Vehicle recovery gear and tips

[Jmzvet]

Much respect for you guys who prep for weather and have to deal with it 4-5 months a year

 

[vezePilot]

If I didn't have these with me I would have been using my survival gear instead of my recovery gear. And note that in much of the desert I 4wheel in there are no trees for a winch anchor even if I had one. A simple shovel and these boards got me out of a remote location. Travel prepared.

Steve

View attachment 2702

It looks like I have another welding project in the near future. Land/Earth Anchors are neat, but I would need to figure out how to Optimize for Rocky terrain, and not just sandy. Whaddya think, Steve? How does an anchor need to be designed to work for Rock Climbing areas?

A brand name product for Sand, about $400 for a full-size truck version:

A method of using the High-Lift jack that I already have:

Curt
.

 

[PHXPHOTOG]

Saw this when I was on the road with no time to respond. But I have been thinking about it.

First, My truck is filling up with all of the gear I carry so size and weight is a concern already. Here is my thoughts:

It needs to be a multiple anchor system. I think just one of anything is likely to fail. There is simple science on how to rig multiple anchor points together for proper weight distribution. A long time ago I ran a high angle rescue team. We did weight distribution on anchor points all the time.

So....what if the anchors were shaped something like a small army shovel. They could be made from steel or aluminum and shaped to nest together for storage. Sold in pairs so you could get as many as you see fit. The spade end would be hammered into the ground or wedged between rocks or whatever can hold it. The shaft (think shovel handle) would have multiple holes in it for attachment points. Then you rig your anchors together with synthetic rope and maybe snatch blocks to distribute the weight to a single winch point. Not as complicated as it sounds.

Sometimes you have to get out of the box and forget about a single point that will be strong enough for a recovery. When the shit hits the fan multiple weak points may be all you have. If the ground is too hard to penetrate take your anchors and wege them, wrap them, tie them, or stick them to anything you can.

Kind Regards,

Steve

 

[vezePilot]

Thanks for commenting on and discussing this. I noticed in your list a High-Lift Jack, but I didn't see it in your photos. I like the idea of using the Jack with the need to reduce the space & weight of gear.

Making an anchor in the shape of a shovel is a good idea, but it seems to me that these would have to be rather Large.

An idea that I am working on is sort of a Large Grappling Hook, also based on bolting parts to the High-Lift Jack. Rather like this geometry:

Something like this might work if all you have are Large Boulders semi-submerged in sand and dirt.
Especially, if as you said, you are using more than one of them. If a person is not out Wheeling Alone, it is likely that there would be multiple High-Lift Jacks available.

 

[vezePilot]

Now added to my Gear List: a Drone.

I had to create a CheckList for Off-road/Recovery gear, to keep from forgetting to pack items not normally stored in the truck. Some things are always in the bed, like the Fire Extinguisher, Shovels & High-Lift Jack. (I can cover these with a tarp and still fetch loads of Firewood/Dirt/Rock, etc.) Other stuff is under the back seat, like the M3 Medic bag, minimum survival gear, tool bag ... and now the Drone.

This is one that I bought recently. It is very cost effective, needs no Registration, easy to use, tiny to pack and versatile:

QuadAIR 4K Drone Pro UHD Dual Camera WIFI FPV 20min Flight Follow Me Gesture Control (2 Batteries)

QuadAIR 4K Drone Pro is similar to our signature QuadAir Drone but better because of its NEW UPGRADED FEATURES QuadAIR 4K Pro Drone is equipped with 2 cameras, aka "Dual Camera", which provides truly stunning crystal clear 4K Ultra-HD (UHD) photos and videos and allows for SPLIT-SCREEN picture...

droneclonexperts.com

 

[Snake Boots]

The best tip I have is for the love of God please be familiar with your equipment, particularly the safety aspects. I see so many recoveries using methods inherently dangerous to everyone involved. No truck stuck in the mud is worth a human life.

Watch YouTube videos on safe recovery techniques and always apply them. If you’re doing the recovery, you run the show. There is always a bunch of dudes standing around thinking they know better and will pressure you with dumb, unsafe ideas. Stand your ground.

I’m in the swampy woods almost every weekend and have to help with recoveries a handful of times a year. Always be safe.

Other than that, the only other tip I have is one my grandpa told me at 13 years old when just me and him had to recover his hunting truck deep in the woods one hot, mosquito infested August day… It‘s always always easier to pull a truck out the way it came in versus from where it was headed.

 

[Snake Boots]

Also, always keep a case of water and some gatorades in the truck. Never know when you might have to spend the night!

 

[vezePilot]

... Other than that, the only other tip I have is one my grandpa told me at 13 years old when just me and him had to recover his hunting truck deep in the woods one hot, mosquito infested August day… It‘s always always easier to pull a truck out the way it came in versus from where it was headed.

I wasn't taught that, and I have not proved it for myself. But it seems really useful, IMHO, to be able to attach my Winch to the rear of my truck.
So with a Receiver Mount for the winch, hitch receivers front & rear and a 20ft heavy gauge power cable, I should be able to get the most use of it.

Carrying extra drinking water is always a good idea. However ...

I'm under the impression that drinking water may develop bacteria if it gets to 85 deg F or more while in storage. Is this true?
This is the reason I don't store water for drinking in the truck through the summer.
And the chance it may freeze, to burst the container, is why I don't keep water in the truck during the winter.

