Recovery Boards & Collapsible Shovel For Overlanding
Have you ever been out on a trail and found yourself stuck in a bad situation? Maybe you are out offroad in soft dirt, sand, or even snow. This is where an offroad traction recovery kit can come in clutch. It’s no secret, that having the right tools in your rig helps give you more confidence wherever your adventures take you.
This kit includes traction boards and a folding shovel. These may seem like basic tools, but they can work wonders when you’re buried up to your frame. Together, these lightweight tools allow you to dig yourself out, level uneven surfaces, or even bridge small gaps in the trail.
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Who Is Rugged Ridge?
For those of you who are not familiar with Rugged Ridge, they started as an offroad Jeep company. Now, though, they cater to a much broader audience. They carry anything from vehicle-specific parts to universal accessories and camping gear. They are owned by Real Truck, which I’m sure most of you are familiar with.
Recovery Boards
Since these traction boards weren’t from the big-name brands that I was used to, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first opened the box, however, I was impressed at how heavy-duty they looked and felt. They weren’t too heavy nor felt like cheap plastic and weighed in at 5 lbs each.
Structurally, there is a lot of reinforcement in the design and they’re rated to handle up to 20,000lbs of load. The boards are also covered with durable nylon teeth that help your tires grab onto them.
They come with a 5-year limited warranty.
Trail Use
Traction boards can help provide traction in multiple types of terrain. Soft sand in the desert is where I see myself using them the most. They are also very useful in mud or snow.
I’ve also heard of people using them to gain a tad more ground clearance on rocky terrain. For example, you can use recovery boards to create a bridge to help you get over a gap that’s just too deep for your vehicle to clear. Just be careful if you use the boards in this fashion as the lack of support under them will cause a lot of stress and could lead to product failure.
Lightweight & Portable
When it comes to off-roading or overlanding, storage space comes at a premium.
Luckily, the boards are very lightweight and can be mounted in a myriad of ways. I’ve seen these mounted on a roof rack, bed rack, and even on exterior MOLLE panels.
Folding Shovel
Rugged Ridge took the liberty of including a folding metal shovel with their recovery boards. This makes clearing out the terrain around your tires much easier and saves your boards from extra wear and tear. I don’t know about you, but I would rather dig up rocks and dirt with a metal shovel instead of recovery boards.
The folding design of the shovel makes it compact for easy storage in small spaces such as under your seat.
Final Thoughts
You don’t ever want to be caught stuck on a trail without the proper gear. Being prepared will help prevent headaches when things go sideways, as they often do when offroading.
This kit may not be from one of usual related brands, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They have a lower price tag than the other boards on the market and are good enough quality to perform as advertised. At the end of the day, they’re still way better than using your hands to scoop snow or dirt. So, save yourself some money for other offroad gear and check out this option.
