Tow ropes/chains/straps

M

Mushroom_Cap

New member
Confession: I don't carry any type of tow rope/chain/strap when I go into the backcountry. Yes dumb I know! I rarely get myself into areas where I could get stuck, but I would rather "have it and not need it than need it and not have it." I don't "go wheeling" but I do explore a lot of forest service roads in the fall, 4x4 into a lot of remote lakes, and so on. Sooner or later I am going to get stuck or I am going to have to pull someone out.

I know this isn't much of an excuse, but I am a bit baffled as to what to buy. I'm sure I could go into a 4x4 and get solid advice, but I don't really want to overpay for an ARB or whatever brand. I would instead like to buy from Princess Auto or some place like that; however, I find it is often teenagers working there who don't much aside from what's on sale, what's popular, etc.

As far as I am aware one's choices are:
-tow rope
-tow chain
-tow strap
-recovery rope

A chain seems too big/bulky to pack around. Probably the same with a thick rope. I like the idea of a strap. Rolls up tight and could stuff under a seat. But they come in all different lengths, breaking strengths, and so on.

Then there are recovery ropes. As I understand the idea is if the other vehicle is really stuck you hook up, hit the gas, and the kinetic energy in the rope works like magic without ripping off either vehicle's bumper.

Just wondering what ya'll carry and use. Like I said I am unlikely to ever have to use it, but sooner or later it's going to be needed and I don't want to be that idiot stuck with no tow rope.

On a somewhat related note we do always carry a chain saw as fallen trees are the norm where we fish/hunt, survival + 1st aid kit, extra food/water/clothes, shovel, and I believe someone bought us a come-along for Xmas so I'll have to learn to use that as well. Seems like a reasonable/cheap substitute for a winch.
 
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For those cases where the helper cannot get close to the stuck rig be sure to have a 50ft long (or longer) steel cable strong enough to do the job.
 
I run an ARB Snatch Strap (17,000lbs) for most recovery efforts, it's worked great for recovering my vehicle and others many times.

Here's actually a picture of another member helping me yesterday out of apparently the only non-frozen mudhole in the entire Tahoe mountain range after I used the strap to help out an older gentleman in a Ford Ranger (oh the irony... I go to play in the snow and still get the 4Runner gunked up in mud...)

DSC_0308_zpsjwox7lzt.jpg~original


To be honest, for the most part we just used the snatch strap for applying tension or lightly yanking the vehicles out. What I mean by that is taking the slack up and then either having the recovering vehicle just inch forward a bit to get the wheels to grab or having them do a little "tug" to bump the vehicle out of the hole. It's not really what the snatch strap is designed for (it's meant to have a about a 1m of slack and for you to build up speed and snap it like a rubber band), but to be honest we didn't have the room to do a full wind-up and "snap" the strap like it's meant to be; not to mention most of the time all I needed was just some tension to get the vehicle to push against the terrain and get out. So it didn't seem necessary to apply that much force with the recovery (you'll find with experience and time you'll know how much gas and/or force you need to get vehicles recovered with. :) )

I would say get a Recovery/Snatch Strap if you can only get one, it's pretty damn useful and while you're not really supposed to tow with it; it can be used in an emergency.

I also carry a set of MaxTraxx, which work well when you get them wedged under the tires correctly (don't spin your wheels, I forgot about that and melted a couple nubs yesterday on my fairly new MaxTraxx which made me a bit sad; they're still very much usable, but it was a "dammit I should have known better" moment). They are great for helping a vehicle get unstuck (that's actually what we did in the above picture because the ledge of that mudhole was so vertical I couldn't get purchase with the back wheels; combining the MaxTraxx and a light tug from the Snatch Strap was enough to get me out.)
 
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BlackWorksInc said:
I run an ARB Snatch Strap (17,000lbs) for most recovery efforts, it's worked great for recovering my vehicle and others many times.

