Most comprehensive list of off-road gears and recovery tools

Recovery Gear

Below is the most comprehensive list of all commonly used off-road gears and basic recovery tools - this is the stuff everyone needs and it has to be easily accessible at all the time, while driving in off-road terrain (Sand and Rocks).

MANDATORY KIT

1. AIR COMPRESSOR
   1. Bush Ranger Black Max, ACE @ Festival City.
   2. Also available Pro Air, Max AirII at different price points.
   3. ARB Air Compressors from ARB Abu Dhabi (call up and order, will deliver C.O.D)
   4. Chinese stuff at Dragon Mart - if you're feeling lucky.
   5. Other compressors at Carrefour/other Hypermarkets or car accessory shops are not really recommended.
2. RADIO / WALKIE TALKIE
   1. Motorola, allegedly 20 mile radius, from the small Sabka shops Dhs.325
   2. Dragon Mart, higher output (will fry your ears), cheaper, clearer.
3. TOW ROPE / SNATCH STRAP
   1. Bush Ranger heavy duty tow (dhs.200 or so) or Pro snatch kit (Dhs500+) from Ace
   2. Viking rope from Robbie's Garage (to the left of Times Square, Shk Zayed Rd) Dhs265, I think.
   3. Kinetic Rope from International Trading Co. Opposite Everhot Water Heater - Al Qusais.
4. SHACKLES
   1. Are available at ACE, 3.0 T to 4.75 T very reasonable rates, make sure you get the shackles with the screw and not the pin-type shackles.
5. SAFETY FLAG - available from shops that sell Quads, alternately use Fishing Rods fastened with a bolt to the spare tyre rig, also available is the FireStik range at Robbies which is very expensive but very neat and professional). You may also want a gutter-mount for the same (if your vehicle has a rain gutter).
6. SHOVEL
   1. Fancy chome-plated stuff rom ACE or other accesory shops - expensive & of debateable utility.
   2. Bushranger tri-fold shovel with its own cover - about as expensive, easier to carry.
   3. Regular construction shovel from a hardware or construction material store - Dhs.25 and much more effective but not so compact.
   4. Fiskars super-lightweight camping shovel. Most expensive but is also lightest (you want to carry sand, not metal!). I recommend this, but this is very budget-sensitive.
7. BASIC FIRST AID KIT
   1. Available at all pharmacies, auto kits available at ACE and some specialized offroad joints, you can also put one together yourself or your vehicle may have one supplied with it. Should contain:
   2. Gauze (Large, Medium & Small sizes)
   3. Sticking Plaster & Adhesive Strips (Band Aid variety)
   4. Surgical Cotton
   5. Surgical Spirit/Antiseptic
   6. Basic medication/ointment for minor cuts and bruises
   7. Burnaid other burn treatment
   8. Scissors & Forceps
   9. Cotton Buds
8. BASIC TOOLKIT + FIRE EXTINGUISHER + JUMP STARTER CABLES + USABLE STEPNEY
9. HYDRAULIC SCISSOR FLOOR JACK & STRONG WOODEN PLATFORM/PLANK (or HiLift Jack base)
   1. An alternative is the very expensive and equally heavy but neatly packaged Exhaust Jack Series II (dont buy Series I) from ACE, its upwards of Dhs.800.
   2. A Hi-lift jack is something a lot of people like to carry prominently like some sort of badge, but this is of doubtful utility in our really sandy terrain. Very useful in Wadis etc.
10. DEFLATION KIT
    1. Valve remover for tyres - most tyre shops Dhs.10/-
    2. Pen-type pressure gauge (marked in PSI, not LbFt) - Dhs.25/- most car accessory shops. Other gauges are also available, the pen-type stuff is considered good. Use trusted brands like Milton, PCL, ARB, Victor, Rolson or Monkey grip.
    3. 4 Spare Tyre Valves to replace any lost while deflating.
11. CAN FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL FOR LONG TRIPS
    1. Available from Ace Hardware, good for long distance trips where you are not sure about the petrol stations on the way, very handy in places like Liwa.
12. YOUR VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE RECOVERY POINTS - FRONT AND REAR.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

1. Collapsible water can from ACE (Dhs.35 or so).
2. Cool box with ICE (also useful for medical emergencies) and fluids of your choice (for more guidance, ask Kash).
3. Cargo Net & Elastic Tie-downs to keep things securely fastened.
4. GPS - Make sure it can store way points, record a track and pay the track back in reverse.
5. Miscellaneous stuff that you should never need, but would want to keep handy - tire sealant gel/foam/goo, radiator leak-stopper (powder that you pour into your leaky radiator), exhaust leak fix (for small leaks, not cracked exhausts), flashlight, etc from ACE.
6. Just to be on the safe side, one small 5 litre fuel can (Dhs.25 from any petrol station) and a manual siphon hose to borrow fuel from others (15-20 bucks).
7. Duct Tape, Insulation Tape, Bush Knife/Pen Knife & Plastic Zip Ties.
8. For camping trips - collapsible chairs/tents/sleeping bags/lanterns/BBQ kits/use your imagination.
9. Small bottle of concentrated liquid Camp Soap or Dettol Hand Sanitizer + lots of Kleenex/tissue rolls.
10. Working gloves to handle hot stuff in the engine bay + cloth/cotton waste.
11. AAA or IATC Assistance as a sort of insurance for major breakdowns.

Hope this helps. Please let us know if you need assistance or further information.