Recently my folks were out for a quick visit to one of their friends properties and of course they hadn’t packed any of their 4WD recovery gear – it was supposed to be a quick day trip and their friends had only gone into the property a few days before. Less than three kilometres from the house, along the bushy access road, they came across a recent fallen tree which was completely blocking the track. It wasn’t huge but they couldn’t move it without their vehicle – the first couple of attempts to push the tree were no good and with no phone reception and no-one on the UHF at the house, they had to get creative. The solution ended up being a couple of ratchet straps… but it was a long and tough reminder that they should’ve packed their recovery kit! It just goes to show that even if you’re not expecting to have to use it, having a complete recovery kit in your vehicle is always a good idea.

The funny thing is they do own a good quality recovery kit, but they generally only pack it when they’re really going ‘off road’. Had they packed their complete recovery kit, my folks would’ve had all manner of straps and shackles to solidly and safely tow the tree off the track. While you wouldn’t ever use a snatch strap for the purpose, wrapping a tree trunk protector around the tree would ensure a good grip – combining that with a winch extension strap secured to the bullbar tow points with a shackle and they could have gently pulled the tree backwards from a much safer distance (not forgetting the winch dampener on their straps of course!) Of course an even better option would have been a 12V 4WD winch, giving them plenty of slow and steady power to pull the tree off the track at a safe but effective pace. A combo of a winch and complete recovery kit would’ve been the best option though – offering everything needed to get them out of this situation and just about any other one that pops up! Finally a drag chain is a great option to carry if you are expecting to have to drag trees and branches out of the way – these are a solid chain with a loop at one end and a hook at the other, allowing you to wrap the chain around the fallen timber, secure the wrap and then connect it your vehicle, the chain won’t stretch and it has a high load rating – plus it won’t sustain damage even if you’re literally dragging it along the ground. If you’re just looking for something to throw in the car then an essential recovery kit has everything you need to get you out of trouble and they’re very affordable!

It’s the same story with a tyre deflator and of course your air compressor – the one time you don’t pack it for a trip you’ll definitely miss it! While this isn’t strictly a 4WDing story, I was driving home late one night in my LandCruiser and noticed that I had a pretty deflated tyre… and of course my thumper air compressor was at home. I was about 10 minutes from the closest service station but figured I’d push on slowly and air up when I got there. Finally crawling into the servo I started to air up (or so I thought) after having the air chuck connected for a few seconds I noticed the digital display wasn’t going up. I disconnected and reconnected the compressor and again no good… Long story short, the compressor at the servo was faulty and I ended up completely airing down my tyre to zero PSI. It meant I ended up having to completely swap my tyre off and throw the spare on. Looking back, if I had had my portable air compressor in my 4wd it would’ve been a two minute fix, rather than costing me two hours!

Having the proper recovery gear in your vehicle can be the difference between a good trip and a bad trip, or the difference between safely getting your vehicle out of trouble, or causing serious damage from being stuck in a bog hole or precarious situation. Often even having a snatch strap kit on hand is enough to help you get unstuck – and it’s important that you carry your own recovery kit and don’t rely on others having theirs – because if an emergency does happen and in that moment if you’re not sure where the gear is it could mean the difference between a safe and effortless recovery or a difficult and stressful one! Believe me, when you’ve been in a situation where your snatch strap kit is buried under everything else in your tray you won’t want it to happen again!

And of course, all these scenarios are only focusing on what happens when YOU get bogged. But if you’re not the kind of 4WDer who goes out looking for the biggest bogholes and hillclimbs, you might be wondering if a 4×4 recovery kit is a worthwhile investment still. The truth is, it definitely still is! Most of the use 4WD recovery gear has gotten has been recovering other people – not myself! But the first time you use your snatch strap to help out someone else and they do the Aussie thing and thank you with a six pack of cold beer from the camping fridge (for when you get back to camp or get home of course!) you’ll be glad you carried it. Being prepared is something every good 4WDer does!