Recovery Equipment

Good points. I'm going through and putting together a better survival kit.
I keep a Mora Bushcraft Black knife with fire starter in my Console Vault along with a G26 and spare mags.
https://tinyurl.com/54v4h755

I also have fire starting kit (Petroleum Jelly soaked cotton balls, spare lighters, etc) & water filters (Survival Straw & Sawyer mini-filter), that need to be moved out to the 4Runner. Will create a small bag of gear / food. Don't want to end up like that guy surviving off Taco Bell hot sauce.

Easy to go overboard on this stuff though and wind up with a huge backpack full of camping / survival gear.

 

I have used one. And, I fully agree with @Moon Landing . It is an excellent tool if used properly and carefully.

Everyone I talk to seems to feel it is a last resort tool that should only be used when nothing else will work. Some folks get by without one. There are other types of jacks that can be used more safely in many situations. I keep mine with me and hope to not need it.

 

Safejack's 6 ton bottle jack w/extensions
Hijack w safejack foot and stabilizing gear
Safejack universal stability base for the bottle jack and hijack
Deadman anchor
Kinetic rope
Maxtrax xtreme boards
ARB’s premium recovery kit: a snatch strap, winch extension strap, tree trunk protector, snatch block, recovery damper, bow shackles and gloves
Steel and soft shackles
A recovery hitch
Krazy Beaver shovel

Winch will be installed with the front bumper

 

That's just it. It's a balancing act.

Some guys land on the heavy side of the equation and pack it all.

I personally am on the light side - I guess because my main 'wilds' escape is via motorcycle, and there's a limit to what you can pack on a bike.

I have never had any sort of crisis that wasn't quickly resolved with the help of random strangers, the application of some hillbilly ingenuity, and / or cash into the right hands. I'd prefer not to burden my daily load for the "what ifs"; at some point you just take your chances... and that's life.

 

Maybe I carry more than I need, but heck, after a 90 or 100 lbs pack, it feels like air to me.

I forgot to mention one small item, that's vital in a survival situation: A roll of TP! Keep it in a zip-lock baggie or two. You will NOT regret it! Heck, even in just regular off-roading, well, as they say, "it happens".

Have fun, all!
Pat☺

 

I always have TP in the 4Runner. You never know.

 

I have used my hi-lift to recover my stuck jeep back when I had it. It's a great tool, but as mentioned, it can be very dangerous. It is more than just a jack or lifting tool too. It can also be used as a come-along to assist a winch or if you don't have a winch at all.

I got my Jeep stick in a mud bog when I was wheeling with a friend, he was on an ATV. His winch wouldn't pull me out so we used the hi-lift as a come-along to supplement the winch. We attached the top of the hi-lift to a tree and the other end to the front of my rig (so the hi-lift was horizontal). As we jacked, the winch also pulled and we were able to get free.

 

[/QUOTE]

Those look great. Can you also drive on to them folded to use to level the vehicle?

 

Interesting - thank you!

 

Help me out on this....

I was thinking the same thing that the OP has pictured and apparently that’s not the “spot”.

I’m new at getting stuck.....

 

https://www.apexoverland.com/shop-by-brand/Front-Recovery-Points-p111923535

Those are the proper brackets that you can use as a recovery point because they’re directly bolted to the frame. People report having used the existing hoops in the front, but I personally wouldn’t trust a recovery from them. It could turn into a dangerous situation really quick.

 

There are hooks on the front of our 4Runners that are attached to the core support. Most folks agree that they aren't strong enough for regular recovery use.

Aftermarket recovery points like @Mtbpsych linked above, or a bumper with recovery points are designed for the abuse if off-road recovery.

As mentioned, the factory tie downs have been used by some without issues. But, I wouldn't rely on them if I intended to go off-road on a regular basis.

 

The picture in the link certainly makes more sense. Reckon I’ll be looking a bit deeper into these....

 

Was off-roading in the Jagged X RZR and met a guy on the trail changing out a flat on his Land Cruiser on a slight hill. I learned that I really did not like a hi-lift. Just after he had the tire mounted the whole vehicle moved to the right and popped off the lift. It was at that point I told the dude good luck.

