So I did think of something very practical to add to your truck; a rear recovery point. You should have the two hooks on the front attached directly to the frame. If you have a trailer hitch receiver, then you might get a receiver shackle bracket:



I'll be getting one for my Blazer.

 

 

Here's how I check mine. Raise the front two tires off the ground. In 2wd, you can spin either front wheel, and the other won't move. Engage 4wd, and spin either front wheel. If the front axle is engaging, the opposite wheel will spin the opposite direction.

If you find that it's not engaging, it's likely to the be vacuum dipham actuator thing, located under the battery tray, at least on a second gen, anyway.

You can either replace it, or install a manual pull cable to actuate it. That's what I've done, I like it much better. Just search the forum for "posi lok" and you'll see some write ups of it
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​​​​​​I have a trailer hitch, and when I use it as a recovery point, I remove the trailer ball, and slide the eye of my strap into the receiver tube, and put the pin through it.

Make sure to not use the trailer ball as a recover point, it can come loose and become a projectile!

Also, what's in your pic works really well to slide into the front frame rails where the factory tow hooks go. Easy way to have a couple shackles on the front

 

This, in my opinion.

Good tread digging in on all 4 will get you pretty far. When you get stuck, a properly used winch can get you out. There's a lot of accessories that you should get along with the winch, like ****** blocks, tree savers, a few shackles, a good pair of gloves, etc. Once you're out, a well maintained truck and get you home!

 

 

 

 

Some time ago we had a discussion about the things you're asking.

Have a look through this thread. Lot's of good information

https://blazerforum.com/forum/2nd-ge...ormance-96286/

 

All actually depends on what You do. Absolute basic is a good knife and flint. Later, I'd add a decent hammock, tarp, a swedish army stove and some paracord. Merino wool underwear. Flashlight and a decent compass. Compass is an invaluable if You're engineering type of a person. You can squeeze pretty much out of it (distance, time, elevation, shaving mirror, fire starting, etc.). Works without batteries.

EDIT: LOL, just read in a topic (https://blazerforum.com/forum/off-ro...r-drive-98527/) below: "..Had to go out on 2 rescue missions already today. Didn't get pics of the first one. These two kids spent the night stuck". Be ready for this.

I've spend about a decade traveling (by planes mostly) around the world, and I can tell You what worked out pretty well for me. I bough a sturdy backpack of Maxpedition (highly commend), and I've initially put some items I thought I am gonna need. Then, with every end of my journey I've been adding things I found important & missing. I've never unpack it. So, within a time, I was good to go anytime without doing checklists (truly hate them). Now I carry it in my S10 trunk.

I don't want to spam too much on a bushcraft/camping preparations, so let's cut to the point. Although the backpack is not enough to carry an off roading stuff, but You may follow that idea - start collecting things in a box (i.e. carried on a roof rack). Eventually You'll build the set that would exactly match Your needs and preferences.

As for the ride, I can commend hi lift jack, some zip ties, power tape. You may get LSD for rear diff.Best of the best - a friend into another ride.

EDIT2:
(Yeah, You forgot the Winchester lever action. Worth taking too)
These are the important things that I didn't mention. A sleeping bag and a first aid kit. As for the water, unless You're not on the desert, You usually can find the source and purify if needed. As we speak about the sleeping bag in a wintertime - You shall also have the plastic bags, to use them as Your sleeping bag liner. Otherwise You'll get cold. Freezing point is at the sleeping bag layer turning evaporated body moisture into the ice.

For those interested in wilderness - I strongly commend this: http://www.bushcraftru.com/dwpdffile..._Bushcraft.pdf Also, Les Stroud, Cody Lundin, Ray Mears are worth attention.