What ONE piece of recovery gear will you never leave home without?

[Sempertoy]

Been thinking a lot about recovery gear lately because I am planning a single vehicle 5 day adventure to Death Valley with my dad and little brother. I just got an ARB snatch strap, ARB tire repair kit and a TJM portable compressor that I am so stoked about! I also have a hi lift that I will take, even though I don't really have any jack points on my truck yet, I figure it's better to have it in an emergency situation than not have it.

So what piece of equipment would you feel absolutely necessary to take on a solo vehicle trip? Feel free to post pictures too, because we all love pictures!

[Patman]

Shovel
Sand ladders of some sort
Brain(more the ability to use it at the right time)
Hi lift hub adapter

[Sempertoy]

Shovel
Sand ladders of some sort
Brain(more the ability to use it at the right time)

Ah, shovel good call. Forgot to mention I carry one. Sand ladders i.e. maxtraxx? Do you have a cheaper alternative? A brain huh, that's interesting.... I wonder if I can get one cheap somewhere. I know that there has to be someone not using theirs and would like to get rid of it, rather than just having it collect dust.

[Keanan]

A good pair of shoes. When you get stuck out in the boonies you need good shoes to walk back to town, not cheap plastic flip flops from Kmart.

Really a shovel and ingenuity can go a long ways.

[Patman]

Ah, shovel good call. Forgot to mention I carry one. Sand ladders i.e. maxtraxx? Do you have a cheaper alternative?

Lots of cheap alternatives, the smittybilt ones aren't bad, the expanded aluminum style classic "sand ladder" can be had cheap if you shop around. And are IMHO the most Expolicious

[TangoBlue]

Winch. Assuming you have one, that is.

If I'm stuck or in some sort of bind, which might not be unlikely in a desert environment, a winch can get me up, over, sideways, backwards from a stuck. In the sand - bury a tire as a winch anchor.

It's the one piece of recovery kit that I've used the most.

[matthewp]

Or, if you can't afford the winch, get some (properly rated) chain and an accessory kit for the Hi-lift. From experience I can vouch the Hi-lift does a LOT better as a come along with the proper parts!

[postalWagon]

Hi-Lift, mine is bolted to my hood. I would never think of driving Anywhere with out it.

[ssssnake529]

ARB Exhaust Jack

[crismateski]

Peculator, If I have to wait for rescue, I am not waiting with out coffee