When I picked up the new Jeep I decided that it was time to replace some of my old recovery equipment, and just finally organize it all into 1 bag that I can just throw in the back of the Jeep. Timing was pretty good with David at www.Northridge4x4.com having a sale on most of the items that I wanted to replace. Your recovery kits may have a few more or less items than mine just for the type of wheeling that you do in your areas. My kit is far from complete for all situations, but should give you some ideas for your kit. I did use some of the descriptions from the actual manufacturers below. I also didn’t include the Hi-Lift Jack.
Viking Duffle Bag –
This is a simple duffle bag with ventilated sides and a small end pocket. It does hold everything in this kit. If it decides to fail on me some time in the future, I will replace it with a heavier canvas bag, but for now it does it’s job. |
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10’ 3/8’ Chain with hooks –
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ARB Snatch Strap – ARB201
Specifically designed to stretch under load for maximum performance, an ARB snatch strap (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a tow strap) is a very effective method of extracting a bogged or immobilized 4WD when a second vehicle is present. This ability to stretch is the distinction between a snatch strap and a tow strap, ARB snatch straps are elastic when under load whereas a tow strap is not, the benefits of which are twofold. Firstly, the kinetic energy generated by the elasticity actually aids the recovery itself, and secondly, the elasticity greatly reduces the likelihood of vehicle damage during recovery. The enormous weight of each 4x4 and the weighted force of whatever caused the immobilization puts enormous strain on the point where the straps are attached, and without some elasticity, there is a substantial risk of damaging the vehicle. For vehicle recovery, a snatch strap is more suitable than a tow strap.
All ARB snatch straps are woven and fabricated to ARB specifications, and tested by a NATA approved laboratory. The 17,500 lb model is recommended for most 4WD vehicles, with the 24,000 lb & 33,000 lb straps better suited to heavier applications.
Specifications
Part number: |
ARB201 |
ARB201HD |
ARB201100 |
Breaking strength: |
17,500lb |
24,000lb |
33,000lb |
Length: |
30' |
30' |
30' |
Width: |
2 3/8" |
3" |
4" |
Elasticity: |
genuine 20% |
genuine 20% |
genuine 20% |
Material: |
100% nylon |
100% nylon |
100% nylon |
Reinforced eyes: |
yes |
yes |
yes |
Warning tag: |
yes |
yes |
yes |
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ARB Tree Saver –
Never wrap a winch cable around a tree, you can not only damage the cable, but will ring bark the tree and can kill it. Instead use a tree trunk protector to prevent damage to the tree and to your cable. The ARB Tree Saver strap is 10’ Long, 3” Wide made out of 100% Polyester with reinforced eyes. The Breaking strength is 26,000lbs.
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ARB Snatch block - ARB209
A snatch block should be one of the most carefully assessed pieces of equipment you buy. A poorly designed block can have a detrimental effect on a winch's cable, and lead to a failure of the wire rope or the snatch block itself. ARB snatch blocks feature side plates that sit snug against the pulley, eliminating the possibility of the winch cable becoming trapped between the pulley and the side plates. The groove on the pulley itself tapers down to the center allowing for a variety of cable sizes (1/4"-1/2") to be used and ensures the cable is seated securely in the pulley, minimizing lateral movement. To ensure smooth pulley operation, the hardened steel pin is fitted with a nipple, to which grease can be periodically applied. With a breaking strain of 30,000lb, the ARB snatch block is a formidable piece of recovery equipment that should be included in every recovery kit. An ARB snatch block increases the versatility of a vehicle mounted or portable winch. It enables you to retrieve loads that are double a winches capacity by reducing the load on the winch by half, and facilitates winching from varying angles when straight ahead isn’t the best option.
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Leather Gloves –
A good set of leather gloves will protect your hands when handling winch cables, climbing over rocks, or just working around the vehicles.
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15” Ratchet Strap –
So many things this can be used for anything from strapping down a load to cinching down a tire to re-inflate it.
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Jack mate® – JM-8000
This is made by Rescue42. Designed as a back-up tool for the "Jaws of Life™", JackMate® is the perfect tool for Off-Roaders, Fire/Rescue, Ranch & Farm, or Construction! The JackMate® replaces a standard lift jack's limited capacity top clamp with an 8,000 lb. multipurpose attachment. The JackMate® is rated to the full capacity of the jack as either a clamp, winch, spreader or a base. The JackMate® slides over either end of the jack bar and is attached with a quick-release pin. As a top clamp, the JackMate® dramatically increases the jack's winching, clamping and crushing capabilities. As a replacement for the jack base, the JackMate® ClawFoot™ is engineered to "bite" into boards or logs to help prevent the jack from sinking in mud, sand or ice and snow. JackMate® is designed to fit all Maasdam Tiger Jack™, Hi-Lift® jacks and most other brands of lift jacks.
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Lift Mate - LM-100
Most of us reach a point on our Jeeps that we can no longer jack up the bumper and get enough height to lift the tire off the ground. Many times, we just need to get the tire up and get some rocks or something under it. Combine the Lift-Mate with the Off Road Base and you might have a chance to get that tire out of the sticky mud, or snow. The Lift-Mate is designed to operate in a manner that allows the vehicle wheel to be lifted directly from the wheel, greatly reducing the amount of travel up the jack bar needed to lift the wheel in an adequate and safe height.
Features & Specifications:
Lift Capacity: 5000 lbs. (2273 kg)
Rubber-Coated hooks to protect the wheel
Rubber pad for protecting the tire and wheel
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Off Road Base – ORB
The Hi-Lift Jack comes with a very small base. While this is nice when you are jacking on a solid surface, it sinks right into some of the muddy soft terrains that I have wheeled. The Off Road Base is a heavy-duty plastic base designed to support the Hi-Lift Jack and distribute the load over a larger area. I used to carry a piece of ¾” plywood for this purpose, but I got tired of having to replace the wood all the time. The final straw came after leaving it sit in the back of the jeep forgotten over a hot 3-day weekend, amazing how hard it is to get the smell of rotting wood out of your Jeep is. Besides the Off Road Base looks cooler than the piece of plywood.
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Fix-It-Kit - FK-1
I normally keep one of these handy at all times, but since I was ordering parts I picked up an extra set because the price was good at the time. The Fix-It-Kit has the principle parts for servicing all Hi-Lift Jack lifting units. There is nothing like needing to use your Hi-Lift Jack and having a shear pin or climbing spring break, or damaging a climbing pin and not having the parts to fix it in the field.
Kit Includes:
2 Climbing Pins
2 Climbing Pin Springs
2 Cross Pins
1 Shear Bolt & Nut
1 tube of jack lubricant |
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| I also carry a tire plugging kit in the back of the Jeep. It fits perfectly in the small compartment in the back. |
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| Here is everything packed into the duffle. It is pretty heavy to carry all at once. I may break it down in the future to two bags, one for the Hi-Lift and one for the the straps. Okay the first time I need to get this bag out in a hurry, the webbing shredded. I wasn't to pleased with the bag. I'm now looking for a nice heavy canvas bag to carry everything in. I will just have to be careful to dry things out before storing them in a canvas bag. That is one advantage that the Viking bag has over the canvas bag. |
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