Minimum recover gear required to visit Fraser

[rockinj]

Before I vote on the 2016 Swag Meet thread can anyone give some info on minimum recovery gear required to visit Fraser?


Recovery gear - if we went to Fraser for the first time we would only take the ute and 'tent' camp. Love to take the van but it is not 'outback' version and for a first time visit far too much hassle. As far as basic recover gear required, what should be minimum gear needed?

We have friends that go to Fraser EVERY year and they have a dedicated Fraser 4WD (Love to have their money lol.) However, I cannot recall EVER seeing any recovery gear on their wagon.

Thoughts?

[rkl71]

As a frequent visitor to Fraser I would suggest that firstly you need a good tyre gauge as the first requisite is to lower the tyre pressure before you hit the sand. I drive an oldish Patrol and run it at 20PSI both front and rear. After that providing you have rated tow points a suitable snatch strap. After that in rough order my list would include Maxtracks then a winch with a sand anchor.
It all depends on the budget as with most things in life. Over the last 30 odd years I have never required any of the recovery gear apart from the tyre gauge.

[Bird]

Whatever you think you will need to get yourself out..
Personally I don't lend gear anymore after having lent 2 straps to arseholes who kindly ****ed them both.

Good kit that wont take up much room
• 9m x 8000kg Snatch Strap or 2.. sometimes you cant get close to the bloke helping save your car from the ocean..
• 2 x Rated Bow Shackles
• 20m Winch Extension Strap
• Long handle shovel
• Winch damper/blanket
• Good compressor
• Reliable pressure gauge
• Ferret tyre deflator
• Drag Chain can be handy
• Tide Chart for time your on the island.
• Hammer handle for joining snatch straps (http://www.whyalla4wd.org.au/Shackles.html)


You may use none of it... you may be thankful you took all of it.

[rockinj]

Thanks guys - hubby's biffy is next month and Christmas is not far away. Wonder if he would be happy to get some of the stuff listed lol.

[weeds]

Tyre pressure gauge,  snatch strap,  front recovery point and a slip in one for the tow bar.....oh and a shovel. 

I lower tyre pressures to 22psi.....never been stuck on Fraser.

[Green rv]

been to fraser many times with less than all posted

what i have
compressor (not required but handy)
snatch strap
long handle shovel (great for sand castles)
tyre gauge 
high lift jack (can't remember the last time i took this anywhere) it's heavy and i'm lazy
tool kit

 
Adam

[Bird]

Thanks guys - hubby's biffy is next month and Christmas is not far away. Wonder if he would be happy to get some of the stuff listed lol.

http://www.ironman4x4.com/category-products/recovery-equipment/recovery-kits

[tk421]

In theory you could rely on others having the kit but that's a)rude and unprepared b) relying on them having decent kit that won't hurt you when it breaks (I've seen guys buying D-shackles in Bunnings for "recovery".  Like Bird I won't lend stuff out, and if I am doing a recovery, it is under my rules, with my kit that I know the condition of.

What Bird said but my "absolute minimum" would be:

Tyre gauge
Shovel
(9 times out of 10 letting air out of your tires and a bit of digging and reverse gear will get you out unless you've dug yourself down to the axles)

(For that other 10% and if bogged on the beach on an incoming tide    )
Rated recovery points
Rated Bow shackles
Winch Extension strap over a Snatch Strap if you can't get both. (both if you can get them but can you can use the Winch strap as a tow rope if needed - don't tow with a Snatch Strap.  IMO too many recoveries go straight to snatch straps when other safer methods should be tried eg more air out of the tires,  forward-back-forward back, digging out with shovel, gentle tow with snatch strap. )
Damper for straps - (can use a blanket or similar if required)
If you get a snatch strap get the knowledge to use it safely

(Compressor?: Expensive you can wait to the mainland to re-inflate if you really need to, just drive slow)

[ronmac]

1x Landcruiser, thats about it!

[JD-120]

1x Landcruiser, thats about it!

Cheaper to buy a shovel, straps and some maxtrax

[noel_w]

1x Landcruiser, thats about it!

