Recovery Gear

[FunN4Lo]

Well I go 4wheeling almost every weekend and me getting myself stuck is inevitable. I know I need some tow straps, a snatch block, some d-rings, a trunk protector, and a metal chain. Any brand recommedations or anything else that you veterans have found that comes in handy in those sticky situations?

[Robar]

This thread may help you some.

http://www.jk-forum.com/showthread.php?t=7004&highlight=recovery

[muddpuppy01]

no chain no chain

[FunN4Lo]

Why no chain?

[2K1TJ]

Why no chain?



Straps are alot safer. Bad things happen when a chain breaks. If you have a good strap (and don't get one w/ the hooks :eek2: ), you don't really need a chain.

A bonus is a strap is way lighter than a heavy-duty chain.

There may be other reasons, but this is about all I can come up with.

[Indy]

Generally, I agree, no chains.

One situation where a chain would be better is if your only anchor for winching were rocks with sharp, jagged edges that could possible cut/wear through a strap.

Sounds like you have a winch - make sure you have a heavy pair of gloves to handle the cable with...

[wayoflife]

This link details all the basic recovery gear essentials that I think every Jeeper should carry...

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-accessories/jeep-jk-wrangler-trail-recovery-gear-essentials

:yup:

[BigJerm]

i think if you wheel alone a winch is your number one thing. I carry a 20' tow strap, air compressor and some good fix-a-flat. All of which has got me out of bined somehow. I dont wheel alone though, not until the winch

[scoolbz]

I ordered the tow strap and D shackles today from Northridge. Thanks!

[Dayton]

I just make sure that Doojer is in front of me with his TMAX and WOL is behind me with his PowerPlant. That's all the recovery gear I need. :yup:

[seer1]

If you do rocks, you should have a chain. If you use your HiLift for a short winch, a chain is good for that application too.

[Rubidon]

Well I go 4wheeling almost every weekend and me getting myself stuck is inevitable. I know I need some tow straps, a snatch block, some d-rings, a trunk protector, and a metal chain. Any brand recommedations or anything else that you veterans have found that comes in handy in those sticky situations?

Shovel:yup:

[You Jeep]

I just received my Warn winch kit from Northridge yesterday, really nice. It comes with everything except a strap.

[mcnaught6]

having a chain is good for pulling downed trees off the trail - that way you don't have to risk damaging your tow strap.

[JKrazed]

A Slim Jim...:blush:

[midnight rider]

I just make sure that Doojer is in front of me with his TMAX and WOL is behind me with his PowerPlant. That's all the recovery gear I need. :yup:

i have friends like that...some even don't have recovery points front and rear. makeing extraction sometimes fun.:naw:

[sn4cktime]

Some of our offroad clubs around Calgary require front/rear towpoints and a CB so if you get stuck they can pull you back into action.

[chuck45]

I think you need a chain; but not just any chain. Get 3/8 Grade 70 Tansport chain. Get a 20 ft length with grab hooks. But be very careful to get good quality domestic chain - no Chinese crap. Look in the phone book under "wire rope". My local store that sells wire ripe and rigging sells 20 ft of the above with a grab hooks for 40.00. Most hardware stores or ranch stores sell Chinese and they want about 100-110 to duplicate the above setup. You can also get domestic stuf from Grainger but the cost will be 70-80.00 (you'll have to buy the chain and grab hook seperately and put them together.

Chain has it's place in your recovery aresenal along with your tow strap/rope, tree saver, winch line extention etc.

Don't forget good shakles. Again no Chinese, get Domestic Crosby's or Norwegian Van Beest. I don't care what people say about the Chinese stuff; I work in the energy industry and see Chinese and Asian stuff fail on a regular basis. They just don't have the metalurgy down to be trustworthy on important gear.

[Brad2893]

x2 on all of the above regarding chain. Yes, it does have it's uses....

...BUT, I've seen chain fail and I'd much rather be on the receiving end of a failed strap than a chain. Only use chain in limited circumstances.

[sgmrock]

Generally, I agree, no chains.

One situation where a chain would be better is if your only anchor for winching were rocks with sharp, jagged edges that could possible cut/wear through a strap.

Sounds like you have a winch - make sure you have a heavy pair of gloves to handle the cable with...

X2 yeah, no chain, I have seen bad things happen when they break....

[chuck45]

X2 yeah, no chain, I have seen bad things happen when they break....

And we've seen bad things happen when cables break too. I'll bet that most times there are problems with chains it's due to one of two things: either using the wrong chain (too light, wrong specs or worn) or using it for something it is clearly wrong for (like in conjunction with a tow strap or rope where you needed more length). In a static situation where there will be no shock load a chain can work just fine. I'm not saying the chain should be the first thing you pull out of your bag of tricks; it should probably be the last. But it does have it's uses and if you're going to carry one buy quality chain.

