While I wait for the inevitable deep snowfall here in Connecticut I'd like to get myself as prepared as possible for getting stuck. Being a new Defender owner I worry that I am overconfident regarding the trucks deep snow capabilities. The very informative "recovery Gear" thread has been extreamly helpful as I begin to assemble my gear. One tool that looks to be uniformly considered important are recovery boards.

I've googled quite a bit and seem to come away with two options. Option 1 is either ARB TredPro or MaxTrax MKII - both are rather pricey at around $300. Option 2 seems to be a plethora of all the rest - which are by and large less expensive.

Looking for your thoughts and what I should be considering.

Thanks,

Matt

 

Depends on use case. As an emergency “just in case” for light work? I think the Amazon ones would do. I wheel easy-moderate trails solo w/o a winch and as such use the traction boards to bridge questionable rock gaps, escape from mud, etc. I bought a pair of maxtraxx MKII and they hold up as well as reported by everyone who’s bought these. Pricey but worth it, to me.

Slightly OT, but as it pertains to your question: one thing perhaps worth mentioning is that a lot of the gear/mods you see on here are wayyyy overkill for most of us not crawling MOAB on the weekend. I fell into the trap of thinking I need $300 worth of soft shackles, sliders, wheel guards, etc. The stock Defender on 18, 19 or 20in appropriate tires is remarkably capable.

My non-expert advice is to get a decent ****** strap, some shackles and the traction boards.

 

I bought the small version of these to keep on a 2wd 2400 lb. Moke that we take on the beach. Quality of them is very good. I let someone in a large RV use them to get unstuck and they worked great. Not going to be the best for heavy use but it sounds like you would only use them very occasionally if ever.

Kanruis Recovery Traction Boards​​​​​I wouldn't buy any of the cheap Chinese recovery ropes but, if a board breaks (unlikely if you don't use it as a bridge), it's not going to kill someone.

 

Ronnie Dahl does a pretty great test of a bunch of options here.

I went with the MaxTrax

They've been used by me for me and for others.

 

MaxTrax. Worked great when our LR4 got stuck in soft sand. (Because I was too lazy to air down the LR4 tires) Very sturdy and could endure the weight of an LR4.

 

This is pretty much what I did after starting the "Recovery Gear" thread and receiving everyone's feedback. For me I'm not hitting Moab as you mentioned, but would like to be prepared to help others in snowy Midwest on-road. I bought a 30' Bubba Rope, soft shackles, Factor 55 hitch link, one rated hard shackle, and various tie downs/bungies/roof rack hardware.

On topic of this thread, I also bought these traction boards for "just in case." I plan to use some bolts that I bought with easy access ***** for mounting on the roof rack as necessary. I've also used looping velcro ties on the side handles to hold them stacked more securely. I have yet to use the boards, but they seem like good quality, fit together without rattling, and will likely serve my lighter duty purposes.

 

Same brand I have. Watched the little 22 inchers get a 6 ton RV out of deep dry sugar sand. No complaints.

 

yep, Me too. That video was terrific.

I also bought the Maxtrax because those things take abuse in real use and there is no substitute for the correct (expensive) polymer material. I am going to keep the boards for the life of the vehicle and use it on other vehicles, besides. One of the those times in life where you get what you pay for over years.

I also use the Maxtrax as jacking plates .... an fyi .

Enjoy !!!

 

I went through a pile of product research - ended up with ActionTrax out of Wichita Kansas. MaxTrax was another high on the list. For me it was a toss up between the two, having used a friends MaxTrax previously. Ronnie Dahl's videos were a key part of that a noted by others.

Loads of videos out there on pros/cons/comparisons of various options. ActionTrax cost on par with MaxTrax. I ended up with two pair for the LRD (one pair w/metal studs, one with standard all 'engineered' plastic studs) + a single pair I carry on my trailer with the standard engineered plastic studs. I nabbed mine direct from the factory in Wichita on a road trip to visit in-laws. Seen loads of various vendors on display/sale at Overland Expo events, sportsman shots, etc..

Why 1 pair for the trailer? Well - backup is always good - and having a extra pair gave me peace of mind given there might (could?) be conditions where the line of the trailer might be in need of an assist while the LRDs boards are in use w/the tow vehicle. I can also line up all 3 pairs together for the LRD if needed. Overkill? Likely. One only needs to have been hung up in crappy conditions once to have ye ole 'ounce of prevention' quote go off in their head :-D LOL

Whatever the choice - 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing - when it comes to what I think is a very economical & convenient solution to deal with a lot of potential problems. Hopefully they never get used :-D

 

I appreciate all the opinions. I've learned and continue to learn so much here. I'm grateful. Thank you