GEN 2 Recovery gear and a couple off-road questions

[MacK88DO]

Hey all, about to head out on my first significant off-road trip and I’m getting my recovery gear together. Had a couple questions. Are the factory tow hooks on the stock bumpers strong enough to withstand a snatch strap or do they need an upgrade? Also, I’m not at a point where I feel I need a winch yet, so I’m exploring MaxTrax as an alternative, anyone have any experience there? The kit I’m putting together so far: Snatch strap, tow strap, tree saver, shovel, axe, hatchet, MaxTrax, Tire deflator, portable air compressor, receiver hitch D-link, first aid kit, gloves. Anything else y’all would recommend? We’ve had a lot of rain out here in East Texas and the local Jeep guys have been getting stuck in some of the mud on the run I’m planning on doing. Appreciate any recommendations!


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[smurfslayer]

Water, fire extinguisher, gasoline can with gas. spare clothes, and wear stuff you expect to get fully immersed in mud. More water, and snacks enough to hoof it back to civilization, Gorilla tape, a couple of high lumen flashlights with spare batteries, and at least one administrative / low output light, a decent phone with map/navigation, and spare power for it. Basic hand tools you can work with.

I’m going to defer on the discussion of the jack. Lots of folks out here with a better recommendation than me. I like to have a chain saw too, something portable, not a 26” poulan used to fell redwoods, something you can whack a fallen limb or maybe get control of a smaller tree across a path. I’ve had to do this by hand once and, stepped in with the saw when someone else in front of me had to deal with it. He’d been chopping for probably 20 minutes. We chainsawed that stinker into sections and moved it in 5 minutes with the chain saw.

 

[zombiekiller]

you're going to want some sort of jack ( proeagle, or even a pittsburg with a skid on it).

I wouldn't bother with a tree saver unless you are planning to bring a come-along.

you also want a fire extinguisher with you.

add a tourniquet and some quick clot to your med kit.

the factory tow points are just fine.

Either tredz or maxtrax come in real handy for more than just mud. If you hit a washout, they make a great bridge with a tree stump or rock shoved under them for support.

carry a flashlight.

I tend to also bring a 20v sawzall with the curved wood and metal oriented "torch" blades. ( I tend to pack a couple of 6-inch blades and a couple of 12-inch blades of both varieties. )

DO NOT use a high lift. the factory scissor jack can come in handy, but not to lift the truck on unstable ground to change a flat.

Also, if you're going mudding, take the spare out from under the truck and secure it in the bed. you aren't going to want to fish it out from under the truck when it's buried to the axles in mud and you get a flat or lose a bead.

 

[MDJAK]

Excellent advice here. Does it apply to off roading in Utah as I’ll be doing in and around Canyonlands and Moab? Nothing too hard though as I’m a rank beginner. I am a flashaholic so always have multiple lights with me.

Btw, is the spare on the same wheel as what comes on the truck, in my case the bead lock capable wheels? Ty

 

[91Eunos]

Water, fire extinguisher, gasoline can with gas. spare clothes, and wear stuff you expect to get fully immersed in mud. More water, and snacks enough to hoof it back to civilization, Gorilla tape, a couple of high lumen flashlights with spare batteries, and at least one administrative / low output light, a decent phone with map/navigation, and spare power for it. Basic hand tools you can work with.

I’m going to defer on the discussion of the jack. Lots of folks out here with a better recommendation than me. I like to have a chain saw too, something portable, not a 26” poulan used to fell redwoods, something you can whack a fallen limb or maybe get control of a smaller tree across a path. I’ve had to do this by hand once and, stepped in with the saw when someone else in front of me had to deal with it. He’d been chopping for probably 20 minutes. We chainsawed that stinker into sections and moved it in 5 minutes with the chain saw.

Only thing I’d add to this (or in lieu of the chain saw) is a good portable hand saw, maybe a folding limb saw (a lot faster than an axe), at least one headlamp (can count as a flashlight) and more water.

And maybe a 5-gallon container of gas well secured in the bed. Invariably there’s someone who runs out or gets dangerously low on the runs I’ve been on.

And did I mention water? In addition to a case or more of bottles (or the equivalent in containers) I like to fill up those 1-gallon “bubba jug” 1/3 of the way or so and freeze them overnight, then top off with water before we head out. If staying overnight, I’ll also fill up one or two of those 5-gallon stackable “aquatainers” you can pick up at Walmart for $10-$15 or so... the spigot hanging off the tailgate makes a nice wash station before eating or after recovering a vehicle in the mud, etc.

 

[91Eunos]

Excellent advice here. Does it apply to off roading in Utah as I’ll be doing in and around Canyonlands and Moab? Nothing too hard though as I’m a rank beginner. I am a flashaholic so always have multiple lights with me.

Btw, is the spare on the same wheel as what comes on the truck, in my case the bead lock capable wheels? Ty

Your spare should be exactly the same as your other wheels/tires.