There have been a lot of talk about a car survival kit, but not much about a car recovery kit. The stuff you use to unstuck your car.

Last winter i threw a Tri-fold shovel and some traction tracks in mine car. Didn't need it for the snow, but i did use them yesterday in the sand. I don't drive a 4x4, but a small front wheel driven supermini. I don't drive off road, but i did get caught in roadworks, where the construction workers forgot to put down closure signs, so i ended up getting stuck in the sand. Had to dig mine car out a few times to get out. The tri-fold and traction tracks really helped getting me unstuck.

One thing i did learned, is to get well fitting gloves with well closing cuffs when digging. I got lots of small cuts on mine hands. The work gloves in mine car have wide cuff, which would scoop sand. Had some additional equipment that could be handy in the car, but didn't use them: Foam pad and headlight.

Any additional tips and equipment you guys can recommend for getting a car unstuck? All i can find are the recovery gear for 4x4 like big sandtracks, hi-lift jacks and exhaust jacks, but that's just not practical for a supermini.

I would add a tow strap. Sometimes just a short tug from another vehicle is all it takes to get one out of a bad spot.

Taking the larger view of keeping your vehicle moving (not just unstuck), beside the tow strap, shovel, and gloves, there are a few other things you might consider adding. I keep a small flashlight or headlamp stashed in the vehicle. Also a very small tool kit (adjustable wrench, pliers, 6-in-1 screwdriver), a few hose clamps of various sizes, and a small roll of duct tape. A selection of fuses can be handy. Also a quart of oil. There are compact tire patch kits that are sometimes usefull. Most of this stuff can be stashed in a small vehicle.

In part it depends on what kind of area you are traveling in. You aren't going to make major repairs with this stuff, but sometimes a few little things can help you limp down the road to where help is available. This can be important if you are out on seldom traveled roads. Other places a cell phone and credit card might be the best roadside survival tools!

EDIT: I forgot to add one obvious item...Jumper Cables.

machete or other way to harvest some small branches if you get into mud

If you are driving a smaller car, which is what I take a supermini to be, give rides to strong passengers. One starry night on the beach at Acapulco, we simply clean and jerked the rear end of a VW beetle out of the ruts it had dug, and went on our merry way. That VW bug was a great car - if the battery was dead, you could always push start it with no problem - keeps the driver in good shape.

If your car can use tire chains (may have to be low clearance type)
I have found them very useful to get unstuck in sand or snow.

Wouldn't go anywhere in the snow, 4 wheel drive or not, without
a good shovel and chains.

An old chunk of climbing rope makes a good tow rope. Learn some
good knots that release after extreme tension, or just cut them off
and retie new ones.

The elasticity in old climbing rope works very well to pop the vehicle out of the mire - either that or you get a spectacular failure of the rope. Be sure to stand clear. A good jack can e invaluable.

Haven't experienced the failure part, but I would rather have
a wild piece of nylon whipping around than a chain or cable!
If attached to the front of the car, having the hood raised
might keep a broken tow strap from coming through the windshield.
A jacket or blanket draped over the strap will also help control
the whip if it breaks.

A come-along is a nice item too, at least for rough back roads.
I once pulled my suburban out of a hole using a come-along and multiple strands of parachute cord.

i'll second the come-a-long..i used one for pulling lodged trees down when i was cutting in my woodlot years ago.one AM i woke to find my lane to the village street was snowed in.i made the mistake of trying to bull my way down in a honda accord and went off sideways,i had done that before with better luck.the come-a-long pulled me back on the lane and in my office clothes i ran one path with the snow blower for the right side drive wheel and made it to work just a bit late.

I carry this in our car:



http://www.snowclaw.com/

Works great and takes up less space than a regular snow
shovel. I got stuck once in the snow 3 years ago and used the floor mats under the front wheels for traction.

I also keep extra tools and survival equipment (blankets) in the trunk.

Tire chains (illegal to use in mine country) and come alongs (with chains, treestrap, etc) are a bit too big for mine trunk. I drive a Hyundai Getz, so there is not much space in the back.

I do have a towing rope in the car(and jumper cables, tools, jack, tape, steel wire, ziptie's, powerflares, LED panel, reflective vest, flashlights, etc...), but somehow i always get stuck in a situation where towing is not a option.

I know the snow claw, but that thing is useless in anything but snow and you does not have the reach to get under your car. (and is not nearly as good as a snow shovel in the back country). I could barely reach the sand under mine axle with mine trifold.