1. Keep On Rollin
- Tires are your first piece of recovery gear that you never knew you had. Getting stuck usually is a result of lost traction. A great remedy to try first is to lower your tire pressures. This will increase the contact patch or the amount of surface area of the tire that is contacting the ground which will typically provide more traction and floatation. The softer and looser the trail surface the lower the tire pressures you will want to consider. A must have tool you need to do this is a basic tire deflator. Yes, you can use your vehicle key or a simple stick in an pinch, but a tire deflator will be much faster as they let air out by loosening the valve core. Tire deflators also have pressure gauges which help train you to set tires at certain pressures for certain types of conditions and to be able to balance pressures across all vehicle tires.
- The other part of the tire pressure equation is having a solution to air your tires back up when you get back to the highway on your drive home. A suitable portable air compressor will air up your tires quickly but don’t just stop there. Another great use of your compressor could be to inflate air mattresses, water toys, or even use it to blow off that fine dust collecting on your gear.
Tip: I keep my tire deflator in my driver’s door pocket as it’s typically the first thing I go to. Also let that compressor cool off before you stow it back in your rig.
2. I Dig It
- I introduce to you, the humble shovel. This is an excellent tool to have in the vehicle. The obvious benefit is the ability to dig out material under your differentials, along the frame, and in front of your tires to help free a stuck situation.
- Another benefit of the shovel is its magnificent ability to effectively dig a hole to relieve yourself in after a south bound gas station burrito comes knocking. Trust me, this will be useful in that sweaty moment of panic!
- The shovel is also great for clearing off a spot to set up your ground tent or to dig a rainwater run off around it if that’s how you camp. Your imagination is your only limit to what can be done with the shovel.
Tip: Store your shovel in a handy place on the outside of the vehicle when traveling in the backcountry. That way it is quick to access when needed in a pinch. Also, a shovel with interchangeable handle lengths increases is usefulness and effectiveness.
3. Boards Aren’t Boring
- Recovery Boards, traction boards, there are many names for these. But they are a fantastic tool to have to get you unstuck. A good quality and reputable brand are key here, so they don’t crack and break when you need them most! The principle behind these is to provide traction and floatation for your tires with a grippy surface to roll against. Dig out in front of each tire and place each recovery board just under the leading edge ensuring good contact to the tire. Begin to drive the vehicle out on the boards but avoid tire spin. If a longer stretch of “road building” is needed lay out several recovery boards or have a friend help rotate the boards. As you drive off one set, they can be brought around front again to drive onto keeping forward progress.
- Another great use for these is to use them as a vehicle leveling device when parking in camp. This is great if you are sleeping in or on your vehicle like in a rooftop tent. Lay a stack of the recovery boards down on the low side of the vehicle and drive onto them, parking once you are set where you need to be.
Tip: Brightly colored recovery boards are great to use in the dark and stand out in mud, sand, and snow, making them easier to spot and retrieve after a recovery. And of course, consider what looks coolest on your truck, for the gram.
This is just a start of great basic gear that should always be in your vehicle when out and about. Often this equipment will suffice for most stuck cases. But if you find your adventures are taking you out to more remote areas and this gear isn’t sufficing then that is the time to consider everything needed to invest in a vehicle winch. Winches are expensive and so are the modifications needed to safely mount one to your vehicle, such as a winch bumper to house it, upgraded suspension to support the added weight, and finally training on how to safely use it. Remember, keep a mindset of multi-use for each item to you carry. The more ways something can be used builds its value to why you drag it along on every trip freeing you to carry less one-use things. Happy trails!