The best 4x4 recovery kits in Australia 2024

If you venture off road, a recovery kit’s pretty much essential. Sooner or later, you or a mate are going to get bogged or caught in a spot you can’t get out of. With the right recovery gear, you’ll be able to get out of most sticky situations.

The thing is, your recovery kit needs a handful of essential items. Otherwise, it’s going to be virtually useless. What are they?

The list’s surprisingly short:

• Snatch strap
• Tree-trunk protector
• Winch extension strap
• Rated shackles
• Cable/strap dampener
• Snatch block (if you have a winch).

You can buy all the bits separately or as a complete kit. It’s these kits we’re interested in here.

Based on our list of essentials, we’ve come up with a selection of the best recovery kits. We only looked at kits suited to vehicles with a GVM of up 3500kg. Most dual-cab utes and wagons fall in that range.

What if you’re cruising around in something much bigger like an American pickup or a small 4WD truck? Then you’re generally going to need recovery gear bigger than we’ve listed here. Check out our buyers’ guide to help you choose the right gear.

ARB RK9A Premium Recovery Kit

ARB RK9A Premium Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 8T, strap
• Tree protector: 12T, strap
• Winch extension: 4.5T, strap
• Shackles: 4.75T, bow shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: 9T, block
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves
• Warranty: 3 years

Buy now

ARB’s RK9A Premium Recovery Kit contains:

• 9T snatch block
• 8T snatch strap, 60mm x 9m
• 12T tree-trunk protector, 80mm x 3m
• 4.5T winch extension strap, 55mm x 20m
• 4.75T rated bow shackles, 2 pack
• Winch dampener
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

All straps come with reinforced eyes, plus eye and seam protector sleeves for long life and extra protection from damage. ARB’s Premium Kit is designed for 4WDers who have a winch on their vehicle.

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CampBoss Premium Adventure Recovery System

CampBoss Premium Adventure Recovery System

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 14T, kinetic rope
• Tree protector: 10T, strap
• Winch extension: 10T, static rope
• Shackles: 14T, soft shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: No
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves
• Warranty: Not specified

Buy now at Outback Equipment

The CampBoss Premium Adventure Recovery System uses kinetic rope and soft shackles in place of the more traditional straps and metal shackles. As a result, its kit is lightweight and provides a level of safety not possible when using the usual metal components.

The kit includes:

• 14T kinetic recovery (snatch) rope, 22mm x 9m
• 10T tree-trunk protector, 3m
• 10T winch extension rope, 11mm x 15m
• 14T rated soft shackles, 2 pack
• Winch dampener
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

This kit does not include a snatch block. CampBoss use what it calls recovery rings (snatch or winch rings), which are lightweight aluminium rings used instead of snatch blocks.

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CAOS Recovery Kit – Large

CAOS Recovery Kit – Large

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 8T and 11T, straps
• Tree protector: 10T, strap
• Winch extension: 10T, strap
• Shackles: 4.75T, bow shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: No
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves, folding shovel
• Warranty: Lifetime

Buy now

The CAOS Recovery Kit – Large is supplied in a canvas storage bag.

The kit contains:

• 8T snatch strap, 75mm x 9m
• 11T snatch strap, 75mm x 9m
• 10T tree saver, winch extension, equaliser and tow strap, 75mm x 5m
• 4.75T rated bow shackles, 2 pack
• Recovery dampener
• Gloves
• Folding shovel w/ storage pouch.

All CAOS straps are NATA tested and certified and comply with Australian standards. Loop straps are triple reinforced to ensure maximum strength. The tree-trunk protector is a multipurpose strap … you can also use it as a winch extension strap, equaliser or tow strap.

If you need a snatch block for a winch cable, CAOS supplies these separately.