Here's actually a picture of another member helping me yesterday out of apparently the only non-frozen mudhole in the entire Tahoe mountain range after I used the strap to help out an older gentleman in a Ford Ranger (oh the irony... I go to play in the snow and still get the 4Runner gunked up in mud...)

DSC_0308_zpsjwox7lzt.jpg~original


To be honest, for the most part we just used the snatch strap for applying tension or lightly yanking the vehicles out. What I mean by that is taking the slack up and then either having the recovering vehicle just inch forward a bit to get the wheels to grab or having them do a little "tug" to bump the vehicle out of the hole. It's not really what the snatch strap is designed for (it's meant to have a about a 1m of slack and for you to build up speed and snap it like a rubber band), but to be honest we didn't have the room to do a full wind-up and "snap" the strap like it's meant to be; not to mention most of the time all I needed was just some tension to get the vehicle to push against the terrain and get out. So it didn't seem necessary to apply that much force with the recovery (you'll find with experience and time you'll know how much gas and/or force you need to get vehicles recovered with. :) )

I would say get a Recovery/Snatch Strap if you can only get one, it's pretty damn useful and while you're not really supposed to tow with it; it can be used in an emergency.

I also carry a set of MaxTraxx, which work well when you get them wedged under the tires correctly (don't spin your wheels, I forgot about that and melted a couple nubs yesterday on my fairly new MaxTraxx which made me a bit sad; they're still very much usable, but it was a "dammit I should have known better" moment). They are great for helping a vehicle get unstuck (that's actually what we did in the above picture because the ledge of that mudhole was so vertical I couldn't get purchase with the back wheels; combining the MaxTraxx and a light tug from the Snatch Strap was enough to get me out.)
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I have the same ARB strap and got to use it 3 times yesterday helping guys out of the snow (although the 3rd time was a lost cause and we needed the winch from another guy)

I also have a 10k strap and a nylon strap that I used to use for rock climbing (which never actually saw rock so it's in perfect shape)
 
For vehicle recovery situations, get a proper snatch strap/recovery strap. This is one that stretches like a rubber band and gives added pulling force. You get what you pay for with these, so if you want a cheap one then expect it to give you cheap performance.

Tow ropes/straps generally don't have as much stretch and are used for towing or pulling something that is not stuck. Avoid using these for recovering bogged or stuck vehicles.

A chain is best for dragging something, like a fallen tree, off the road and out of the way. The chain will not break/rip/tear if it is in contact with the road during dragging, but a strap might.
 
I have a 3" thick tow strap as well as the same ARB snatch strap and some d-shackles like Blackworks mentioned. Both have worked great! Pulled out a STUCK f150 and a Nissan Titan as well out of a small ditch.
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Atlanta_man said:
For those cases where the helper cannot get close to the stuck rig be sure to have a 50ft long (or longer) steel cable strong enough to do the job.
Click to expand...

Do you carry one? I've never heard of anyone carrying a steel cable. Snatch strap is the only way to go. Steel is okay for winching but that's about all. I'll add to the OP that chains are also a bad idea.
 
techno said:
Tow ropes/straps generally don't have as much stretch and are used for towing or pulling something that is not stuck. Avoid using these for recovering bogged or stuck vehicles.
Click to expand...

I don't understand this bit. How is towing different from recovering? Either way you want to pull a vehicle, right? If I had to pull somebody up a slope or out of a hole, I'd hook up a tow strap to my tow hitch (that's what it's designed for, right?), go into 4wd, and pull with a slow, steady drive. It has worked well in the past, but it's not something I've done much of. So is that the wrong thing to do, or is it rather that a snatch strap is just better?
 
oshaughnessy said:
I'm curious about this, too. What makes D-shackles better than using your tow hitch? More secure attachment?
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In regards to the Ford. . .the snatch strap was too thick and could not fit between the lower fasica/front bumper/and tow hook. . .so I had to slide in the D (:wink2: ) so that I could actually hook up to his vehicle. Also I have two others on the front of my bumper for recovery points as well.