Steve

 

Nobody likes using a Hi-lift. It's just one of those things you keep around and hope you never need it. That said, it's an excellent tool when you do need it.

 

Is there that much different in recovery straps? ARB, Rhino, Smittybuilt? Walmart special?

 

Another option is the True North Fabrications Recovery Points, which are a tad less expensive and not powdercoated. I painted mine yellow because I'm not a fan of red

 

There is a big difference between a strap and a rope with the rope having more stretch and therefore kinetic energy available. Stick to the major manufacturers with any safety gear.

I try to only use soft shackles now. I have seen a d ring go through an older Ford tailgate rippling the bed, no thanks. Hard shackles on factory tie down points are a disaster waiting to happen.

 

I’d never even heard of a soft shackle until recently. I’ve seen a tow hook through a windshield before though. Oof.

 

You can. Look at their site.

 

As I've pointed out elsewhere, the "problem" with all these aftermarket recovery hooks is that they mount to the same frame points that a bumper / winch will attach to.

If you end up with a full bumper with shackle mounts on it then that's no issue, but if you mount a slimline / undercover bumper and winch without shackle mounts then you can't use both the undercover bumper and these aftermarket shackle mounts. It's one or the other.

So if you really want shackle mounts you get those and don't run a winch. If you'd rather have a winch in a hidden orientation you get that and use the factory tie down points as needed.

Personally I have never seen a failure / experienced a failure with my factory tie downs and I don't think I'm being arrogant by saying I think I use my truck harder than many; but you guys are spending your own money so more power to you...

 

I bought 4 soft shackles about 6 months ago after watching some Ronny Dahl videos plus Matt's Off Road Recovery videos on youtube. I've used them 3 times in the past 2 months helping stuck vehicles. Find that they are fast to use. Easy for connecting a vehicle to a stuck vehicle.

My 4Runner has hard shackles front and rear. I leave a soft shackle attached to each end of my kinetic recovery rope and then connect the soft shackle to my vehicle mounted hard shackle. Connecting to the stuck vehicle, I have the choice of using either the soft shackle (cheap to replace) or the end loop of my kinetic rope (expensive to replace).

 

I would have no problem connecting to the factory tie downs with a soft shackle, if it breaks, which is remotely possible, it would not matter as there would be no projectile coming back at the recovery vehicle.

I would add a small folding hand saw to the previous recovery gear lists. Cutting a tree or branch that is not on the ground can be difficult with an axe or hatchet.

 

Many hybrid/slimline bumpers (C4, SSO, CBI, HF etc.) utilize this same mounting points, but have the welded shackle mounts standard. I do agree though it is an issue for some of the hidden winch mounts I’ve seen that don’t have options for welded shackle mounts.

 

Watched the same Ronny Dahl vid on soft shackles not too long ago and convinced me soft shackles should be a part of everyone’s recovery kit.

 

I've used the hooks built into the 4Runner, both fore AND aft, to both recover people stuck in sand, and to pull a huge stump out of my yard. Never had a lick of trouble with them. They all stayed solid as a rock.
I've got some real good, strong ropes from my old job. Like around 35,000 lbs pull-to-failure. I even learned how to make the two different kinds of eyes in the end of a rope, so if it comes down to it, I can cut off a broken chunk of rope, put new eye in it, and away I go. They're a little bulky to store in the truck, but have come in pretty handy over the years.

I'm a big fan of ropes
Pat☺

 

Yeah, my SDHQ hidden bumper for example is devoid of shackle mounts so I double back with a snatch block to the tie downs.

 

I got my recovery points because, welp, this . This summer I'm gonna cut that under rad support out and weld myself a beefier one

 

^ Yeah, plus the 5th gen hoops are different.

I, too, wanted "rated recovery points" especially after watching Ronny Dahl talk about them.. but the more and more I read, I think that the factory points are still our best option for the 5th gens. And that's hard to admit because boy do those aftermarket ones look cool...

 

That’s what I got. $200, 2hrs of labor and you have true recovery points. Cheap insurance if you ask me.