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Recovery rope or strap - what's right for me?

colbystephens

colbystephens

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My wheeling style is trail rides, either in rocks or in snow. I'm trying to decide between buying a recovery rope or a recovery strap. The strap costs half as much, but for some reason, I'm more inclined to go with the rope. They're both rated the same, but I believe the rope has more stretch, increasing kinetic force and decreasing shock on the truck.

What would you choose, and why?
 
Winch.

But thats just me.

Every off-road vehicle I have ever owned except for my Mercedes M-class SUV, has had a PTO winch.

Most of the bad places I go, a strap or rope would not be much good.
When you are in knee deep gumbo mud, it does not matter if there is someone else to pull you out with a strap, unless he is on high ground.

I have pulled out as many as three trucks at one time, all of them hooked together by straps.
First guy got stuck, second guy hooked to him with the strap.
That stuck him, so the third guy hooked to the second guy with a strap after he unhooked from the first guy.

But, even so, that stuck the third guy.

When I got there, it was 3 in the morning, raining, cold, and I was in a mood.
I had a great pair of big oaks to put my bumper against, and it would be a long pull which meant low wraps on the spool.

So, just to show off, I told them I was not going to sit there all night pulling idiots out of the mud.
Made them hook the straps back up to all three trucks and pulled them all out at once.......:D


I love a good wench winch.
 
I vote winch as well. You can get a smittybilt XRC10 for 399 with free shipping from amazon. Best 400 I have spent on my rig. I've used it only a few times but its soo much easier than straps or rope. That being said I bought the winch and won a contest on FB from smittybilt and they sent me a 4" x 30 strap for free! just like Mnorby and ssyork got winches for free.
 
I've never dealt with rope ones but straps have saved me ALOT. my burb has one in it at all times even though it dont get wheeled. The straps are made to stretch as you say. some of them even used to be called "Stretch 'em Straps". Thats the way I'd go but thats just cause I havent ever tried rope ones:dunno:
 
shady said:
I've never dealt with rope ones but straps have saved me ALOT. my burb has one in it at all times even though it dont get wheeled. The straps are made to stretch as you say. some of them even used to be called "Stretch 'em Straps". Thats the way I'd go but thats just cause I havent ever tried rope ones:dunno:
Click to expand...

True there has been one in my Dmax since I bought it. Drive around in the winter when it snows and you will make up the cost of the strap in no time. Lol
 
I've used both(and have a winch), and I primarily use straps. The few times I've used the ropes I've liked them, but I honestly didnt notice much of a difference between the two. I'd buy the strap just because its cheaper.
 
yeah, there are some real nice stretchable straps out nowadays, the kind that weave into itself on the ends. I have a 3"x30' strap and 100' of 1.25" kenetic rope. The rope is more fragile and expensive than the straps (cuts etc) so if you aren't stuck in waist deep mud, needing 20' of slack to snatch to get you out, then I'd go with a strap. They are cheaper, roll up nicer into a box, and will last longer.
 
I would say winch, but then again, where we mud there are no trees nearby, so a winch is useless. I like ropes because Iv always felt they are stronger than the strap. Then again, I have the advantage of knowing several people that either drive tugboats, or deck on them, and get me ropes and can tie eyelets in them for me as well, so I could be biased. Only thing Iv liked more about the strap is its easier to roll up and smaller to store, either or is better than chain IMO.
 
Mud & Sand = Kinetic stretchy rope.

Anything else I'd use a strap. But a strap can work just about anywhere so if you're limited I'd buy a strap.
 
I would say winch, but then again, where we mud there are no trees nearby, so a winch is useless.
Click to expand...

It took a couple of walkouts, but I learned one of the cardinal rules of going offroad by yourself when I was about 18.
Always drive to trees.....

When I came up to a bad place, I looked for a big tree on the other side. If I saw one, I went.
If not, and I really needed to go there, I would look behind me. If there were trees there, I would try to back through.

I got myself out twice with a deadman. Cut down a tree, or find a big log.
Go out beyond where you are stuck, as far as possible for the best angle.
Dig down a trench as deep as you can and lay the log in it sideways to the truck.
Tie the cable to the middle, and trench out a trough for it to come out through.

Cover up the log, and if you did it right and the angle is not too steep, it will pull you out.

Once, I tried a small boat anchor in soft mud.
Worked great, except I had to cut my cable with an ax and hammer against my front bumper.
Dug as deep as I could, never found the anchor.
I always said I was going to go back with a backhoe and get my anchor back........

Nowadays with the plow gadget, I guess you can pull yourself out anywhere.

I carried another anchor for a long time, setup with the hookup on the wrong end with a short piece of cable lashed to the eye like you do on big boats.

If it gets stuck too deep, you move past it and pull. The lashing breaks and the anchor pulls out backwards.

But, I don't remember ever using it. I finally put on a friend's boat when he lost his.
 
We have tossed around the anchor idea for awhile, our normal mudpits around here are seasonal, as in most of my friends and such let us use their fields after plowing, so we have always had tractors to supply winch duties for us. Our only other source is old strip mine land, and while it has trees, they are mostly 3 to 5in diameter, nowhere near what it takes to extract my suburban on 40s, or some of the ones on 64s and such, but the anchor is cool as hell, seen it used several times and never failed yet. Great idea. Never even crossed my mind
 
You have to remember I predate lots of what you folks see everyday. Nowadays if I still went those kind of places on a regular basis, I would probably get one of these.

http://www.pullpal.com/

A regular anchor will work, but even with the reverse hookup, I would use a heavy piece of strap, or pull rope between it and the steel cable.
I ruined my ax cutting that cable and lost about 15 feet of cable to boot.

I would have been happy to have something to cut with a knife.

The only thing they do not mention with the Pullpal, is how to get it back out. I'm sure with that top handle is does not go below that, but it could still mean some digging to retrieve it.

There is probably something in the instructions, but they do not seem to be online.

In looking for the website, I stumbled across this test.
Smittybuilt usually builds good stuff, but their version did not seem to fair as well....

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ybilt-W-A-S-P-(Winch-Anchor-Support-Platform)
 
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