There are several key tools that you should always have on off-road adventures. Some can help you repair your vehicle, get you unstuck, or tackle nature. Most people recommend a set of recovery boards, which can be nice, but they can only get you out of a handful of scenarios.
Have you ever cruised down a trail and came across a large branch across the path? Or, maybe there’s a washed-out road or a large hole that your recovery board can’t bridge. Or maybe you simply need a to dig a hole to do your business… In these cases, you might need an axe or a shovel.
Rugged Ridge specializes in mostly off-road gear and camping gear for all of your dirt adventures and they’ve designed a pretty handy multi-function tool. It comprises one steel handle and four interchangeable heads: a shovel, sledgehammer, axe, and pickaxe. With all of these tools at your disposal, you’ll be ready for whatever you encounter on the trail.
This kit piqued my interest, so I tested it out to see if it was something I would permanently add to my gear.
Find It Online
- Rugged Ridge All Terrain Recovery Tool Kit: Check Price
Table Of Contents
What’s Included
- Heavy-duty black and yellow carrying bag
- Sturdy steel handle
- Shovel
- Sledgehammer
- Axe
- Pickaxe
- 5-year warranty (crazy good!)
Shovel
A shovel can come in handy when there’s a hole or washed-out road that could use some grooming.
It can also help with vehicle recovery in soft dirt or sand. Sure, you could use recovery boards, but a shovel was designed to dig and move dirt around so it’s much faster.
Shovels are also essential tools for camping, such as digging out a fire pit for camp or smothering an old fire before leaving. Or, if you’re roughing it, a waste hole for your backwoods bathroom.
Sledgehammer
I can’t say there is a time when I have been out on a trail and wished I had a sledgehammer with me.
However, if you come across a metal pole from a fence or other obstacle that could damage tires, a sledgehammer would be ideal to fold it over and make the trail safe.
Ax
We all know the best use for an ax is going to be chopping up firewood for a campfire to clean up brush or branches on a trail.
They can also be used if a tree is lying across the trail and you don’t have a chainsaw.
Pickaxe
The pickaxe is helpful when using it together with some of the other tools.
If you are trying to dig or fill in a hole on the trail, a pickaxe is a great tool to break up hard-packed dirt. Trying to dig into that stuff with a shovel is a pain.
Final Thoughts
Would you need all of these tools on every trip? Probably not, but it depends on how you adventure. If you frequent remote areas, these tools could be a lifesaver. Even if you’re not, though, the design of this kit is compact enough to always have it in your trunk. After all, space is worth its weight in gold for an off-roader.
In my opinion, the Rugged Ridge Tool Kit is an awesome solution for those who want to be prepared without committing a ton of cargo space to do so.
If you had this tool kit what tool would you get the most use out of? Let me know in the comments below!