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Drifta Stockton Light-Duty Recovery Kit

Drifta Stockton Light-Duty Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 11T, kinetic rope
• Tree protector: 12T, strap
• Winch extension: 12T, static rope
• Shackles: 2 x 13T, 1 x 16T soft shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch ring/block: 11T, ring
• Storage Bag: Yes
• Warranty: 1 Year

Buy now

Drifta’s Stockton Light-Duty Recovery Kit uses synthetic rope and soft shackles, rather than the flat straps and bow shackles.

The kit includes:

• 11T snatch ring
• 11T snatch rope, 22mm x 9m
• 12T tree-trunk protector, 75mm x 3m
• 12T winch extension rope, 11mm x 10m
• 13T rated soft shackles, 2 pack
• 16T rated soft shackle
• Winch dampener
• Storage Bag.

Drifta’s Stockton Light-Duty Recovery Kit is designed for vehicles up to 3500kg. They have another heavy-duty kit suited for vehicles over 3500kg. At around $100 more, the heavy-duty kit is worth considering.

The snatch ring is a free extra, only available for a limited time.

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Hercules Complete Recovery Kit

Hercules Complete Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 8T, strap
• Tree protector: 10T, strap
• Winch extension: 5T, strap
• Shackles: 4.7T, bow shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: 8T, block
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves, folding shovel, tyre deflator
• Warranty: 1 year

Buy now at 4WD Supacentre

The Hercules Complete Recovery Kit from the 4WD Supacentre is great value for money.

It contains:

• 8T snatch block
• 8T snatch strap, 60mm x 9m
• 10T tree-trunk protector, 75mm x 3m
• 5T extension strap, 50mm x 10m
• 4.7T rated bow shackles, 2 pack
• Winch dampener
• Folding shovel
• Kwiky tyre deflator
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

This kit comes with some handy extras, like a folding shovel and a tyre deflator. The Hercules Complete Recovery Kit is a good all-round budget-priced option.

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MAXTRAX Bush Recovery Kit

MAXTRAX Bush Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 3 at 12T 2m, 3m & 5m, kinetic rope
• Tree protector: 28.9T, static rope
• Winch extension: N/A
• Shackles: 5 x 7T, 1 x 14T soft shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: No
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: No
• Warranty: 1 year

Buy now

MAXTRAX has taken an innovative approach to vehicle recovery. Instead of one fixed-length kinetic (snatch) rope, it provides three shorter kinetic ropes. This innovative feature means you have plenty of flexibility on tight bush tracks, where space is often at a premium.

The kit includes:

• 12T kinetic recovery (snatch) rope, 24mm x 2m
• 12T kinetic recovery (snatch) rope, 24mm x 3m
• 12T kinetic recovery (snatch) rope, 24mm x 5m
• 28.9T tree-trunk protector/extension rope/load-spreading bridle, 3m
• 5 x 7T rated fuse (soft) shackles
• 1 x 14T rated core (soft) shackle
• Winch dampener
• Storage bag.

You join the kinetic ropes by using what MAXTRAX calls fuse shackles. They’re designed to be the weakest point (or fuse) in the system. Then use the supplied core shackle to connect to a vehicle, tree protector, winch extension, and so on.

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Mean Mother Recovery Kit

Mean Mother Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 11T, strap
• Tree protector: 12T, strap
• Winch extension: 8T, strap
• Shackles: 5T, bow shackles
• Dampener: No
• Snatch block/ring: 8T, block
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves
• Warranty: 1 year

Buy now at Outback Equipment

The Mean Mother 11T Recovery Kit is a mid-range product, with all the gear you need to get you out of sticky situations.

The kit includes:

• 8T snatch block
• 11T snatch strap, 75mm x 9m
• 12T tree-trunk protector, 75mm x 3m
• 8T winch extension strap, 50mm x 10m
• 5T rated bow shackles, 2 pack
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

Surprisingly, the kit doesn’t include a winch dampener. However, you can purchase this separately.

