RECOVERY GEAR : A Must Have Before Hitting the Trails

Also was a little surprised to not see more duct tape references in this thread! I once had to do a hillbilly recovery using only weaved duct tape! No D ring required! Suffice to say a tow strap would have helped!
 
Before I retired i was a practicing Board Certified Physicians Assistant specializing in emergency medicine and over the course of perhaps 10 years I treated more serious and sometimes critical injuries from the improper use of recovery gear, to include several occurrences involving broken hooks on tow straps. One actually proved fatal.
Another thing I saw more than once was injuries involving synthetic winch line, specifically in the winter when the line was partially frozen.

Please be safe, and remember no object like a jeep is worth your life or limb
 
4X4PLAY said:
Great article! I agree with everything.... BUT



Linking two straps together with a d-ring is extremely dangerous and is cause for more than one wheeling death over the years. Two straps should NEVER be put together using a d-ring, if that strap was to come off the tow point or if a strap was to break that d-ring is going to become a projectile potentially killing someone if it hits them! Google it, I am sure you will find stories!

The best way to put two straps together is with a wooden dowel or stick, hell even a newspaper stuck in between will work ;)


Happy and SAFE wheeling!
Jeff
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WTF! The roap or strap your using can become a projectile! If jurked hard enough and broken. The majority of my career is revolved around rigging. Picking and pulling loads from any angle an sometimes many blocks with multable parts of line to gain mechanical advantage and I can assure you we never put a piece of wood or newspaper to link two straps together my friend. Of course you can do anything in a bind but that is deadly advice!
Hmmm let me see should I use this 3/4" shackle that I've got to that's rated at roughly 5 tons (can't exactly remember off the top of my head but it says on the shackle) or ya know fuck it I'm gonna use this branch that I found here on the trail to attach these two fiber slings together.
 
Have a couple noob questions. Back a ways, it was mentioned to criss cross the rope while winding it on the winch (after the first layer). Is that only for synthetic rope or wire too? Hopefully will be getting a winch before long. I know it has to be wound under a load. Most likely will be getting steel rope due to funds unless I can work synthetic into the budget and wondered what the proper way to wind it up would be.
Thanks.
 
colo dean said:
Have a couple noob questions. Back a ways, it was mentioned to criss cross the rope while winding it on the winch (after the first layer). Is that only for synthetic rope or wire too? Hopefully will be getting a winch before long. I know it has to be wound under a load. Most likely will be getting steel rope due to funds unless I can work synthetic into the budget and wondered what the proper way to wind it up would be.
Thanks.
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Synthetic ONLY, if you criss-cross steel cable, the cable WILL kink and pinch, greatly increasing the likelihood of failure.

for Clarity

Steel cable should only be spooled nice and neat, row by row.
 
Journeyman said:
WTF! The roap or strap your using can become a projectile! If jurked hard enough and broken. The majority of my career is revolved around rigging. Picking and pulling loads from any angle an sometimes many blocks with multable parts of line to gain mechanical advantage and I can assure you we never put a piece of wood or newspaper to link two straps together my friend. Of course you can do anything in a bind but that is deadly advice!
Hmmm let me see should I use this 3/4" shackle that I've got to that's rated at roughly 5 tons (can't exactly remember off the top of my head but it says on the shackle) or ya know fuck it I'm gonna use this branch that I found here on the trail to attach these two fiber slings together.
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I believe this is the method that was suggested to use. The limb, magazine or better yet, a rolled up towel, goes between the loops of 2 recovery straps. Merely to facilitate separating them when you are finished.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...ps.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEeecQj9vbx95HGy6qgxiURhdu0SQ
 
notnalc68 said:
What about a high lift Jack? Anyone find that necessary?
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I used to want one of those. I did some research and realized I probably shouldn't get one till I have some teach me, in person, how to properly use it. Those things can be pretty dangerous from what I read.
 
GraniteCrystal said:
I used to want one of those. I did some research and realized I probably shouldn't get one till I have some teach me, in person, how to properly use it. Those things can be pretty dangerous from what I read.
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They are dangerous, but they're simple to use, IMO. But at the same time, rarely used on the trail from my experience. I've used mine more for fixing crap around the house, etc than actual trail use. I had to squeeze two bent brackets together on my dishwasher hinges not too long ago and it was the perfect tool for the job!
 
GraniteCrystal said:
I used to want one of those. I did some research and realized I probably shouldn't get one till I have some teach me, in person, how to properly use it. Those things can be pretty dangerous from what I read.
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Tell me about it. My dad had one that was bent as long as I can remember, he was still using it.
 
wayoflife said:
Okay, here's another one that people who take courses and get pamphlets will say that I'm wrong about and ya'll can take it for whatever it's worth.

1. Attach your synthetic line to the drum and then wind it in nice and neat orderly lines for at least 10 loop or even better, until the drum is completely lined.
2. Apply a 6"-12" piece of duct tape lengthwise along the line from the drum out. This will help you to know that you are at the limit of what is safe to let out.
3. From here, continue winding in your line but NOT in neat orderly lines but rather, at an angle so that as you work your way back and forth, the line will be crisscrossed.

While this will not look as pretty, it will prevent your line from biting down through the wraps.

Please note, I have not taken any courses, have not gotten any pamphlets and certainly have not taken an exam where you either pass 100% or fail. This is just something that I've learned over the years. You can take it or leave it. :yup:
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Would you recommend the same for a steel line or instead keep it neat and orderly?
 
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