If you wheel out in the backcountry, you know how important it is to be prepared in case things go wrong. And when it comes to offroad recovery, there are certain items you just don’t want to leave at home!

We suggest you put together a basic list of offroad recovery and winching tools to help you prepare for any recovery situation you might face. Some of these items are essential to the winching process, and others are just a matter of convenience. Recently I was cought ill prepared, I have corrected this but I want to share some info with you.


1. Gloves – Protect your hands during the winching process with a pair of heavy duty leather gloves.
2. Hook Strap – Keep your fingers from getting pinched in the winch hook by using the hook strap to spool out the cable (new winches usually come with them).
3. Snatch Block – Double up the winch line with a snatch block for really tough pulls.
4. Clevis / D-shackles – Attach the winch hook to the anchor point with a clevis or D-shackle.
5. Choker Chain – Use the choker chain to hook up to sharp objects or other vehicles. (Note: Not for use on trees, since a choker chain could damage or kill the tree.)
6. Tree Strap – Use the tree strap to hook up to trees or other natural objects as an anchor point.
7. Heavy Blanket or Coat – Throw a heavy blanket over the winch cable to zap the momentum of the cable in case it breaks.
8. Recovery Strap – Use the recovery strap for quick and easy snatch pulls. (Note: Do not use the recovery strap in combination with your winch.)
9. Batteries – Throw in extra batteries for the winch remote, just in case your batteries die out on the trail. (if needed)
10. Accessory Bag or Case – Keep all these winching accessories handy when you need them by storing them all together in one place.
11. Shovel – One of these might come in handy during a tough recovery.
12. Toolbox – Throw some pliers, a wrench, a screwdriver, and other basic tools into your accessory kit for repairs and quick fixes.
13. Backup Parts – If you have room, it’s a good idea to throw in an extra winch cable or cable extension, an extra tree strap, and an extra clevis shackle and snatch block, along with any other extra parts you think might come in handy.
14. Saw - A saw also comes in handy, either a small fold up hand saw or a wire saw. These can come in very handy to cut down small obsticles in the way.