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Saber 8K Ultimate Recovery Kit

Saber 8K Ultimate Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 8.2T, kinetic rope
• Tree protector: 15T, static rope
• Winch extension: 9.5T, static rope
• Shackles: 2 x 10T, 1 x 18T soft shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: 12T, ring
• Storage bag: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Buy now at Outback Equipment

Saber’s 8K Ultimate Recovery Kit uses synthetic rope and soft shackles.

The kit includes:

• 12T snatch ring
• 8.2T snatch rope, 9m
• 9.5T winch extension rope, 20m
• 15T utility rope, 3m
• 10T rated soft shackles, 2 pack
• 18T rated soft shackle
• Winch dampener
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

The 3m long utility rope is a versatile piece of gear, which can be used as a tree-trunk protector, winch extension or equaliser rope.

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TJM Heavy Duty Recovery Kit – Large

TJM Heavy Duty Recovery Kit – Large

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 11T, strap
• Tree protector: 10T, strap
• Winch extension: 6T, strap
• Shackles: 3.25T & 4.75T bow shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: 10T, block
• Storage bag: Yes
• Extras: Gloves
• Warranty: 3 years

Buy now

The TJM Heavy Duty Recovery Kit contains:

• 10T snatch block
• 11T snatch Strap, 75mm x 9m
• 10T tree protector, 75mm x 5m
• 6T winch extension, 60mm x 20m
• 2 x 3.25T, 2 x 4.75T rated bow shackles
• Recovery dampener
• Gloves
• Storage bag.

The kit also has handy guidelines for safe use of snatch straps, plus snatch block and recovery dampener instructions.

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XTM 7 Piece Recovery Kit

XTM 7 Piece Recovery Kit

Specifications

• Snatch strap/kinetic rope: 8T, strap
• Tree protector: 10T, strap
• Winch extension: 4.5T, strap
• Shackles: 4.7T, bow shackles
• Dampener: Yes
• Snatch block/ring: 8T, block
• Storage bag: Yes
• Warranty: Not specified

Buy now

XTM’s 7 Piece Recovery Kit is an entry-level, budget-priced kit. It’s good value for money and has all the bits you need for a recovery.

The kit includes:

• 8T snatch block
• 8T snatch strap, 9m
• 10T tree-trunk protector, 3m
• 4.5T winch extension rope, 10m
• 4.7T rated bow shackles, 2 pack
• Winch dampener/carry bag.

The carry bag doubles as a winch dampener.

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How we review products

4X4 Australia has been reviewing four-wheel drive vehicles and aftermarket products for more than 40 years.

When looking for the best recovery kits in Australia, there are some things essential to making sure you have the best off-roading experience.

When we compared each of the products in the list with others out there, we looked at:

• What’s included in the kit
• Warranty
• Build quality
• Value for money
• Load ratings,
  to determine what’s the best product across each price point.

We also looked at user reviews and our own experience with these products to make sure our recommendations are for the best on the market.

Disclosure: When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. We also include products we don’t earn a commission from.

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Buyers’ guide for recovery kits

Every recovery kit needs a handful of go-to essentials. They’ll get you out of trouble in the bush or on the beach.

Carry these and you’ll be able to recover your fourbie from most situations:

• Snatch strap
• Tree-trunk protector
• Winch extension strap
• Rated shackles
• Cable dampener
• Snatch block (if you have a winch).

So, what exactly are these bits of gear and what do you use them for?

Making sense of it all

Ideally, you want each piece of equipment to do multiple jobs. But as you’ll see, some are specialists, while others can wear more than one hat.

Snatch strap

A snatch strap’s like a giant elastic band. It stretches, then snaps back.

Why’s a snatch strap better than your ol’ faithful tow rope? Well, as the snatch strap stretches it stores energy. Once the energy is high enough to move the vehicle being recovered, the snatch strap contracts and pulls the towed vehicle forward.

