Winch
A reliable winch changes what you can get yourself out of. Our go-to recommendation is the Smittybilt XRC Gen 3 with synthetic rope: a good balance of quality and price, with a wireless remote that makes recoveries easier to run.
We only recommend winches with synthetic rope. A steel cable stores a lot of energy and can whip dangerously if it snaps. Synthetic rope is lighter, easier to handle, and far safer if it fails. See winch installation for the winches we install and how we mount them.
Kinetic rope
A kinetic rope stretches as it’s pulled, stores that energy, then releases it to pull the stuck rig free. The result is a smoother, more controlled pull than a traditional tow strap. We carry a Rhino USA kinetic rope. Always connect it to rated recovery points, never a tow ball.
Shackles
Shackles connect everything, and we carry both soft and steel. Soft shackles are often the safer choice, since they don’t turn into a metal projectile if something breaks. Steel shackles still have their place for some connections.
You can’t have too many. On my own Jeep I keep five mounted on recovery points and five more in the recovery bag.
Recovery points
Most off-road vehicles come with factory recovery points. If yours doesn’t, there are two easy fixes: a hitch receiver recovery point, which slides into your hitch, or bumpers with built-in recovery points, which add rated anchor points and protection at the same time.
Tree saver, snatch block and damper
- Tree saver. A wide strap that wraps an anchor tree so your winch line doesn’t cut into the bark. It spreads the load and protects the tree. We use a Rhino USA tree saver.
- Snatch block. A pulley that can roughly double your winch’s pulling power and lets you pull around angles. We use a Rhino USA snatch block.
- Winch line damper. A weighted blanket you lay over the middle of the line. If the line or a connection lets go, it absorbs energy and drops the line to the ground instead of letting it whip.
Recovery gloves
Good gloves protect your hands from abrasions and cuts and give you a better grip on ropes and shackles. We like ARB recovery gloves and Mechanix gloves.
Tire repair kit
Trail damage to a tire can end your day early. These three items fix most of it:
- Emergency valve stems replace a torn or leaking valve stem on the trail, without removing the tire.
- A tire plug kit seals most tread punctures in a few minutes.
- A sidewall repair kit handles sidewall damage that a plug can’t, enough to get you off the trail.
Pair them with a way to air back up: see onboard air compressors.
Recovery bag
A dedicated recovery bag keeps everything together, clean and easy to grab when you need it. Once your kit is built, keep it in the rig so it’s there on every trip.
Want help putting a kit together, or getting a winch and recovery points on your rig? See recovery gear, or ride along with the Off-Road Club and see how others set theirs up.