT 2x6” haha

 

haha nice. So you use the recovery boards as a base? Maybe another reason to get some!

 

That and I keep a scrap piece of PT 2x6”. I’d trust the wood first if I had to go under the truck (which I would avoid unless absolutely necessary)

 

Yea I wouldn’t want to either without jacks stands. Thanks for the detailed list, quite a few things on there that I think I should be carrying!

 

It’s a collection over time. Probably overkill, might be missing something I’ll need. Never know and not the end of the world, but our timber land is kinda remote so I like to be prepared. Some of this gets used on our land at the house, too- tractor and what not. I will say that it’s nice keeping all the Tacoma specific tool purchases in the truck so they don’t get lost...

 

Too bad folks have bought into the Hi Lift is dangerous BS. It’s likely one of the most versatile pieces of gear you can carry. All it took was one idiot magazine writer to say they were unsafe for the BS to start spreading like cancer.

I remember when this stuff started in earnest back in the 70’s. Until then folks knew enough to respect the tool and use it safely.

 

They are definitely dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Better to err on the side of caution than accidentally kill yourself out in the bush.

 

I haven’t used a farm jack before. I can see their versatility, but also their danger if used incorrectly for lifting the vehicle. The same could be said for anything recovery related.

Bottle jacks seemed better to me since they offer high capacity in a small size and less lift would be required to get the tire off the ground since you’re jacking from the axle and not the frame/bumper/etc. I’ve got a decent amount of droop and I could see a hi lift getting sketchy much quicker than a bottle jack. A hi lift could be used to pull sideways to stabilize during a recovery. I have a come along for that reason, but haven’t been that deep in doo doo yet. I like how quick the farm jacks lift though compared to a bottle jack haha.

 

Some seem to think "bottle jack" and the common automotive screw jacks are the same item? Every bottle jack my family has owned has bled oil - a little or a lot. A storage problem.

 

Some seem to think "bottle jack" and the common automotive screw jacks are the same item? Every bottle jack my family has owned has bled oil - a little or a lot. A storage problem.