[The Good Twin]

Just to give you an idea...my kinetic rope will stretch by 30%. On my 30 foot rope, that's 9 feet. My 20 foot tow strap does also have a tiny bit of stretch--like 4%. On my 20 foot strap, that's about ten inches. I would view the kinetic rope as elastic and the tow strap as in-elastic.

 

[H8SPVMT]

Another person killed getting extracted.
Digest this PLEASE!

 

[ericw.]

So you open a gear bag and there's a web strap with loop ends. Is it a tow strap or a recovery strap? It is in excellent condition so it is ok to use . . . If you can figure out it's intended purpose. Towing (no stretch) or recovery (stretch), how can you tell?

When they say recovery straps are stretchy I don't imagine they are so stretchy that you can feel it by grabbing in your hands and pulling. Is there an easy way to tell?

I assume all straps are tow straps. Tow straps/tree savers are very common and most people have gone to recovery ropes. Still many people don't have a recovery rope or strap in their kit. Safest to assume there is no stretch in a strap if you don't know for sure.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Another person killed getting extracted.
Digest this PLEASE!

What the?? I know things can go wrong. And I know there is a difference between tow and recovery ropes/straps. That is exactly why I am asking how one tells the difference if you don't have the luxury of reading the store packaging.

For example, the tag says Erickson Tie-down and Tow straps. But if you go on their website you'll find the exact thing listed as a recovery strap, claiming it has stretch.

Good to know. If I'm going to give the stuck vehicle a stout yank, I want some stretch. However if my winch doesn't quite reach the nearest tree, I don't want stretch in something I'm winching with.

 

[Sgt_USMC]

Any fabric will have some inherent stretch, it’s just a matter of how much. It’s always best to play it safe.

 

[H8SPVMT]

What the?? I know things can go wrong. And I know there is a difference between tow and recovery ropes/straps. That is exactly why I am asking how one tells the difference if you don't have the luxury of reading the store packaging.

For example, the tag says Erickson Tie-down and Tow straps. But if you go on their website you'll find the exact thing listed as a recovery strap, claiming it has stretch.

Good to know. If I'm going to give the stuck vehicle a stout yank, I want some stretch. However if my winch doesn't quite reach the nearest tree, I don't want stretch in something I'm winching with.

Having been the receiving end of a jerk/snatch pull out of a wet mess & I vowed to never be on the receiving end of that again. I'll pull myself out if all else fails.
Only buy quality products that you can trust after you do your research. What I have here is mostly what I have used to retract others out of situations and not myself as much. Education in rigging and recovery is a must.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Having been the receiving end of a jerk/snatch pull out of a wet mess & I vowed to never be on the receiving end of that again. I'll pull myself out if all else fails.
Only buy quality products that you can trust after you do your research. What I have here is mostly what I have used to retract others out of situations and not myself as much. Education in rigging and recovery is a must.

View attachment 4576314

What happened when you were snatched? When I research thos I get the impression that is just how it's done. They specifically make kinetic ropes for that very purpose.

 

[The Good Twin]

BJ, I think that you might be over-thinking this. Check out the attached website.
VooDoo Offroad | Offroad Recovery Products & Winch Line

 

[D Robs]

Arb also sell snatch straps that are flat and stretch:

https://www.morris4x4center.com/arb-snatch-strap-24-000lbs-1.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRsDl2U9ZJ5SlJ5IeQqfkyGKsOQPjfCNkuWm6AKbanmIr0gGk0qOuURoCtFYQAvD_BwE

 

[H8SPVMT]

What happened when you were snatched? When I research thos I get the impression that is just how it's done. They specifically make kinetic ropes for that very purpose.

Just dang near "Wipe-lash" happened. Mud had a light suction on the TJ and the fellow got about 30 ft run full bore! I was happy that I had replaced the original bumpers.

 

[H8SPVMT]

Seems many complain about the wire and rope bunching up during an off-center pull.
If allowed it can bind and get caught up in the winch preventing any forward or reverse movement.

Remember when a winching operation is taking place there is NO WHERE TO GO so, take your time and respool as best you can during the pull. A fairlead block can sometimes be rigged as well to help this process along.

Just because someone is stuck, is NEVER time to hurry!

 

[Digger84]

Simplifying your vocabulary.

Tow Strap. Generally yellow, Flat and two to three inches wide. Loops on each end. Usually 20 to 30 feet long. Generally 20K to 40K break point. For all intents, it has no elastic properties. Can be used for vehicle recovery or towing. When using a tow strap for recovery, connect both vehicles to the strap using tow-hooks, D-rings or soft shackles. Begin by having the tow vehicle slowly creep forward until the tow strap is taught. When vehicle to be recovered is ready, SLOWLY add power and recover the vehicle. Coordination with both drivers is essential such as where to stop the tow.