Yeah use the cruiser as an anchoring point.

[scblack]

(Compressor?: Expensive you can wait to the mainland to re-inflate if you really need to, just drive slow)

12v compressor costs as little as $90 at Bunnings.

That also saves you the queue for the air hose at servo - at Anna Bay that can be up to an hour if there's a few cars.

[tk421]

12v compressor costs as little as $90 at Bunnings.

That also saves you the queue for the air hose at servo - at Anna Bay that can be up to an hour if there's a few cars.

True. But would I rather inflate 4x 4x4 tires @35L/min compressor vs 4@150L/min?  - that's if it doesn't die or the thermal cut out doesn't kick in. But still better than none I suppose.

"A few years ago, we compared all of the popular portable air compressors on the market and thought we’d throw a $50 cheapie into the mix. After three-and-a-half minutes of pumping, the cheapie compressor managed to inflate a relatively small 205R16 tyre from 15psi to just 24psi, at which point it overheated and expired completely"

http://www.4x4australia.com.au/gear/electronics-gadgets/1106/portable-air-compressors/

[scblack]

As you said, better than none.

I've used mine for a couple of years now, no problem whatsoever.

[jk]

Simple stuff......................Long Handled Shovel
                                        Tyre Gauge ( good quality )
                                        Compressor
                                        Snatch Strap ( and something to connect it to on both ends, another 4x4 and recovery points on yours  )

Complex stuff....................Second Snatch Strap
                                        Maxtrax or similar
                                        Cold Beer, to entice some outside help from passing 4x4's

That's it 
                                       

[edz]

Other than AIRING DOWN  and safe momentum ..... One of the best items to have in your kit for Fraser is a good connection between the eyes / brain and bits that control the Go / Stop / Steer parts of the vehicle you are in [ If it starts to bury "  STOP "  reassess n go out backwards ]
I there is a short circuit somewhere and the need arises, Aircomp [ 10psi or less gets you out of most things sandy if not buried, to air up  ] , shovel [ to dig out,  if connection from brain to foot got scrambled ] , Snatch strap and beer  [ for good sumaritans to use and payment ] at a minimum and a set of traks if the wallet permits .

[weeds]

Keep in mind this is worse case........low tide and lower tyre pressure it will be a breeze getting to the campsite.

[Jeepers Creepers]

remember, a lot of other folks will have the gear as well.

They may not let you use it, but they'll have it.

Just come along, you'll be fine.... what could go wrong with me in charge..... 

[rockinj]

lol, you guys are tops. I am getting the impression I should spend many hundreds on beer rather than recovery gear. :-)
hubby would love that!
At least we have a bit of time to start buying beer oops I mean recovery gear.

[Rumpig]

I'd say as a minimum you need a decent tyre gauge / tyre deflators, rated recovery points front and rear and a shovel. Let your tyres down to 18 psi and i'd be very surprised if you get bogged on Fraser unless it hasn't rained in ages before you go there. You aren't towing so weight shouldn't be an issue, 99.999999999% of people that get bogged do so from not letting their tyres down at all / enough. Forget the compressor, we visited Fraser for years without owning one, just drove slowly (60kph) into Rainbow come time time to head home and reinflated tyres at the servo. Yes at times there will be a line up to use this device, but it never used to be to long a wait time really. Before purchasing a snatch strap, shackles etc etc, i'd say a set of Maxtrax would be a better idea to own....but learn how to use them properly without damaging them before you go would be my word of advice. If i can easily unbog a Landcruiser towing a caravan at Inskip Point with just 1 set of 2 Maxtrax, then i'm sure you can easily extract a single vehicle from the sand using them also....a much safer way to unbog vehicles then using snatch straps IMHO.

[Luke_D]

Buy gear that will allow you to get yourself out before having to reply on anyone else.  Tyre gauge and air compressor, shovel and recovery tracks.  Next a snatch strap. I would rather get myself out before attaching a snatch strap to some random clowns or backpackers vehicle.
Mid year trip over there you couldn't get bogged even if u tried

[Nomad]

second gear high range and momentum.