Personally, in the past I've always gone for lift and tires first. However, with this latest Jeep I've bought, (07 JK 2dr several months ago), I opted for recovery gear first. The main reason is I was soooo itching to buy something for it but was nowhere near the point of buying a lift and tires so I've just been doing what little things I can for now.
The first thing anyone should get is a friend to go out with them. Never go alone. Not only to help you get unstuck, but I've heard of multiple incidents of run-ins with "locals" and/or the self-appointed law of an area that could have ended differently if the numbers weren't in the jeepers' favor.
I'm hit-or-miss for recovery gear vs lift, tires etc.
I usually have some sort lift on my rig before getting hardcore recovery gear. I'll always have straps / and a a few clevis in any of my rigs and atv.
Course all my rigs have winches, one came stock from the factory with a winch so that helped - lol. Personally if I was the type that did a lot of back country travelling I would get a winch first, with some recovery gears, some sort of jack (preferred hi-lift) first.
Then lift / tires and at least 1 locker
Course now-adays 90% of my vehicle wheeling is done in a park with multiple rigs so I don't carry much for survival kits (food, etc). On the quad - have a small first aid kit, toilet paper, a few heat packs, winch / straps / clevis / lighter / K-tool, etc. since we our out in the middle of no-where with them.
As to lift vs recovery gear, depends on what type of Jeep you get. If you're getting an old stock YJ on sagging leaf springs and 27 inch tires, lift and tires for sure.
If you're getting a 2010 JK with the premium wheels/tires, I'd say lift can come after.
Don't skimp on a winch!
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Ive been wheeling about every weekend for the last 5/6 years, no matter how much snow or rain, lol
My take on wheeling:
1) NEVER wheel alone, IF you do, tell (not email) atleast two people, where you`re going, when you`re going to be back....
2) always make sure you have enough food/water and clothes for two days for a one day trip, 4 days of food/water and clothing for a 2 day trip.
As for the rig, IMHO get the recover gear first, tow straps, yank strap, winch or Hi-Lift as it can be used as a hand winch. Always have some tools with you, and find out whats prone to breakage for your rig, and carry a spare, and always have a full size spare tire and jack.
NEVER take a sick rig on the trail..
Then once you got some recovery gear, fully charged cell phone, a CB and/or HAM, THEN, start thinking about armor/skid plates, LEARN TO WHEEL what you have...... Then get the lift, tires, bumpers and winch.
just my take on wheeling in a nutshell, Im sure there are somethings left out, but thats the basics IMO
Definitely recovery gear, and definitely use anything you may have to rely on. I learned the futility of using nylon straps with a comealong firsthand; using a hilift would have been even worse.
I've yet to use my winch for self recovery... but it's helped me recover other vehicles from ditches, drag dead vehicles onto trailers, drag logs. It's exceptionally good at ripping padlock hasps off doors. (Part of my job...)
I once used my winch to recover a hot tub from a back yard. I saw a guy throw a winch line over a notch in a tree when his jack broke.
I'd have a good winch, a couple straps, various rigging gear, a short handled digging shovel, an axe, a hilift jack, a good air compressor, and an extensive toolkit on board before I even started thinking about lifting.
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We work together every damn day. --Jon Stewart
What does one normally use an axe for? Besides murdering people in B-grade horror flicks?
Limb the base of a tree to get a good anchor. Cut up a log or a branch one is stuck on. Build a deadman anchor by cutting as large a log as you can, wrap a line around it, and bury it in as deep a hole as you can manage.
Prepare firewood if you're truly stuck. (Every survival guide suggests staying with or near the vehicle until help arrives, rather than trying to hike to safety. Fire brings warmth, protection from insects and some animals, signaling, etc.)
Or turn it around and use it as a hammer. Beat a crushed fender out of a wheel well. Drive stakes. Tap heavy things into place.
There's enough uses that I can justify zip-tying an axe (And a short-handled digging shovel) across the grille supports under the hood of my Jeep.
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We work together every damn day. --Jon Stewart
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