Build a complete off-road recovery kit for your Jeep

One of the things we all know about being on the trail is: If something CAN go wrong, something WILL go wrong. Every off-roader is going to get stuck numerous times through their crawling career, and their trail companions will be getting stuck as well. So, it’s important to have a complete set of off-road recovery gear in your Jeep.

Something to consider is the weight of your Jeep, which can range from 4000 pounds to 6000 pounds or more depending on your set up. When choosing your gear, take this into account. Another factor to consider is your budget. Safety isn’t something to take risks on by buying cheap untested gear just to save a buck. There is plenty of affordable gear available that is trail tested and solid.

We’ve compiled a list of all the most important items to gather up for your Jeep recovery gear kit.

• Traction Boards
• Winch
• Snatch Recovery Strap and Snatch Block
• Tow Strap
• Tree Saver Strap
• Fire Extinguisher and Flashlight with Mount
• Hi-Lift Jack and Spare Tire with Carrier
• Tire Repair Kit
• Winch Rope Dampener
• Gloves, Shovel, and Basic Tool Kit
• Trail Lighting
• Fuel Can
• First Aid Kit

Traction boards are an essential recovery tool for any trail ride. The obvious use is for tire traction if you’re stuck in sand or mud. The knobs on the tops of the board allow the tires to get traction, and the recessed areas on the bottom grip mud, loose dirt, sand, and snow. However, there are other uses for them. You could use it as a shovel to move earth away from your tires if you wanted to save money and space by not buying a shovel. Durable models like our Reinforced Nylon Traction Boards can even be used as a Hi Lift jack stand due to it being able to withstand 10 tons of pressure.

A winch is another obvious recovery tool to include with your kit. If you’re on the trail alone, it’s something you’d need to have to pull yourself free when you’re extra stuck in the muck and you have an anchor point nearby. We recommend using our Synthetic Rope Winch because the rope is safer, doesn’t rust over time, and loses tension faster than steel if it breaks free from the anchor point. But if your budget requires something more inexpensive, you should go with our traditional Steel Rope Winch. Both are rated at 12000 pounds, so no matter which Jeep you have they’ll do the job. Many models in our line of DV8 Jeep Front Bumpers

Snatch recovery straps are clutch when pulling your buddies’ Jeep free from mud or sand. Unlike regular tow straps, they stretch when under pressure making them a safer option and less likely to cause vehicle damage. We recommend going with the Sunferno Recovery Strap. A snatch block is useful when you need to double the pulling power of your winch, or to easily change the pulling direction if you’re at an odd angle. Check out the highly rated Badland Snatch Block sold by the ever-affordable Harbor Freight.

Your tow strap is another standard piece to have on board in case a trail companion breaks down. You know the guy, the one who doesn’t do regular maintenance on his ride or take care of his stuff. These should really only be used to tow unstuck vehicles off the trail, and should not be used to pull someone who is bogged down. We recommend the Stay There Tow Strap as an affordable yet high quality option.

Tree saver straps are a great option when your anchor point is a tree. It prevents your winch cable from digging into the tree and possibly killing it. It’s also useful for other anchor points like boulders or outcroppings. We recommend this highly rated and cost effective TGL 8 Foot Tree Saver.

A fire extinguisher with a mount is another necessary piece for your Jeep recovery gear. Whether it’s your Jeep or another’s ride, on the trail or on the street, you never know when a fire can break out because of an accident or malfunction. In times of crisis it’s important to act fast, which is why we designed the Quick Release Universal Fire Extinguisher Mount. This can be installed under the seat, on your DV8 Roof Rack, or on the roll-bars. Having a flashlight mounted on your Jeep is handy when something goes wrong at night or in low-light conditions. We recommend our Quick Release Flashlight Mount based on our Fire Extinguisher Mount.

Tires can be damaged while riding the trail, and you’ll need to replace that damaged tire and/or wheel with the spare you’re carrying with you. A Hi Lift Jack is what you need to get your Jeep lifted to replace that flat. In managing your spare tire storage we recommend choosing from our line of Jeep Spare Tire Carriers.

Sometimes you’re unable to replace a damaged tire, or perhaps you’ve damaged both right side tires. This is when you’ll look to temporarily fix that tire with a tire repair kit. These are meant to enable you to repair a puncture to the tread of your tire. A good kit at a good price can be found on Amazon, such as the Boulder Tools Heavy Duty Tire Repair Kit.

A winch line dampener is important, especially if you’re using a winch with a steel cable. This helps to minimize the strike force of a line that happens to break free when under high pressure. Safety first, right? We recommend picking up something like the GearAmerica Winch Line Dampener, which also doubles as a reflective safety blanket and recovery gear bag.

It goes without saying that you’ll want to have a good pair of gloves, a shovel, and a basic tool kit when you go off-roading. You can’t go wrong with a pair of Mechanix Gloves to protect your hands while working. If you took our advice and picked up the DV8 Traction Boards, then maybe you can forgo the shovel. However it’s great to have a dedicated tool to handle the job of digging out your tires. We think the Bond Mini D Handle Shovel is pretty badass. And to round out the basics grab yourself a compact tool kit like the Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set

Having a good light system on your Jeep is important for those adventures that drift into the night. Nothing could be worse than crawling the trail in the dark and possibly damaging your Jeep or tumbling off a cliff. Check out the DV8 Offroad Line of Trail Lighting

If you have the tendency to get a little carried away on your trail adventures, it might be a good idea to bring a fuel can with you in case you or a buddy get low on gas. There are lots of options available, but we’re digging the Wintools 5.28 Gallon Gas Pack

And lastly, but certainly not least, it’s important to be prepared if you run your passenger into a branch or boulder and need to treat their wounds. We’d recommend the compact and inexpensive Swiss Safe First Aid Kit.

Some of these items are more important than others, and only you can decide which ones to include in your off-road recovery kit. Maybe you’re a prepper and you’ll put together a kit with all these items plus more. In any case things like a winch, straps, and traction boards are necessary when traveling off the beaten path. So, at least get yourself the essentials to be on the safe side.