Overlanding Essentials: Recovery Gear

[@locomotivebreth1910]

I drive a silverado 4x4 with auto locking rear dif and manual trans, and for better hwy mileage all weather radials (low traction). I am an occasional solo backroads traveler so I have not invested in the electric winch and bumper setup. Here is what I carry: tire chains; a Wyenth Scott hand winch with 60 feet of blue line; tree strap; 2 tow straps; 1 snatch block; 2 shackles; 2 traction boards; a DIY ground anchor system; army surplus shovel; so far I have never needed them.

[@dalekarraker6851]

Excellent vid as usual. Might be worth doing a "how to" for winching sometime. Would be helpful for a lot of folks!

[@Oilbleak5453]

Along with recovery gear, you need at least one rated recovery point on your rig to recover off of. The best recovery gear in the world doesn't do much good if you can't use it without ripping pieces off your rig. Also, recovery gear is kinda like a first aid kit - it'll do a helluva lot more for you if you know how to use it. If you're new and don't wheel with experienced drivers that get stuck alot, take a hands-on recovery class so you can be familiar with the gear before you really need to use it.

[@willbill573]

I would add rated recovery point frount and back of your rig.

[@jamesmcgarry8660]

Glad to see Openroad supporting your channel. Because of you, I now own one as well and love it.

[@Michaelleger77]

This video was right on time. After this last snow and Ice storm we had in NWA Ozarks, I decided to get serious about proper recovery gear. I was having to use a HD chain and questionable "rig'n" to get my poor poser 2wd truck unstuck on these crazy Madison county dirt roads! I just ordered a kit from ARB and will be adding some of the items you recommended in your video. Your advice was especially well received and much needed as most of the finer points of offloading are new to this flatlander! Thanks for taking the time to break down what I am sure y'all veteran off-roaders consider the fundamentals!

[@mattlewandowski73]

I may have missed it, but one of the most important pieces of recovery gear to have is a good jack. I am not advocating a highlift. They are useful in MANY situations, but they are DANGEROUS even when used properly. Likewise, the factory jack in most vehicles is barely sufficient and entirely inadequate on a trail, but you need SOMETHING that can get a tire off the ground in the environment you travel in. IDEALLY if you wheel with friends, between 2-3 of you, you will have 2-3 different types of jack good for different situations. A good bottle jack... maybe a decent scissor jack (many have good ground clearance while still staying reasonably stable), even a highlift IF YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE RISKS and proper operation.

[@InGratitudeIam]

You raise some great points. Some people I know won't go out with people that don't have a winch, because on tight trails, that can be a real problem. In any outdoor activity, it's always better to have a "buddy" for help in getting out of difficult situations or dealing with injuries and unexpected health issues. A winch really is important along with solid recovery points, not just those flimsy tie-down points used by tow trucks. Remember, the difference between 2WD and 4WD is about 20 feet before getting stuck.

[@felishagathright4013]

I have one, but have only used my winch to help someone else in slick mud. I try to stay out of those situations, but it's there if I need it.

[@Troy85207]

Love the video! Been waiting for you to make this video for a while. It will help me get prepared for the March trip to the Ozarks.

[@Eveloffroad]

Keeping a soft shackle in the vehicle within each of the drivers area is also a good practice.

[@claymoreadventure6366]

Adding recovery gear is an absolute must to ensure you have the tools to get out safely. However, just having the gear and knowing how to use the gear are two completely different things. Even when running the ropes and soft kits you still need to have some level of understanding of how to set things up safely. Make it a priority to learn how to use your gear. I rarely make a suggestion on another channel but I will make an exception this time. In addition to Matt and Cara's always amazing content, check out Matt's Offroad Recovery channel (Not to be confused with Matt from OOA) almost every video that he makes is winching people out with the same kind of gear that many of us have.

[@mattlewandowski73]