Kinetic recovery rope. Various colors and capacities. Round, and with varying widths. Also with loops on each end. Lengths also vary, generally 20-30 feet. Can also be connected the same as above, but I prefer using soft shackles. Kinetic rope has significant elastic properties. Can be used for towing when you have no other options. I wouldn't recommend using a kinetic rope as a primary tow rope due to the kinetic rope's inherent elasticity. The idea with kinetic rope is to connect both vehicles, keeping slack on the rope. The tow vehicle should gradually increase speed to take out the slack in the rope, as the tow vehicle continues forward slightly increasing speed, it transfers energy into the rope stretching it to it's capacity. When max stretch is achieved, like a rubber band, the rope will seek to return to it's resting state transferring the stored energy to the recovery vehicle, freeing it from its "stuck-ness".

Compared to a chain a tow strap is pretty damn elastic and much less tow jerk damage likely to vehicle

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

...the fellow got about 30 ft run full bore!

Oh! Holy Cow! Not the kinda yank I was thinking.

 

[efitzger]

Excellent! What are your eyes seeing that my untrained eyes can't see? How can you tell?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never seen an elastic/dynamic strap that's flat or as wide as the ones in your pic. Any kinetic strap I've ever seen or used tends to be round and looks like giant paracord (and you can feel the difference just by touching it). Tow straps look like the straps in your pic - Flat, wide, and like polyester. Shiny and smooth. Except my old one which looks fuzzy and wrecked from overuse 🤣

 

[Dr Obbins]

Arb also sell snatch straps that are flat and stretch:

https://www.morris4x4center.com/arb-snatch-strap-24-000lbs-1.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRsDl2U9ZJ5SlJ5IeQqfkyGKsOQPjfCNkuWm6AKbanmIr0gGk0qOuURoCtFYQAvD_BwE

I have that ARB Snatch Strap. Used it a few times to free someone stuck in the sand.

 

[ericw.]

Arb also sell snatch straps that are flat and stretch:

https://www.morris4x4center.com/arb-snatch-strap-24-000lbs-1.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRsDl2U9ZJ5SlJ5IeQqfkyGKsOQPjfCNkuWm6AKbanmIr0gGk0qOuURoCtFYQAvD_BwE

I don't have one to check but I always think back to this video. At 8:15 he states that the tag on the ARB snatch strap lists a service life of "10" - he says that means you should retire the snatch strap after 10 hits.

I've never owned a snatch strap, just the ropes and always use my own equipment because it's what I know. There is really no room for guessing here.

 

[whiskey2]

Having been the receiving end of a jerk/snatch pull out of a wet mess & I vowed to never be on the receiving end of that again. I'll pull myself out if all else fails.
Only buy quality products that you can trust after you do your research. What I have here is mostly what I have used to retract others out of situations and not myself as much. Education in rigging and recovery is a must.

View attachment 4576314

Hey sir, that tow strap in the plastic package, if its not vented and has moisture in it, it will get moldy and eat the strap. FYI.

 

[H8SPVMT]

Hey sir, that tow strap in the plastic package, if its not vented and has moisture in it, it will get moldy and eat the strap. FYI.

Good point and that is correct. Cleaning straps and recovery equipment is a must after each adventure. Un-spooling and cleaning winch rope is a hassle as well and never had to do that until I switched from wire. But a bucket of lightly soapy water works wonders and helps keep it all in good working condition. Rusty spool drums (the rope holds moister) is another consideration when running rope instead of wire.

 

[Shiba Pack Lead]

Rule of thumb in heavy rigging: if you don’t know the history of a sling or strap, dispose of it. Safety fact of winching: Steel cable will whip back at the winch if it, or any connection it’s attached to fails (see video posted by H8SPVMT). Further, if a strap/rope is frayed from chaffing, has a cut in it or smells moldy, cut it up and dispose of it.

Because of these safety tenants, I would not recommended the use of a dynamic recovery rope unless you’re in an armored HUMMV and/or you have had the training to use one safely. I also run a winch with synthetic rope because it will just drop when it fails. Snatch blocks on straps around solid anchor points multiply your pulling force and provide a safer zone to winch from, rather than in line with the cable.

 

[Got it at last]

As everyone stated above.....

Not mentioned is irregardless of type.
Make sure you attach to something (frame) so you don't yank anything out of whack during recovery. Kinetic ropes haven't been around all that long and everyone use to use tow straps. The Recovery Rope allows you to put less strain on both vehicles and get more bang for your pulling power buck.

I disagree with the technique a certain Youtube star uses on pounding the skinny pedal in his videos. Most of the time it only takes a nudge or strong pull to get the recovery going.

JMHO..