Here is an updated Recovery Gear Checklist of all the stuff I have collected:

Recovery Gear Checklist

___ Fire Extinguisher - still charged? ___
___ Heavy Leather Gloves
___ M3 First Aid Bag
___ Battery Starter Box - charged? ___

___ Receiver Plug with Shackle
___ Tow Rope, 30ft
___ Medium & Small Shovels - secured? ___
___ High Lift off road Jack - secured? ___

___ Extra Shackles
___ Tree Saver Strap
___ Snatch Block, Large
___ Receiver Trailer Ball Hitch

___ Soft Shackle & Winch Ring
___ Kinetic Recovery Rope, 20ft
___ Recovery Strap, 30ft
___ Winch Remotes & Accessories Bag

___ Winch (85ft synthetic Rope)
___ Power Cable for Winch, 20
___ Chain Saw, gas powered
___ Extra 2-stroke fuel for chain saw

___ Battery Jumper Cables
___ Tire Chains, Full Set for 4WD
___ Branch Cutters
___ High-Vis Jacket, Traffic Cones

___ Cordless Outdoor Lighting - charged? ___
___ Two-way Radios - charged? ___
___ Glow Sticks
___ Plastic Tarp/Ground Pad

___ Air Compressor
___ Extra Water Jug, recently replaced?
___ Extra Gasoline Jug, recently replaced?
___ Camping Backpack, recently inspected?

___ Minimal Survival Gear Bag
___ Camera Drone - batteries charged? ___
___ ATV Winch, Recovery Straps, Shackles

 

[PHXPHOTOG]

Thanks for commenting on and discussing this. I noticed in your list a High-Lift Jack, but I didn't see it in your photos. I like the idea of using the Jack with the need to reduce the space & weight of gear.

Making an anchor in the shape of a shovel is a good idea, but it seems to me that these would have to be rather Large.

An idea that I am working on is sort of a Large Grappling Hook, also based on bolting parts to the High-Lift Jack. Rather like this geometry:

View attachment 3437

Something like this might work if all you have are Large Boulders semi-submerged in sand and dirt.
Especially, if as you said, you are using more than one of them. If a person is not out Wheeling Alone, it is likely that there would be multiple High-Lift Jacks available.

Yes, I have a hi-lift, the extended base plate, and the winch kit for it. I hope I never have to use it as a winch. That will be ugly, but not all recoverys require extreme force. Sometimes the vehicle just needs some help.

The winch kit only comes with short lockdown chains to hold your progress. You have to buy a 25 foot chain to walk it along. Jack, chains, and accessories add up to a lot of weight.

My suggestion: If your going to rig the Hi-Lift as part of an anchor kit do it in a way that does not defeat the jacks winching ability. If you can make it part of the anchor and still winch then you have added to it's functionality.

Steve

 

[Snake Boots]

I don't know about the bacteria thing, but I've never gotten sick from bottled water that has sat in my truck. I usually go thru 1-2 cases a week and I live in Florida so it's just about always sweltering hot here.

As for sports drinks like gatorades, I typically take them frozen and they are mostly thawed by the time I drink them. Aint no way I'm drinking a hot gatorade lol.

 

[PHXPHOTOG]

The best tip I have is for the love of God please be familiar with your equipment, particularly the safety aspects. I see so many recoveries using methods inherently dangerous to everyone involved. No truck stuck in the mud is worth a human life.

Watch YouTube videos on safe recovery techniques and always apply them. If you’re doing the recovery, you run the show. There is always a bunch of dudes standing around thinking they know better and will pressure you with dumb, unsafe ideas. Stand your ground.

I’m in the swampy woods almost every weekend and have to help with recoveries a handful of times a year. Always be safe.

Other than that, the only other tip I have is one my grandpa told me at 13 years old when just me and him had to recover his hunting truck deep in the woods one hot, mosquito infested August day… It‘s always always easier to pull a truck out the way it came in versus from where it was headed.

Love this. Spot on! In addition I would add be careful with reverse gearing. When I was a kid I saw a guy litteraly blow up a trany on an old Ford over taching the hell out of it in reverse trying to get out of a mud bog. All he did was dig himself in until it blew and he ended up sitting on the bad transmission. Vehicles are designed to go forward. Reverse is a secondary function. You can pull someone out backwards as suggested but a locked on recovery vehicle should always be pulling from it''s rear when possible. That's the beauty of VesePilots dual receiver system, he has options.

Steve

 

[PHXPHOTOG]

How do you find water in the desert to survive? You throw a case of it in your truck BEFORE you leave the pavement. A lot of bodies have been found in the desert with dirt under their fingernails trying to dig for water. No YouTube survival BS is going to save you in the Desert if your out of water. But 5 dollars at a convenience store can.

Steve

 

[GETGONE]

What idiots are in the DESERT trying to dig for water??? You're supposed to cut into cactus for water if you have them around!

 

[vezePilot]

... and we found by experience that you need two knives to get water from a Barrel cactus. After you have moved it to any available shade ...
One knife stuck into it to hold and control it, and the other knife to cut the spines off. They are otherwise a "sugar-free watermelon."
Some friends and I ran around in the Anza-Borego desert all during the 1980's. Always armed, we "owned" a large part of it. Especially at night.

 

[vezePilot]

I'm reinstalling the custom-made brackets onto my bed walls, after removing them earlier this year. (See photo in the first section of this thread.)
I had to fetch a total of Five Loads of firewood, and I needed every inch of space in the bed.

I have also added to my gear, after some of it was lost during the recovery attempt on Mount Garfield. And I have made some progress on the design for the GrapplerAnchor that I might get around to fabricating ... some day. Items highlighted in Yellow are minimum equipment I might carry.

The GrapplerAnchor would use Receiver Pins instead of Bolts at the several connections of the parts. Receiver Pins have a MUCH higher strength rating than any similar size bolt. The design would be folded out as shown for Rocks, and folded together to be narrow for Sand. At the pieces shown in Blue, there might be Shovel-shaped parts welded on to drag in the sand.