Recovery gear is the kind of thing you hope to never use, but you don’t want to find out at the bottom of a muddy hill that something is missing. The Hercules Complete Recovery Kit puts the lot in one bag. I paid about $150 for it and took it on a trip to the Blue Mountains. We didn’t need it that time, which is how you want it, but it’s a handy emergency kit to have with you.
What You’re Getting
Everything comes in a bright orange PVC bag with reflective strips and carry handles. Inside are three rolled straps, a red snatch block and two black bow shackles, which are what our photos show. Kings counts 11 pieces in all: the kit also comes with a folding shovel, a Kwiky tyre deflator and a pair of heavy duty gloves, and the carry bag doubles as the winch dampener. We’ve reviewed the shovel separately: read our Hercules folding shovel review. Kings says all the components are independently tested and rated.
The straps each come rolled up with a Hercules hook and loop wrap, so they stay tidy in the bag. Each one has a label sewn on with its rating, length and width.
What we like
- 11 pieces in one bag
- Every strap labelled with its rating
- 8,000 kg snatch block
- 10 m winch extension strap
- Bag doubles as a winch dampener
- About $150 for the lot
What we don’t
- Heavy bag to lift in and out
- Steel shackles, not soft shackles
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Hercules |
| Winch extension strap | 10 m50 mm5,000 kg |
| Tree trunk protector | 3 m75 mm10,000 kg |
| Snatch strap | 9 m60 mm8,000 kg |
| Shackles | 2 × 19 mm bow shacklesWLL 4.7 t each |
| Snatch block | Max load 8,000 kgRope up to 9.5 mm |
| Also included | Folding shovelTyre deflatorGloves |
| Bag | Orange PVCDoubles as winch dampener |
Snatch block
The snatch block is red, with a steel pulley between two side plates. The label gives a maximum load of 8,000 kg and a maximum rope diameter of 9.5 mm. One side plate swings open, so you can drop the winch rope in without threading it through from the end.
The label also says it’s not for use with snatch straps, and that it should be replaced if the hole for the shackle starts to stretch.
The straps
The purple strap is the winch extension strap: 10 m long, 50 mm wide and rated to 5,000 kg. It’s for when the anchor point is further away than your winch rope reaches.
The lime green one is the tree trunk protector: 3 m long, 75 mm wide and rated to 10,000 kg. It goes around a tree so you can winch off it without stripping the bark.
The white strap is the snatch strap: 9 m long, 60 mm wide and rated to 8,000 kg. Its eyes are covered in black sleeves to protect them from wear.
Shackles
The two bow shackles are black with blue screw pins, with Hercules and 19 mm cast into the bow. Each has a working load limit (WLL) of 4.7 tonnes, and they’re for connecting your straps to the rated recovery points on your vehicle. I fitted them to the recovery points on our Prado, and they sit secure.
The bag
The bag is orange PVC with reflective strips, so it’s easy to find in the back of the car and easy to spot at night. It has two carry handles and a hook and loop strap inside that splits it into two sections. With everything in it, it’s a heavy bag: the snatch block and the shackles are solid steel, not the lighter soft shackles and aluminium rings that some newer kits use.
The handy part is that the bag doubles as the winch dampener, so there’s no separate dampener to find room for.
Conclusion: Hercules Complete Recovery KitConclusion
The Hercules Complete Recovery Kit puts an 8,000 kg snatch block, an 8,000 kg snatch strap, a 10 m winch extension strap, a tree trunk protector, two bow shackles, a folding shovel, a tyre deflator and gloves in one bright orange bag that doubles as the winch dampener, with every strap clearly labelled. We haven’t needed it yet, but it comes on our trips as a handy emergency kit, and the shackles sit secure on our Prado. For about $150, it’s a complete set of recovery gear for anyone with a winch.
An 11-piece Hercules recovery kit: snatch block, snatch strap, winch extension strap, tree trunk protector, two bow shackles, folding shovel, tyre deflator and gloves in an orange bag that doubles as the winch dampener, for about $150.
- 4WD tourers
- Weekend trips
- Travellers
Yes. I paid about $150 for a full set of rated recovery gear in one bag.