[Seryoga]

And we've seen bad things happen when cables break too. I'll bet that most times there are problems with chains it's due to one of two things: either using the wrong chain (too light, wrong specs or worn) or using it for something it is clearly wrong for (like in conjunction with a tow strap or rope where you needed more length). In a static situation where there will be no shock load a chain can work just fine. I'm not saying the chain should be the first thing you pull out of your bag of tricks; it should probably be the last. But it does have it's uses and if you're going to carry one buy quality chain.

And thats why they sell synthetic winch lines.

Chain is only good for towing, and using it as anchor point. You cannot use chain instead of recovery strap. Straps have an ability to stretch out, chains dont. When someone is stuck in deep shit, chain will not do the trick because you can't "yank" with it, either it will snap, break recovery point, or bend something. Where with recovery strap, you just keep yanking, and it will use its "bungee" ability to aid the recovery.

[chuck45]

And that is why I said "static" above. I carry a yanker rope (which I prefer over a strap because it stretches more than the staps I've used), tree saver etc. I have 3/8 synthetic line on my Warn PP and a 3/8 x 5 synthetic extention.

My job requires that I work around this stuff all the time. I'm very safety conscious; and I carry a chain because sometimes, not often, it's the best tool for the job. And as I started out saying, if you are going to carry a chain, carry a quality domestic chain, new, that came out of a properly labeled bucket. A rusty length of "found" chain would scare the dickens out of me!

[Pete799]

I have broken a few chains in my day and never had anything bad happen. They just fell right to the ground. I always carry chain. For moving logs, stumps, rocks, and for my highlift to winch me out.

Chuck45 I am very interested in your chain. I recently broke my 5/16 transport pulling a stump. I went into a ranch supply store to buy the 3/8 and it was going to cost me about 100 or more. Where do you get your chain from and do they ship?

[chuck45]

I have broken a few chains in my day and never had anything bad happen. They just fell right to the ground. I always carry chain. For moving logs, stumps, rocks, and for my highlift to winch me out.

Chuck45 I am very interested in your chain. I recently broke my 5/16 transport pulling a stump. I went into a ranch supply store to buy the 3/8 and it was going to cost me about 100 or more. Where do you get your chain from and do they ship?

That is my experience with chain too. it doesn't store energy like steel winch cable does.

I got my chain from D&M Wire Rope in Grand Junction CO. As far as I know they only deal locally. The next best place I have found is Grainger who does ship. You might want to be careful about your local ranch supply store. Two local ones, Murdocks and Western Implement, both sell Chinese chain and grab hooks. Our facilities mgr got stupid and bought an overhead crane of Chinese manufacture; it breaks all the time. I don't trust their metalurgy as it seems to be inconsistent.

This is the link to Grainger:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1DJV1

Hey - I decided to call D&M and they will ship out! They have the 20 ft of Grade 70 3/8" Transport Chain (they call it Binder Chain) made up with 3/8 grab hooks on each end that they will sell you for 40.00 plus shipping. Their phone number is 970-242-1144. Ask for the Grade 70 Binder Chain. They are good people and supply the energy industry around here.

I bought my D shackles from them too. If you need any they sell good American made Crosby's with a 4 3/4 ton WLL (working load limit) for a reasonable price. I also enquired as to the break point on the chain and shackles. Shackles rated break point is 6 times the WLL. Chains break point is 4 times the WLL so the 3/8's grade 70 chain (WLL is 6600) should not break unless stressed to 26,400. In a non-ballistic situation we'll never get close to this.

Hope this helps.

Chuck

[Smelt_1]

Where we come from chains are mandatory, but whips are optional :yup:

[Pete799]

Thank you very much Chuck45 $40 is an awesome deal. I plan on making a purchase as soon as I make it back home.

[HITMONEY]

Imagine..

You are stuck in 3 feet of slop mud that smells like a NY sewer and you are 50ft from the edge... you have all the right gear, a winch, pull pal, snatch strap, snatch block, .. in other words, you got lots of snatch. :brows: Your girlfriend/wife is in the passenger seat... you tell her to take the end of the winch line to the edge of the mud bog and hand it to your friend so he can winch ya out....

After feeling returns to the right side of your face, you realize that the blow you just received actually knocked some sense into you and you deploy your
"Trunk Monkey" to take the winch line to hard land while you and all your snatch stay high and dry for the pull out.

Trunk Monkey (http://www.trunkmonkey.com/), don't go wheeling without one!!!

http://www.bigreddstop.com/trunkmonkey/Monkey1-high_0001.jpg

http://www.bigreddstop.com/trunkmonkey/MonkeyDC1-high_0001.jpg

[snippy]

After this weekend, I'm adding a collapsable shovel to my kit.

One of the fun things about hitting some mud, is when the mud stops and the dirt begins, it tends to look a little like a vertical wall :) Breaking stuff down with rocks and stumps or whatever you can find gets tiresome after a while.

[TBJK]

gotta get a trunk monkey..lol i would suggest a PULL-PAL if you can afford it and a handle all

[chuck45]

Just had my PullPal delivered; nicely done piece. Now I have to find a place to mount it so it's available but out of the way.