You would be surprised on modern vehicles the lack of accessibility for hooking up on the front end and this was on a truck. For this scenario I couldn't attach to the back of the truck as he could not be reached from that side. He had to be attached from the front and pulled uphill

So for clarification it was stuck vehicle(Ford with D-shackle through tow point) connected with a snatch strap to my vehicle(Toyota with a d-ring on my hitch receiver)
http://www.smittybilt.com/product/index/76.htm
 
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oshaughnessy said:
I don't understand this bit. How is towing different from recovering? Either way you want to pull a vehicle, right? If I had to pull somebody up a slope or out of a hole, I'd hook up a tow strap to my tow hitch (that's what it's designed for, right?), go into 4wd, and pull with a slow, steady drive. It has worked well in the past, but it's not something I've done much of. So is that the wrong thing to do, or is it rather that a snatch strap is just better?
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Recovering would be when a vehicle is stuck and its more than a little tug to move them from their spot.

Towing is dragging a rolling vehicle from point A to B. Little effort other than countering gravity and rolling resistance.

Recovering involves a lot more energy than towing. An elastic recover strap can aid in the removal of a stuck vehicle. They are usually rated for more tensile strength than a tow rope or strap. The tow rope or strap are typically non-elastic. The elastic nature would stink if towing something any appreciable distance.

If you have never recovered a truly stuck vehicle, it is hard to imagine the energy involved. This is why chains are never used for recovering, and cables on winches are weighed down during the recovery process. A break leads to a flying metal whip that can injure or kill. Recovery straps may spring back but you get nothing more than a slap.

The longest recovery effort I have been involved with is 7.5 hrs removing a dead Jeep and a Ford Explorer with a dead transmission that were partially submerged at the edge of a lake at high water level. That was bad. The next was my rolled truck more than a mile off a gravel access road on a challenging off road trail (Tellico).
 
Good info. Thanks, guys!

So if I just wanted to keep 1 thing in my car, is it bad to use a snatch strap for mild recovery & utility pulling? For example, I have some heavy boards over some holes in the back part of my driveway, and a UPS driver got stuck over them a few months ago when he saw the boards and sort of panicked. If he had just stayed the course and gone straight, he would have been fine. Instead he went sideways and then stopped on top of them. Then he got stuck when he spun a board partway out from under his tire. I was able to pull him out by hooking a borrowed tow strap to my receiver hitch and slowly driving forward. Those trucks are big but pretty light. Anyway, it was a slow-and-steady job and I only had to pull him a few feet. A snatch strap sounds useful, but it sounds a little scary to me to have that elasticity if I don't have any experience with it. Is it useful in that kind of scenario, or just dangerous?

(Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread. This is on topic, I think, so I hope this is okay.)
 
Stored energy is a double-edged sword. It can help you get unstuck if applied correctly. It can also do serious damage and injury if uncontrolled. Stored energy is directly proportional to amount of stretch.

- Chains. Very little stretch and therefore very little stored energy. We used them all of the time on the farm to recover stuck vehicles and when they break they typically just fall to the ground. They are very rigid, so you must take up the slack gently and pull smoothly to avoid damaging the chain or the attach points on the vehicle. They must not be used in conjunction with a yank strap, because, if the chain breaks, the stretchy yank strap will launch the attached part of the chain like a load of grape shot. The best feature of chains is the ease with which you can adjust the working length, along with their goof-proof durability.

- Tow straps (the non-stretch kind with hooks on the end). They stretch more than chains, and thus store more energy. The metal hooks on the ends can become missiles if the attach point breaks. Best used for light pulling. No jerking allowed.

- Steel Cables. Also somewhat stretchy and thus store more energy than a chain. Can whip in a deadly fashion if they break. Best used on winches with a blanket over the middle to damp them, and everyone standing clear. Steel cables do not like sudden jerks - it causes the twists to jam together and compromises the cable.

- Synthetic winch lines. Less dangerous than steel cables, due to less stretch and lighter weight when they do break, so less likely to do severe damage.