Solid winch mount up front, and RATED recovery points front and rear. to be fair to that warn... ANY winch will fail at some point (typically when you are needing it the most) Synthetic is a superior choice for rock crawling as well... You just need some chafe guards. Someone who loses a synthetic line to abrasion is inadequately equipped for self recovery. Unfortunately there is no place (except maybe on the roof) that is not going to get blocked at some point while wheelin. I have seen trails where the path was cut through leaving 3-5 feet of wall on the side of the trail preventing access to sides (even requiring people to get out of their vehicle via windows) There are two types of rope/strap that are used in recovery under various names. Dynamic: snatch straps/recovery strap, kinetic ropes/recovery rope, etc. (stretches significantly while in use, but mostly springs back when the load is removed) Static: Tow strap, tree saver, winch extension lines, etc. (barely stretches while in use, and does not spring back very well) Never really owning "lifted" trucks, (well never more than 2 inches of lift to allow for 32-33" tires) and learning to wheel in alabama and tennessee, I have always carried a camp shovel (D handle but not much larger of a head than that folder of yours) I have used it a couple times to dig out under my diff to let my tires hit ground again... so a shovel is ALWAYS handy... not to mention it is always handy for digging a good latrine. :) Those plastic recovery boards that have become so popular are just an unnecessary commercial replacement for good old fashioned redneck engineering. Wooden boards have been getting 4bys unstuck around the world for over 40 years. For about 25 years I carried some home brewed traction boards in various incarnations. They got me (and others) unstuck more than a few times. I usually make them out of plywood, and while I used to use skateboard grip tape (stair tread safety tape, or even course grit sand paper), after maxtrax caught on with some Australian channels I was following close to a decade ago, I added bolts to create a knobbier pattern to a set I had at the time. As the Aussies say. They work a treat. Can I justify spending $200-500 on a PAIR??? Nope. Mine probably cost about $50 each to make the first time due to all the nuts bolts, and washers, but once the initial metal is purchased, it is just a matter of occasionally replacing some wood. I have never seen someone with max tracks or any of the imitations that had not melted off a good many of the traction knobs on the board. Honestly though a better choice is a set of bridging ladder tracks. The max tracks themselves where a commercial replacement for military surplus runway modules that had been in use as sand tracks for decades prior. The old metal tracks were made to make a more stable surface for dirt runways for various militaries around WW2 and would be laid atop leveled hard packed dirt to make a runway. They were later used in Australia and Africa as sand tracks by what would become the origins of overlanders. The supply started running scarce and the "new manufactured" versions where obscenely priced. Somewhere along the way those same overlanders came up with the idea of using angle iron welded between a couple rails of C channel to make "sand tracks" that would allow you to drive across a rut, ditch, or ledge that otherwise would threaten to swallow your 4by whole. Eventually cheaper injection molded plastics overtook the market for either of the other options, especially since we were packing heavier and heavier loads into vehicles that were meant for lighter loads. I mean realistically a jeep or toyota is only meant for 600-800 pounds of cargo plus passengers while the Landies they used to use where designed for up to 2500... we HAD to lighten our gear unless we were going to load up dodge diesels for a weekend camping trip.

[@itsmeb3233]

I have the same shovel in my wrangler... it's a cool piece of kit, that doesn't take a bunch of space or need to be mounted outside. And I keep my traction boards on the back of mine, then I don't get slop inside

[@spencermorrow2899]

I’ve never seen a factory hook from any winch fail people over the last 30+ years have been using them and they have not failed ( at least) for the ones that have decades of winching knowledge/skills

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I’ve never seen a Jeep roll over on a trail but I hear it happens. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rsisente]

Great video, as always. An item that I would add, is a jack. Not necessarily a high lift, as those can be dangerous, if used improperly, but an xJack, or an off-road jack. The standard jack that comes with vehicles, is not going to work if you have lifted and/or put bigger tires on.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I have a 3.5" lift and 38s and can lift mine up with the factory jack just fine. It's all about where you lift from.

[@rsisente]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventures the stock 4runner bottle jack is horrible. :-(

[@Mlpojnnb1234]

Great video !! I live in Colorado and I have 2 30 foot webbing tow straps I carry for winching off boulders above tree line. I needed them one time when I got stuck in 3 feet of snow.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I have used them for that as well.

[@appalachhaun_adventures]

Thanks Matt! I have pretty all of that minus the winch. I have the Mopar steel bumper so I need to grab a winch plate and winch soon!!

[@unikaoutdoor]

Iam first again Matt, take me on adventure with you. My Jeep is ready. With love from Colorado!!😇. Good info on recovery gear.

[@ahmednesbitte4906]

Hi Matt, i very much liked this video. Very helpful. Thank you for all you do! 😊

[@4stevenies]

Another great gear vid Matt, thanks

[@SgtGrave]

Have to say, with the open road winch, mine internally exploded after the first use. Not a brand I'd ever recommend myself. Company also ignores warranty claims.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I hate to hear that. I have sent a screen shot of your comment to my contact there. That's not ok.

[@ryanskeete]

Hey Matt. Great content as always. One thing though lets get away from calling Screw Pin Bow Shackles “D-Rings”. Bow shackles would also suffice. I would also like to point out when choosing recovery gear, one should look for equipment with weight ratings on their labels. Kudos to you for making your own soft shackles but there is no way of knowing how much weight it’s rated for and could potentially be dangerous trying to pull someone else out. Cheers

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

But D Ring is much faster to say. LOL!!

[@robertholler7262]

We always called them Clevis shackles in the oil fields.

[@stantalley8024]

Can you make a video how to use your recovery gear telling us how to use it is good but somebody new in the game it would be helpful I know there's other videos but I would like to see you do one 👍

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I appreciate that but I don't consider myself a recovery expert. I know the basics but have never had to do any type of advanced recovery. I would recommend taking a legit recovery class at an expo or off road park.

