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Experienced off-road enthusiasts always bring along some essential items to get out of sticky situations. You never know what might come your way when you’re miles away from help and there’s nobody to rely on but yourself. Here are 10 important items to always keep in your pickup truck whenever you go off-roading.
Featured photo credit: Flickr CC
Off-road accessories
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Winch kit
No matter what type of winch you choose to put on your truck, you should always have along a winch accessory kit. This has everything you need to pull your truck out of the much including gloves, a tow strap and hooks. We recommend the WARN Heavy Duty Winching Accessory Kit. MSRP $359
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Traction Ramp
Sometimes there is no amount of digging or foliage you can put under your tires to get you out of the mud. And it turns out floor mats don’t actually work so well. Great item to keep in the pickup are traction ramps. Lay these in front of your tires and turn a soupy burden into a solid bridge. We like the SmittyBilt Element Ramps MSRP $149
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Chainsaw
In an off-road situation you never know when you might come across a downed tree across your path. Nothing in the world is going to get that log moving faster than a chain saw. Unless you want to spend the afternoon sawing away, a chain saw is an indispensable tool. We recommend the ECHO 20, which performs well in most head-to-head comparisons. MSRP $679
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Pick and shovel
A shovel can be all you need to dig yourself out of the mud, that along with a pick and you can dig yourself our or smooth down any ruts. Some people like the combo tools, but my thinking is I would rather have two tools that work well than one that hardly works. For this, I would go with an individual pick and shovel that you can find at any hardware store. MSRP $30
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Tire deflator
When you hit the off-road you often need to deflate your tires. Tire pressures for road driving can be around 30-40 psi while on dirt you wan more like 15 psi or less. For a great tool to quickly get to your desired tire pressure check out the ARB EX-Tire Deflator MSRP $39
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Air compressor
You’ve released air out of the tires to hit the dirt, but now you’re heading back into town. A portable air compressor is an absolute must. There are lots of brands on the market to choose from, but consider the ARB Portable 12-volt air compressor that runs off a car battery and can even be mounted under the hood. MSRP $352
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Tire jack
Let’s say you’ve got a flat. It happens. You’re going to need a jack to lift your vehicle up to change the tire. A crumby little roadside jack is not going to work in a rugged environment. For a jack with the strength and durability to last consider the Hi-Lift 48” Jack. MSRP $69
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Fire extinguisher
Not to be forgotten are essential safety items such as a fire extinguisher. You should carry at least one fire extinguisher that can be reached in an emergency. For one of the longest standing names in the industry consider a KIDDE Automobile Fire Extinguisher MSRP $35
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Tool bag
As in any trip, organization is the key. There’s no better way to keep your tools in one place and prevent losing anything than a tool bag. One of the simplest and best around is the Craftsman 13” Tool Bag MSRP $10
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First Aid
