A everyday ‘unstuck your car' kit

Unless you drive a 4x4 and actually going off-road, you probably don’t have a lot of recovery equipment in your car. Two pieces of compact equipment has worked very well for me: A set of traction mats and a shovel.

I can highly recommend a hinged traction mat for a regular car. The big sand ladders and waffle boards require too much clearance to use on a normal car and are just too big. The hinge allows the mat to follow the surface.

There is a difference between the side for the ground and the side for the wheels. The wheels side has ‘This side up’ molded in to the plastic. Unfortunately they put this at the start of the mat, which takes the most wear. It’s recommend to place a big arrow (or any other markings) on the topside of the mat.

When the car has enough clearance the mats work perfectly. If the diff is touching the ground, you need to remove the sand/soil first. Otherwise you will just slip on the mats and damaged them, like I did.

If you have mats, also add a shovel to clear the wheels and free the car first. Make sure it’s long enough to be able to clear the diff. A trash bag is recommend to store the used mats and shovel to keep you boot clean.

Some people also carry kitty litter or salt with them. I don’t use carry them, since they only work in the snow, but not really in loose sand or mud.