4wd Basic Safety Equipment

Means of comms - phone, EPIRB, HF , VHF and UHF. At least one should have coverage where you're going!
Means of sustenance - water, food.
Means of recovery - winch (esp if solo) or a companion vehicle, snatch strap, winch strap, jack, wheel repair kits, etc.
Knowledge - training or experience under non-critical circumstances.

Absolute essentials - if solo, then a winch. if with another then snatch strap.

If you're going to places where there are other people around to help you out of a sticky spot then a snatch strap and winch strap are essential. Most people are happy to help you out if you have your own straps. Total cost about $100 to $150 - Just Straps from BCF are good value.

If you're really getting off the beaten track and don't expect to see other people around then my suggestion is a hand winch and a recovery kit. Total cost about $600

We were in a similar situation and chose to buy a hand winch (cost about $330) and a recovery kit with snatch strap, winch strap, tree protector strap, winch block and shackles (cost about $250). We chose a hand winch so that we could get us out of trouble in any direction. Came in handy when we had to winch backwards out of a wombat hole with the ute standing on its nose!!!

Whatever you do, don't go out with nothing! There's nothing worse than someone who gets themselves stuck and expects their rescuer to get their straps covered in mud and crap.

Hope this is helpful...
Michael

Please do not overlook what many may think are "Givens" - good leather gloves (fire wood collection, around the fire, digging oneself out of bogs etc) for keeping those hands in good order.
Long handled spade or shovel - best recovery tool I have used, including to lever wheels up into position and then slide onto axle/wheels studs, plus fire place tool, and general digging.
Basic 1st aid kit (we have a full car kit PLUS a soft pack for hiking).
A decent ground sheet (I use an old had it rubberised air bed) for laying on when doing anything at ground level along side or under the car.
Cheers - Mobi

Hi Matt

In addition to the aforementioned, if you are travelling solo, a set of Max Trax can get you out of the bog without help of another to tow you.

First Aid - the knowledge more important than the kit. At a first aid course you will also learn how to improvise.

Motherhen

A jack an axe and a shovel would be my basics for recovery.

Depending on where you are water food and warm clothing or shelter from the sun.

I would let someone know where you are planning to go and when you are planning to return and LET THEM KNOW WHEN YOUN GET BACK !!!

Anything or everything else makes life a lot easier if you do get stuck but if you have time food and water you can usually dig and jack yourself out of most situations eventually.

If you are really stuck if someone knows were you were heading they can send out a rescue party after a while.

A good air compressor and knowing when to use it ie after letting tyres down to help you drive out of a sticky situation. Also some 4WD training so you are less likely to get into a sticky situation in the first place.

A good set of maps to back up any GPS system you might be using.

As others have said a decent first aid kit and the knowledge to use it and an adequate means of communication - what you get will depend on where you intend getting off the beaten track.

Have a great trip.

Cheers,

Val

Matt.
Many years ago [about 50] when I did my first trip, I spooked myself, driving for many hours and not seeing another person I started to think what if I run out of fuel so I started to drive faster to get to the next town as fast as possible. This of coarse was exactly the wrong thing to do as it increased my fuel consumption and greatly increased my chances of breaking something. These days I see others driving to fast on there own and think they are doing the same thing. So my most accentual item to take is a cool head. If you get spooked just stop, have a drink of water and may be a short walk then look at your map and reassure yourself that you are ok and then drive on slowly. Eric

Matt

Based on your situation, I think a lot will depend on where those one day trips will be and what type of weather you intend doing them in. Many people carry the necessary equipment to get themselves out of just about anything but you are not going to be able to afford all of that so a lot of planning during the months leading up to your trip will be essential.

Yesterday, for example, I called in to a Nat. Parks office in NSW and asked them about tracks in a nearby park. I wanted to know where I could take a standard Hilux. They immediately got out maps and started drawing lines everywhere. I was told one track was bordering on being dangerous, two others were ok providing they were not wet, a couple more were challenging but should not be a problem while the rest were either closed or 2wd. That is the sort of information I would suggest you obtain in advance and it will help you decide what to take. A dozen or so phone calls to police, park rangers, tourist info centres, etc around the country could make the world of difference.

When you do go into these areas, stop, get out and have a good look at any section of track, river crossing or whatever that looks difficult. That is a basic step in 4wd driver training If you do that, you can pretty well guarantee you are not going to get stuck anywhere.

If these trips are going to be in heavily timbered mountain tracks, then the three basic things that I would want to have on board is something to dig, cut and pull. That would be a hand winch, a good axe with the means to keep it sharp during your trip and a shovel. The axe can cut fallen trees. The winch can pull the car in any direction and possibly reduce the amount of cutting you might have to do by pulling a tree trunk of the road. You can't always position the car to do that. The shovel can help remove obstacles, fill deep holes in a track or loosen rocks to fill holes.

Items like HF radios, GPS etc are great but they may not fit into your budget. Advance planning and telling local people where you are going and when you expect to be back is dirt cheap so the more you do the better.

Hi Matt

I'd look at primary saftey first always otherwise the rest will be irrelavant.

Early highluxes , had the Nickname Rolluxes because their tip over angle was so poor.

Things you can do are to ensure any heavy items loaded in the rear are forward of the rear axle , don't put any heavy stuff up high.

If it has a lift , remove it back to standard and check the front suspension is in good shape , as diving under hard brakes if not in a straight line can be a problem.

If you get any aftermarket wheels , get ones with a negative offset to improve track width.

Hi Matt

Just my opinion, but I always tell people, if you aint sure, walk through first, then you will know whether you'll get into trouble or not. All the tools and recovery sets in the world may come in handy now and then, but practical experience from just KNOWING what is in front by walking through it can avoid problems.

Cheers