You’ve probably been stuck in a sticky situation when off-roading, especially if you’re a racer. With various challenging obstacles and terrains. If it has never happened to you, this is bound to happen.
This is why when ordering motorsports merchandise from online stores like FMS, you must also order an off-road recovery kit. It will help you as a racer or off-road enthusiast.
The Importance of Recovery Gear for Off-Roading
For racers, a different trail, a different day, and a different situation may change everything. This is why having recovery gear for your off-roading endeavors is important. Whether you occasionally hit trails or are a hard-core off-roader, a recovery kit is an important part of your capability to do it safely and go off-roading.
Besides, we never know when we will encounter a washout, soft spot, bigger rock than we anticipated, or even another racer who is stuck on the trail and requires help to get out. In addition, you will need a recovery kit for your safety and that of other people on the trail.
Essentials in Your Recovery Kit
Among the most important things we need when off-roading is a recovery kit. This is true, especially if you are exploring high countries or remote areas where trail conditions and temperatures widely fluctuate. In this kit, we need to include the following:
- Maxtrax
A Maxtrax recovery board is the original and is made from different fibrous nylon. According to most off-roading racers, it is one of the easiest and safest ways to resolve our simple traction issues.
If you get stuck in snow, mud, or sand, Maxtrax will be your first tool to help you. It is faster and easier than any technique that needs tension.
To use Maxtrax, you just need to shove it under the tires and drive out of obstacles slowly. You may also use a similar technique to minimize forces and snatch or winch.
- Spade
A good spade needs to be on your shopping list for your recovery kit. Trying to free up buried wheels out of snow, sand, or mud using only your hands is not just ineffective and time-consuming. It is also dangerous. Apart from its multiple recovery uses, the spade’s versatility extends to campsites, too, for things like the following:
- Digging latrines
- Leveling a tent-pitching site
- Putting out fires safely
- Tire Deflator
Lower tire pressure helps improve traction in muddy and sandy conditions. If you are stuck, deflating your tires slightly can help you get out of trouble.
When you return to rough terrain, remember to re-inflate your tires. Experts recommend a new Campboss Boss Air Tire Deflator. It is a super tire deflator that comes in handy, and it is effective in deflating tires to the exact pressure you need.
- Tree Straps
Tree straps, sometimes called tree savers, are pieces of gear that we often forget but are very important in some recovery situations. If we get stuck during an off-roading race, we can tie tree straps around our vehicle’s trunk to pull us free.
Tree straps are also specifically made for this and help ensure trees aren’t damaged when used for reinforcement.
- Tire Repair Kits
Investing in a good tire repair kit can help a lot, especially when something, such as a stick, screw, or stray nail, punctures the tires. This will make repairs much easier.
A tire repair kit consists mainly of plug insertion tools, self-vulcanizing repair cords, and reamer tools.
- Navigation Aids
Getting lost can make a killer story or a solid adventure. However, it can also be dangerous and frustrating. Knowing where we’re heading, how we can get there, and how to return is a way of mastering off-roading. And the best way to master it is to have navigation aids.
- Winches
Winches are the ultimate self-recovery tool. We simply find the nearest piece, wrap the winch’s cables around it, and presto.
However, winches can be useless if we have nothing around. An alternative is to use what is called a Dead Man’s Anchor. It involves buying something inside the ground to act as our anchor points when there is no other option.
- Jump Starter
You no longer have to depend on another car to jump-start your vehicle. A high-capacity, simple, and affordable lithium-ion battery pack can do the job.
The best part is that it can charge off cigarette lighters and even provide portable power for our phones. Just ensure it is fully charged.
- Snatch Blocks
A snatch block is a pully with a side that swings open. Since the sides often open, we don’t need to threaten our winch cables through the openings.
Instead, we can open the side plates, align cables over the pully, and close the side plates. Snatch blocks have two key functions.
One function is to change the winch cable’s direction when anchor points are offset. Another one is to increase the pulling power of our winch cables.
- Farm Jack
We must use a farm jack combined with running boards and off-road bumpers with a dedicated locking slot for this jack in particular. But be careful when using a farm jack. When on unstable ground, it may easily topple your vehicle.
- Shovel
Having a good shovel in your arsenal is important. Perhaps you have experienced it before—a truck gets stuck, and the driver doesn’t have a good shovel.
Using credit cards or hands won’t work well, especially if the vehicle is deep in slushy snow or soft sand. So, when buying a shovel, ensure you consider the following:
- Stowing opportunities. These can be packaged in storage totes, spare tire carriers, roof racks, trucks, or under the seat.
- Determine your handle height: Examples include short, full-length, or folding handles.
- Choose the right material to meet your needs: Good examples include fiberglass, aluminum, steel, or wood.
The bottom line is that all overlanding experiences are different. Therefore, if you could, carry all the important tools you will need for your off-roading race, including a tree strap, shovel, and space, to name a few.