The best part is, the shock forces are nothing like you get with a tow rope. So there’s less chance of ripping half the front-end off your mate’s pride and joy.

However, the forces involved in a snatch recovery are pretty scary. There’s always a chance of something failing … whether it’s tow points, shackles or something else. Before you attempt a snatch recovery, check out this guide on snatch recoveries to learn what to look for and how to make the immediate area safe.

You’ll notice we talk about snatch straps and kinetic ropes in our reviews. Snatch straps are flat straps, while kinetic ropes are round synthetic ropes. The biggest advantage of kinetic ropes is they’re lightweight when compared to snatch straps.

Snatch straps are definitely specialists. They should only be used for snatch recoveries. Although you can use one as a tow rope over short distances ... but only if you have no other option.

However, never use them as tree-trunk protectors or winch extensions. Snatch straps are designed to stretch. That’s the last thing you want a winch extension or tree protector to do.

One final thing – snatch straps have a limited lifespan. After a while, they’ll stretch and lose their elasticity.

Tree-trunk protector

A tree-trunk protector has two main jobs. The first is to prevent the tree you’re winching from being ringbarked. The second is to protect the winch cable. You don’t want to wrap a winch rope around a tree and fill the weave with splinters.

Tree-trunk protectors are around 3m long and are usually wide, flat straps. However, some manufacturers do use static (non-stretchy) synthetic rope with a protective sheath along the length of the rope.

You can also use tree-trunk protectors as winch extension straps, as a load-spreading bridle between two recovery points, or even as a tow rope at a pinch.

Winch extension

Winch extensions are designed to provide extra winch-cable length by attaching to the end of the cable. You can buy flat straps or round static (non-stretchy) synthetic ropes. They can be anywhere from 3m to 20m long.

Sometimes winch extensions are rated the same as tree-trunk protectors, but not always. And this is where it gets confusing …

Often, winch extensions are rated to match the typical rating of the winches used on vehicles. In the kits we looked at earlier, that’s generally 4 to 5.5T (9000 to 12,000lb). That’s why you’ll often see winch extensions rated as low as 4.5T, whereas the rest of the recovery gear is rated much higher.

If you buy one of these lower-rated winch extensions, be wary when using it to tow or as a load-spreading bridle. It likely won’t be up to the job.

Rated shackles

Bow shackles are by law rated for lifting. Lifting regulations require a much larger margin of safety than recovery situations. So bow shackles have ultra-conservative load ratings, otherwise known as Working Load Limit or WLL.

You’ll notice they’re all rated around 4.5 to 5T. That’s the WLL … breaking load is six times higher.

On the other hand, soft shackles are rated much higher. But their rating is for breaking strength, not load limit. The result? You’re not comparing apples with apples.

To cut a long story short, bow shackles rated at 4.5 to 5T are fine for your average ute or wagon. And if the soft shackles are rated the same or higher than the kinetic (snatch) rope, you’ll be sweet.

Soft shackles are a fantastic innovation. They eliminate the potential for a heavy steel bow shackle becoming a potentially deadly missile if a recovery point lets go. They really are a massive step forward in recovery safety.

Cable dampener

If a winch cable breaks when under full load, the results can be fatal. There are many stories of people being killed or severely injured when something fails during a recovery. By placing a cable dampener over the winch cable, you help control the cable should the worst happen.

Snatch block or ring

Snatch blocks have nothing to do with snatch straps or snatch recoveries. Never use a snatch block in this situation. Rather, they’re a pulley or ring.

If you run the winch cable out and attach it to a tree, that’s called a single-line pull. But if you run the cable back to the vehicle, you halve the load on the winch. This is called a double-line pull. To do this, you need a snatch block or snatch ring.

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Run the winch cable through the snatch block, attach the snatch block to the tree-protector strap, then attach the end of the winch cable to a recovery point on the vehicle.

Snatch blocks let you do side pulls and even reverse pulls … if you can remember how to rig it all up!