[@hankflowers1947]

A bit off topic, but what was the fix to keep water intrusion from the submerged gas cap? Seems like there needs to be a way to protect that area...

[@erichmeyer8213]

With all the videos and noise out there about "Overlanding" yours are always really good. The several videos you did a couple years ago about Colorado trails I think are some of the best.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Wow, thanks!

[@JarradShaw]

Matt, what’s the name of the snatch block ring you bought so I can get that instead of a traditional heavy snatch block? Checked your details and did not see a link to it.

[@roycenelson6370]

I have a question have you ever gone over the snorkel on your gladiator

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Not yet but very close.

[@auduffer]

Matt, why not run a molle panel on one of the back wrangler windows then throw in that apache box?

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Because of how far they stick out on the sides.

[@SeanNovoa]

The most important piece of recovery gear is the one you don’t have. Great tips Matt on being prepared for recovery situations. Love the content as always. 🤙🏽

[@jarrodsullivan6972]

Hey Matt, do you ever carry a chainsaw for downed trees to big to winch out of the way?

[@gtpjon]

Another great vid!!

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Appreciate that

[@gtpjon]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventures I bought my first Jeep in August, a used 21' Rubi 4XE & love it. Your vids are the best adventures I am looking forward to : )

[@IndependenceOverland]

Us Toyota guys use a winch just to get up stuff a Gladiator walks up 😂

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Glad you said that and not me. 😂

[@donkeyracer6551]

Matt how are you securing your gear from being stolen when away from vehicle? Do you keep everything attached when at home? Thanks.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Our Jeeps stay in the garage at home. You can’t get the fridge out with the tailgate shut and if someone wants to steel some recovery gear and Rotopax then those can easily be replaced. I don’t worry about it.

[@donkeyracer6551]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventures thanks!

[@kenotic]

What organizer are you using in the apache case for the recovery gear? Mine is just shoved in there.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

It's one I found on amazon for a Pelican case.

[@gobiexploring]

Hey man, new to the TN/KY area. Do y’all have a discord for local events or good spots to go check out?

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

I'm not in TN/KY so I don't know.

[@gobiexploring]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Thanks man, I appreciate the response.

[@vegvisiroverland]

Check Coddiewomple Overland. I believe he's in that area

[@bootmender]

I guess the recovery on my old defender is over kill, 2- 6 ton winches nylon, 2 high lifts 3 soft shackles, 2 yankum ropes + D rings + a sand anchor + shovel + pick + Ax + long traction boards.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

That’s a lot. 😂

[@bootmender]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventuresI mostly wheel alone prospecting for gold.

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

@@bootmender no one can say you aren’t prepared! That’s good.

[@bootmender]

@@OzarkOverlandAdventuresBoy Scout: be prepared 🤷‍♂️✌️

[@mydogsbronco]

A recovery board can act as a shovel in a pinch

[@trcattle2797]

What is the name of the drawer system you have next your fridge in the back? Is it waterproof and lockable? Thanks

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

SHW Offroad. I love it!! It is lockable and waterproof.

[@trcattle2797]

Thank you sir.

[@Justmyytaccount1]

Love your videos......question, now that we need a commercial permit to film just about anywhere....... what are u guys doing about that..... AND.. what about all the older park and BLM videos everyone has up on their KZbin......Thanks! 👍👍

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Permits are only required in National Parks and every park is different on what they require and what they enforce. I have a trip to Canyonlands coming up and I won't be filming it because their fees and requirements are ridiculous. However the Buffalo National River doesn't care if I film there. So I'll take it on a park by park basis and do my research before going. BLM doesn't care about youtubers. They only care about large commercial film projects. Older videos were shot when permits weren't required so they are fine.

[@onasledoverland]

I've never seen you use one, nor mention it here. Winch blanket? Thoughts?

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Not needed for synthetic line.

[@3GFinn]

Was your previous WARN winch the VR series? I've heard those been crapping out on a lot of people. It seems the only good model is the ZEON but thats $$$.

[@overlandvoyager2780]

Always make sure yu have enough petrol to get home mate.

[@lloydrage]

Which roll bar bags are those

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Xcargo Magellan bags

[@bradyrolland9229]

I have a problem with my winch having a slow draw on my battery. Wondering if you’ve ever had this issue. Thinking about powering it with Like a trailer 4 pin to plug and unplug. But idk

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

Never seen that before. A manual disconnect isn't a bad idea. But one more thing to deal with in a recovery situation.

[@claymoreadventure6366]

I have read and seen some videos regarding parasitic draw on some of the winch brands. Warn makes a power interrupter kit that you can install to fix the issue. However I would start with checking all of the connections.

[@ryoc2138]

The term "wheeling" is definitely the worst word in all of the languages of the universe...

[@OzarkOverlandAdventures]

That’s an odd word to dislike. It’s been used for a long time.