Hi Jan,
I think it's great that you really start with the basics and have first tried out what you need on your first tour. Super.
You have named a very important piece of equipment for recovery. The shovel. Many ask first for a winch. But with a shovel you can do a lot! Very good. A few more hints and ideas for your list based on my own experiecnes:
I would pay attention with the traction boards that you buy something proper. Rather spend a few bucks more, because if you need these boards, then you need them and must be able to rely on it / can use no garbage. Unfortunately, I have only bad experiences with cheap traction boards - on the one hand at trainings, where I was there as an instructor as well as times tried myself. I would buy proven (brand) boards. This also applies to the rest of recovery equipment, because in case of doubt you must be able to rely on it and recovery situations are often dangerous situations.
When choosing your recovery gear, look for quality. Look carefully at the data. Sometimes only the breaking load is specified. An important specification is the so-called working load limit (WLL). Choose this according to your vehicle. By the way, have you thought about work gloves? Also check your recovery gear regularly for damage etc. Safety first! This leads me to another topic.
One important question, do you have proper recover points on your vehicle? The best rope and the best shackle are of no use if the anchor point is no good. Please pay attention to this. For many vehicles there are good recovery points on the market.
I would choose two soft shackles and two omega steel shackles for the shackles. There is often a discussion about which is safer - without going into detail here let's just say that if everything is done correctly, both are safe. You know what I mean. However, there are different applications. There are many cases where the soft shackle is not the right tool and even dangerous to use. For example, when it is placed over sharp edges and in too tight radii. Make yourself familiar with it!
Regarding radio, I recommend choosing the radio application that use those with whom you mostly ride together. Please remember that if it is to be CB, a proper CB handheld is usually more expensive than a fixed installation and also achieves worse ranges. On the subject of radio, I once wrote something Europe-specific in the OB boot camp section. Have a look at it and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me!
Communication is the key to success. This is also true for communication while on the road. Whether it is to quickly agree on the next point for a coffee break in a group, to point out places of interest, to draw attention to difficult situation, track spotting, to chat with each other or to...
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I would like to add some more things. Please look also at other basics like the jack on your car. Is it any good? Does it work properly and safely? Just try it out at home and replace it if necessary. What about basic tools? How are you equipped in terms of first aid? And please always remember that the most important things about your equipment is training and maintenance, so you can handle it well and it is always safe and ready to use.
These are just a few things that come to my mind spontaneously based on my own experiences. I hope it helps you. I guess some other members will get also back to you here with tips that can also help you.
Cheers, Bjoern