Snatch rings or winch rings do exactly the same thing as snatch blocks, except they’re compatible with synthetic rope and soft shackles.

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The best thing about winch rings is they’re super-lightweight and compact compared to snatch blocks. Plus, you eliminate the possibility of a heavy snatch block causing injury or worse if something lets go.

Like the soft shackles, snatch rings are a game-changer when it comes to recovery safety.

What size gear is best?

If you’ve had a look at our comparison table you might notice something … the load ratings for the same type of strap/rope are all over the shop.

Take snatch straps/kinetic ropes for example. They vary from 8T to 14T, and everywhere in between. That’s a huge difference.

Winch extension straps/ropes are even worse … 4.5T to 12T.

What’s going on?

It’s all to do with what figures the manufacturers quote. There’s a working load limit (WLL) and then there’s breaking strength (or load). WLL is usually around a third to half the breaking strength.

Some manufacturers quote WLL, others quote breaking strength. The problem is, the buyer often doesn’t know which figure they’re quoting.

Luckily, there’s a rule of thumb to go by:

Make sure the breaking strength is two to three times higher than the lightest vehicle in a recovery.

Why the lightest vehicle? Because:

1. If it’s the tow vehicle, the wheels will lose traction long before you apply the breaking force to the rope or strap. There’s simply not enough weight to maintain traction.
2. If it’s the vehicle being recovered, it’ll get sucked out of the bog or up the steep hill well before the rope or strap hits breaking force. Again, it’s all about weight.

To be on the safe side, use your vehicle’s rated GVM as a guide. A typical ute or wagon GVM is 3 to 3.5T.

To figure out what gear you need, multiply the GVM by two, then by three to get a range. So, a 3T GVM ute needs recovery gear rated between 6T and 9T. This means you’ll want every piece of gear in your recovery kit to be rated somewhere between the two.

If you tow a camper trailer or caravan, take it into account too. You’ll need higher-rated recovery gear to suit.

Bigger’s not always better with snatch straps. If you go too heavy, the snatch strap won’t stretch as much as it should. So it won’t be particularly effective. Stay within the range of two to three times the vehicle’s loaded weight.

However, the other gear can be as heavy as your wallet can afford. Just keep weight in mind – all those individual bits of gear quickly add up. That’s another reason why soft shackles, synthetic ropes and winch rings are a game changer … they’re a fraction of the weight of traditional recovery gear.

What to look for

When you’re shopping for recovery gear, make sure the manufacturer’s clear about the load ratings. They should tell you whether it’s the breaking strength or something they’re quoting. If not, steer away from them.

And make sure the load ratings are clearly marked on each piece of gear. All straps or ropes should be clearly labelled. This way, you don’t accidently grab the winch extension strap when you meant to get the snatch strap.

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By law, steel bow shackles must have a load rating (WLL) stamped or moulded into the shackle. If not, then they’re not rated for load and are extremely dangerous in recovery situations.

Other things to look for:

1. Do straps/ropes have protector sleeves to protect them from damage?
2. Are the end loops of straps triple stitched?
3. Do the end loops have protector sleeves over the strap?
4. How large is the carry bag? Can you fit everything in easily?
5. Can you add more weight (sand or soil) to the cable dampener to increase its effectiveness?

Price

Prices vary widely. The two entry-level recovery kits we looked at are well under $200. At the other end, a couple of premium brands are pushing towards $1000. Then in the middle, the rest sit in the $350 to $600 range.

You’d expect the entry-level kits to get you out of trouble a couple of times then be worn out. And this might be enough for you. If you want a ‘just in case’ kit, then they’re worth a look.

The kits priced in the mid-range tend to be the best overall value for money. They’ll last for years if you only use them every now and then.

But if you’re one of those people who goes looking for the steepest, wettest, roughest tracks then you should consider a premium brand kit. They’ll last forever if you look after them (with the notable exception of the snatch strap).

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