- Yank straps. Get the kind without steel hooks on them. Yank straps store the most energy, and can translate momentum into the energy necessary to get a difficult vehicle unstuck. Be very sure that the metal hardware connecting the yank strap to the vehicle is securely fastened to the vehicle and strong enough for the job. If it breaks you have a metal missile flying at high speed straight at the other vehicle. D-rings securely attached to the frame are the best choice for attach points.

Keep in mind that any synthetic material is very sensitive to deterioration from sunlight and chemicals such as fuel and oil. It is easy for a synthetic line to lose 80-90% of its strength due to improper storage and handling. Age is also a factor, and synthetic towing straps and lines should be regularly inspected and retired if necessary.
 
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oshaughnessy said:
So if I just wanted to keep 1 thing in my car, is it bad to use a snatch strap for mild recovery & utility pulling?
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No, it's not bad as long as you take the time to properly assess the situation and think through any possible complications. For example, if a car has parked on your lawn and then it rains and the car can't get traction on the wet grass, then a snatch strap used to gently tow them back to the road is fine. Just make sure both ends are secure and don't get a running start.

There's more danger to think about in utility pulling. For example, using a snatch strap to pull a stump out of the ground is not sensible. If you didn't get all the roots cut the stump will resist the pulling and the strap will start to stretch and build up energy. If the stump gives way who knows what could happen. The stump could hit something or your vehicle will lurch forward unexpectedly. So make sure you're not stretching the strap when you don't need to.
 
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Awesome info! Thanks a lot guys.

Well, I am for sure going to get a recovery/snatch strap. Sounds like the only way to go if a vehicle is truly stuck. I can just imagine trying to use something with no stretch, and the recovery vehicle is just spinning it's tires.

ARB with a 17,000 rating was mentioned. Any other preferred brands? This is obviously something I do not plan to cheap out on. The odd time it may get used it needs to perform as well as possible.

For times when a "gentle tug" is needed I think I'll also buy a strap. Maybe 20 feet? Breaking strength?

Chain or cable sounds like too much weight/room in the vehicle. I'm unlikely to need to drag something. We carry a chainsaw when we go hunting/fishing and have had to buck up MANY a tree in our way. Also carry a back up hand saw and axe in case the chainsaw craps out.

Also plan to pick up some solid D-shackles. Don't really like the hooks on the ends, and also plan to look for a snatch strap without the hook ends.

Quick funny story. Loading my boat with buddies truck a couple months back. Steep boat launch with loose gravel. Definitely need 4x4 to get up the hill. Well, after much trying his 4x4 will NOT engage! There is no way we are getting the boat out and no one else is at the boat launch. Awesome. Oh and the truck is a quad cab, long box, F-350 diesel that weighs about as much as 15 4Runners. Luckily my buddy had a tow-strap in his truck, and minutes later a 3500 Dodge diesel comes rumbling in with his boat. Whew! The guy was cool and gave us a pull up the hill. It was after that I was like...man...I should really do some research and get a damn tow strap for the 4runner!
 
CXS said:
Do you carry one? I've never heard of anyone carrying a steel cable. Snatch strap is the only way to go. Steel is okay for winching but that's about all. I'll add to the OP that chains are also a bad idea.
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Saved me a couple times. I'm 2WD and used to get stuck at a friend's hilly country place. Length was critical for those times. Keep it in the garage now with my come-along as I stick to the pavement now. It does roll up nice and small about a 2 ft diameter.
 
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Well, as I suspected we got a come-along for xmas. It's a 4-ton if that matters. My plan before next fall (our primary fishing/hunting season, and when we do most of our off-roading) is to...

-get some sort of container/tote to put the come-along and other tow stuff in.

In it put:

-the come along
-a recovery strap
-one or two straps. Length? I was thing two 25 footers, then I can use one of that all I need, or loop them together if I need more length.
-Will probably put some extra rope in there in case we need to winch an animal up a steep hill or something.
 
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