A pair of recovery boards is the one bit of recovery gear you’ll use most, and you don’t need to spend $300 to get some. The Bunker Indust recovery tracks are budget boards in UV-stabilised polypropylene, rated for 10 tonnes and only 4.6 kg a pair. We paid $95 for a pair and used them to get unstuck on Stockton Beach, where they got us out with solid grip and no damage to the boards.
What’s in the box
Two black recovery tracks in a pair, with a diamond pattern of cross-shaped teeth on both sides, so either side can face up. Both ends are shaped into a ramp that doubles as a shovel, there are four handle cut-outs on each board, with six keyholes and four mounting holes, and nylon leashes come in the box.
What we like
- Teeth on both sides
- Light: 4.6 kg a pair
- Compact 95 mm stack
- Ramp ends double as shovels
- Leashes and mounting holes
- Limited lifetime warranty
What we don’t
- Shorter than premium boards
- Deep pockets hold mud
- Not the sturdiest we’ve tested
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Bunker Indust |
| Model | A003-BI-RTK10-BLK |
| Material | UV-stabilised polypropylene |
| Colour | Black |
| Weight | 4.6 kga pair |
| Max load | 10 tonnes |
| Size | 91.5 × 31.5 × 7.8 cmeach |
| Stacked | 95 mm for the pair |
| Included | 2 leashes |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Build
Each board is a grid of hollow diamonds, with a cross-shaped tooth on top of each one, and the underside mirrors the top, so the board grips whichever way up it lands. Bunker Indust says the board can bend up to 120° without breaking, which lets it follow the shape of a rut instead of bridging it, and that the plastic stays flexible down to -30 °C. The plastic is UV-stabilised, so the boards shouldn’t go brittle on the roof rack. Of all the boards we’ve tested, though, they’re not the sturdiest: that’s the trade-off for the price.
Under the Tyre
The ramp at each end is shallow, so the tyre climbs onto the board easily, and it’s shaped like a shovel blade to dig the sand out in front of the tyre first. On Stockton Beach, the teeth gave the tyres solid grip in the soft sand and got us out on the first go, and the boards came away without any damage. On a narrow, wet rut the board sat flat in the bottom, with the teeth facing the tyre.
Carrying & RetrievingCarrying & Retrieving
At 4.6 kg for the pair, they’re as light as the X-Bull boards, and the handle cut-outs make them easy to carry with one hand. The two boards nest into each other, 95 mm high as a pair, and the six keyholes and four mounting holes let you fix them to a rack or a mounting kit. The yellow leash ties through a hole at the end, so you can pull a buried board back out after a recovery.
Bunker Indust or X-Bull?
The X-Bull Gen 2.0 recovery tracks are the other budget boards we’ve tested, and they’re about the same length and weight. The X-Bull boards are reinforced nylon with wavy ribs and studs on top only; the Bunker Indust boards are polypropylene with teeth on both sides and nest lower. The Maxtrax MK2 and TRED GT are longer, sturdier premium boards, at more than twice the price. Our recovery tracks guide compares all the boards we’ve tested.
This one Bunker Indust |  Maxtrax MK2 |  TRED GT | Nylon X-Bull Gen 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 315 mm | 330 mm | 312 mm | 310 mm |
| Stacked | 95 mm | 85 mm | 84 mm | 108 mm |
| Length | 915 mm | 1150 mm | 1085 mm | 910 mm |
| Pair weight | 4.6 kg | 6.8 kg | 5.5 kg | 4.7 kg |
| Price paid | $95 | $319 | $229 | $75 |
| Our score | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
Conclusion: Bunker Indust Recovery TracksConclusion
The Bunker Indust recovery tracks are light, two-sided budget boards: UV-stabilised polypropylene, cross-shaped teeth on both sides, shovel ends, four handles and a leash, rated for 10 tonnes at 4.6 kg a pair. They’re not the sturdiest boards we’ve tested and the deep pockets will hold on to mud, but we paid $95 for the pair, and for that price they’re good enough, and they stack compactly.
Good enough for the price, and they stack compactly.
They got us out of soft sand on Stockton Beach with solid grip and no damage to the boards, with teeth on both sides and shovel ends, at 4.6 kg a pair. They’re not the sturdiest boards we’ve tested, but for $95 a pair they do the job.
- 4WD tourers
- Beach & picnics
- Caravanners
Yes. I paid $95 for a light pair that stacks compactly, with teeth on both sides and shovel ends. They’re not the sturdiest boards we’ve tested.
