So I am planning on doing some off roading this winter and I want to find out what to buy for a recovery strap/chain/cable. What should I buy? I like the idea of a nylon strap because it will be light and easy to carry but I don’t want to spend too much money if I don’t have to. Please give pictures and sites if possible. I don’t know the first thing about these other than the fact that I need one. Thanks

 

anything metal (chain or strap with hooks) is bad. if something breaks then you have metal flying in the air and at best will damage your truck and at worst will kill you. the best bet is to get a nylon recovery strap that has looped ends (no metal hooks). they're relatively cheap. i picked mine up at a local hardware store for less then $30.

 

How about searching? It's been beaten to death....

 

When i was in Bend about a week or so ago, I stopped in at the all american truck store (I think thats the name), its right by the military surplus store. They had Pro-Comp straps in stock and I almost baught one. I think the 2" x 30' was like $38. They were recovery straps (looped ends) instead of tow straps (hooks on ends).

 

I did some searching and the only thing I found was about how meatal straps can kill you so now I am even more confused. How are you suposed to attach the staps if they are looped at both ends? Can you loop the stap around say a recieving hitch by feeding the end through the loop? What width strap shoul be used?

 

I like the ARB recovery straps the best. The cost a little more but the loops covered with a cordura protector all the way around. The bonus to this is if you have a 2" receiver (hitch) you can put it in and slide the pin through and you have a centered recovery point or a centered location to pull with. The cordura protection prevents extra wear all the way around.

 

Hey addict, your 2nd Gen is a spitting image of my old one!!
Great Rig!!

 

yeah definitly stay away from nylon with metal hooks, I had one. I was pulling out a buddy and somehow it unhooked from his truck when i was pulling him. It put a dent in my tailgate about the width of a grape fruit and about 1/2-1 inch deep. Im just glad it hit my tail gate and not my rear window... or the back of my head.

 

Buy a genuine recovery strap - Warn, Arb, Procomp, Keeper (the originator of the concept) - any name brand. Do NOT buy a polypropylene tow strap for example, and a lifting strap is not the same thing, a recovery strap has to stretch. The recovery strap is amazing - we've yanked guys right out with no effort who had been trying unsuccessfully to winch out before we found them. They store the energy from the tow vehicle and release it all at once - smooth and positive. Don't hook it to a tow ball, get a big clevis or use a hitch pin in your receiver if you have one. For the front use the tow hook. I like the Warn deluxe strap with the moveable protector, quite handy. Well worth the money.

Google turned up an unlimited supply of how-to sites, try "using a recovery strap"
www.jeep-tech-tips.com/recovery-straps.html
www.4x4now.com/bb1096.htm
www.d-90.com/tech/unstuck.html
www.okoffroad.com/editorial-winching.htm

 

I got mine at Wal-Mart 2" 20' for $18. Don't remeber the make, but no noticible difference than most I have seen.

 

You might also look at getting a come-along. Do NOT get one of those $10 units from Harbor Freight! (I have 4 of those - used once -well, almost used once - just sitting in a box - they're dangerous...) But for only a bit more you can get a decent one. I carried about 30 feet of chain (in one of those cases that power tools come in but you never use) and a come-along for years before I bought my first winch, and it really really came in handy. I continued to carry it even after I had a winch - came in handy a few times.

 

Thanks Flamed, those links help a lot.

 

Ok, I just paid for this pro-comp stap on ebay. Looked very well made and dependable. It is the 20,000 pound version and it sold for $37 shiped:
Strap

 

That'll do just fine. Right price too. I picked up the 3" 30,000 lb. version this summer. It held up to a two-rig setup pulling a Ranger out of the nastiest dune stuck I have ever seen. You'll be fine with that one buddy.