Off-road recovery gear
Choose recovery gear for your vehicle and your next pull.
Compare winches, ropes, shackles and traction boards. Build a recovery kit, check what load ratings mean, and use the calculators to work through vehicle weight and rigging loads.
Find your vehicle
Browse recovery kits and winch guides for Jeep, Toyota, Ford, Subaru and UTV owners.
Understand gear ratings
Compare working load limit, minimum breaking strength and design factor in the recovery gear ratings guide.
Prepare your kit
Use the recovery kit checklist to organize your gear before the next trip.
Start here
Gear Reviews
Off-Road Recovery Gear
Every gear category explained in plain terms, with routes to spec-sourced buying guides: ropes, shackles, winches, traction boards.
Techniques
Vehicle Recovery Techniques
The safe rigging playbook: winching, kinetic recovery, snatch-block pulls, and ground anchors, with manufacturer guidance front and center.
Ratings 101
Recovery Gear Ratings Explained
WLL, MBS, safety factors: the spec-literacy hub that makes every rating on this site legible instead of a mystery number on a tag.
Kits
Recovery Kits by Vehicle
Kits matched to your platform and scenario (Jeep, Toyota, Ford, Subaru, UTV), plus the free printable checklist to build your own.
Free calculators
Build a recovery kit, compare rope and shackle sizes, calculate block loads, or estimate the pull needed to move a stuck vehicle.
Kit Builder
Recovery Kit Builder
Pick your vehicle and get a kit sized to it, rope and shackles to traction boards.
Kinetic Rope
Kinetic Rope Size Calculator
Use the recovered vehicle’s loaded weight to calculate Bubba Rope’s breaking-strength guidance.
Snatch Block
Snatch Block Size Calculator
Get the minimum working load limit a block or ring needs for your winch.
Soft Shackle
Soft Shackle Sizing Calculator
Compare soft-shackle breaking strength with your rope or winch line, then check the maker’s working rating and attachment requirements.
Pull Force
Recovery Pull Force Calculator
Estimate the force a stuck-vehicle recovery needs, with I4WDTA's published method.
Latest guides
Maintenance
Should You Lubricate a Synthetic Winch Rope?
Wash synthetic winch rope instead of oiling it. Follow the rope manual for cleaning, inspect discoloration, and use physical covers for UV protection.
Explainer
Vehicle Stuck on the Beach With the Tide Coming In: What the Park Service Actually Tells You to Do
Get people clear of rising water, call for help early, and check each park's towing policy. Includes ranger assistance and Padre Island tide guidance.
Standards
How Thick Does Ice Need to Be to Drive a Truck On It?
Minnesota gives 13 inches for a medium truck on new, clear ice. Compare moving and parked loads, white-ice adjustments, and agency safety precautions.
Standards
Does Exhaust Heat Damage a Recovery Strap? OSHA Publishes Two Answers
Keep straps away from hot exhaust. Compare OSHA’s 180°F and 194°F lifting-sling limits, recognize heat damage, and know when to retire the strap.
Troubleshooting
Your Shackle Pin Keeps Backing Out Because Nothing but Friction Stops It Turning
A moving line, shifting load or vibration can unscrew a shackle pin. Fix the rigging geometry, follow the pin instructions, and choose suitable retention.
Standards
Plug vs Patch vs Plug-Patch: A Repair Has Two Jobs, Not One
The injury has to be filled and the innerliner has to be sealed. A plug does the first, a patch the second, and only one method does both.