Generally there are two pieces of recovery equipment that 4x4 enthusiasts and overlanders consider absolutely vital when kitting out their vehicles to take the road less travelled.
First on the list would be a winch and the second item is a high-lift jack.
I’ve spelt high-lift jack in lower case because many people refer to the jack by that name whether it’s a farm jack, knock-off or cheap import.
In reality there is only one official jack and that’s the High-Lift jack manufactured by the Hi-Lift Jack Company in America which is easily recognised by its solid construction.
Walk into any 4x4 specialist shop and you’ll see as many winch options as there are fitment centres.
Not all winches are made equal though despite some clever advertising and endorsements and none of them have been voted best winch worldwide by Forbes Magazine twice in succession.
That would be Warn winches and it should be top of mind when shopping around because as an owner you are assured of the best quality parts and ability to get yourself out of a sticky situation.
I have both of these items and while I’ve only used the winch a handful of times including recovering stuck vehicles sans winch, there have been occasions where without one I could have ended up in a life threatening situation.
The High-Lift jack I’ve used more times than I care to remember. From lifting bogged vehicles and offroad trailers out of the mud, lifting vehicles with modified suspension to change tyres and even once or twice as a (very slow) winch to showcase its diversity.
As with anything in the consumer industry if you want to move things off the shelf it pays to advertise and keep your brand awareness.
Despite both Warn and High-Lift being a recognised brand and having a world renowned track record for robustness and reliability, locally they have been on the back foot, with competitors gaining the upper hand with aggressive marketing and powerful shop displays.
So there was a gap for both of them to rebrand themselves, as it were, in South Africa’s massive aftermarket outdoor industry.
Enter Iconic Outdoor who have taken over importing both brands and intend to put them back where they belong; supplying, assembling and repairing to the 4x4 community, outdoor travel, agricultural, boating, fishing, recovery, automotive and commercial sectors.
Headed by Managing Director, Dave Jenkins, together with Andrew Cornelius as Product & Business Development Manager and Barry Wilson on Internal Sales both who have a combined 50 years’ experience in the outdoor and 4x4 industry.
They are supported by Charles Peterson and Techproserv (official Warn SA workshop) with an excess of 20 years’ experience in repairing and refurbishing Warn winches.
“Iconic Outdoor was established with the philosophy of providing quality products coupled with competitive pricing and superior service. It's no surprise Iconic Outdoor chose Warn and Hi-Lift as industry partners. We keep you moving in even the toughest terrain,” Jenkins said.
“We are also strategically located and are able to distribute our products and services throughout Southern Africa with ease.”