A "smart" trail driver will only attempt an obstacle a few times.  Chances are, if you can’t make it after 2 or 3 attempts, you’re not gonna make it at all.  And if your pride or ego get in the way of your common sense, you will likely start to break stuff!  There’s nothing shameful about having to take the strap (or the cable); meaning you have to be pulled out of a "stuck", either by recovery (tow) strap or winch.   Hopefully, you paid attention during Lesson #1 and have a set of tow points on vehicle and a good recovery strap.

Vehicle recovery is one of the most dangerous situations you are likely to encounter on the trail.  You will be placing a tremendous amount of force on various vehicle components and pieces of recovery equipment. Some things that can quickly get you into trouble include:

It will depend on the situation as to whether you will need a recovery strap or a winch to get you out of the predicament you've managed to get yourself into.

Recovery Straps: Also know as "tow straps" or "snatch straps" (because of the way they stretch, and then "snatch" you out of whatever has you stuck).  If you can be pulled relatively straight forwards or straight backwards, and you aren’t tightly wedged in something, then a recovery strap will probably be the easiest way to get you out (of course, there are always exceptions).  Your recovery strap should be rated for at least 20,000 pounds, and have sewn "loops" on both ends.  They usually come in 20-foot and 30-foot lengths; the longer they are, the more they will stretch.  Expect to pay at least $25 for a good 20-foot tow strap.  Do not use one of those cheap tow ropes from Wal-Mart with the metal hooks on both ends!  If the rope breaks, one of those hooks is gonna lash back and crash through your windshield (and anything else in its path) like a missile!

Before jumping out to grab your strap, make sure you stabilize your vehicle!  Remember, always maintain control of your vehicle!  This might include leaving the t-case in low range and the tranny in 1st gear with the engine turned off.  You might also want to set the parking brake and/or place a rock or wedge behind one or more of your tires to keep your vehicle from rolling unexpectedly.  If you are in a precarious situation, it might be best for you to just stay put, with a heavy foot on the brake pedal, and let someone else hook up the strap!  However, if you are able to do so, it is customary for you to use your strap, and for you to get out and hook things up.  Secure each end of the strap to suitable tow points on both your vehicle and the tow vehicle (i.e., don’t tie it in a knot around a spring hanger or a bumper)!

The driver of the tow vehicle should slowly "take up the slack" on the strap so that it is taut.  Do not attempt to "snatch" the stuck vehicle with slack in the strap!  You can now get back into your vehicle, release your emergency brake, and restart your engine, since the tow vehicle now has a solid hold on you.  This may sound obvious, but make sure you are in-gear in the direction you are being pulled (i.e., reverse if you are being pulled backwards).  You want to be in gear so that you can "help" the tow vehicle pull you out.  So let out the clutch and get your wheels turning, but don’t gun the throttle. Inform the recovery vehicle, over the CB radio, that you are ready.

If the tow vehicle has good traction, the recovery strap will start to stretch.  The resulting energy built up in the strap will (hopefully) free (snatch) you from whatever has you stuck.  Once you regain traction and can proceed under your own power, be careful not to drive over the strap; you could damage or destroy it!  Back on stable ground, turn off your engine and secure your vehicle again prior to getting out to unhook the strap.  If you used someone else’s strap, be sure to neatly wrap it back up.  And finally, don’t forget to thank your rescuer—you may need their services again before the ride is over! :o)

Winching (another vehicle with a winch rescuing you): If you are wedged between a couple of rocks, or are stuck on a steep slippery hill, or need to be pulled at a severe angle, then you are probably better off being winched.  Winching offers much better control than a tow strap, cuz it pulls relatively slow; and you can start and stop it more precisely.  Being rescued by a winch cable is quite similar to being rescued by recovery strap.  First, make sure you stabilize your vehicle before jumping out to grab the cable.  The recovery vehicle should be positioned for as straight a pull as possible, but not more than about 30 degrees to either side, as a general rule.  If the stuck vehicle is badly stuck, and/or the recovery vehicle has poor traction, it is likely that the stuck vehicle will pull the recovery vehicle instead of the other way around.  In this case, the recovery vehicle will need to be secured to another vehicle; or ideally, secured to a stationary object (e.g., a sturdy tree).  You can use a tow strap to anchor the recovery vehicle to a second vehicle; or a "tree saver", shackle, and chain combo to secure it to a tree, for example.

Once the recovery vehicle is secure, set the winch to "free spool" and pull the winch hook and cable out towards your stuck vehicle.  Don’t pull the cable all the way out; you must leave at least 3 turns of cable on the drum.  Otherwise, the cable may slip on the drum, become detached from the drum, or damage the cable.  If the cable isn’t quite long enough to reach you, use a length of high-test steel chain.  Or in a pinch, you can even use your tow strap to make up the difference.  But be extremely careful. Remember that a tow strap will stretch, which will cost you some control.  Do not attach the winch hook directly to your tow strap loop!  I’ve seen a winch hook cut right through one. The cable and hook recoiled back and smashed the recovery vehicle’s windshield!  Boy, was he ever pissed!  Instead, put a steel screw pin shackle through your strap loop, and attach the winch hook to the shackle.

Next, attach the winch hook to a suitable tow point on your vehicle (e.g., a tow hook).  Do not wrap the winch cable around an axle or a bumper, and then hook it back onto itself!  You will likely kink or otherwise damage the cable (and your vehicle)!  Once the cable is secure, the winch operator should ease up the slack so that the cable is taut.  A weight should draped over the winch cable (e.g., a heavy jacket works well).  This way, if the cable breaks, the weight will force the cable to the ground instead of allowing it to recoil in the air and hurt someone (most likely the winch operator)!  You can now get back into your vehicle, release your emergency brake, and restart your engine, since the tow vehicle now has a solid hold on you.  Again, make sure you are in-gear in the direction you are being pulled.  Release the clutch pedal and let your wheels start turning.  Inform the recovery vehicle, over the CB radio, that you are ready.  Once you regain traction and can proceed under your own power, be careful not to drive over the cable.  Back on stable ground, turn off your engine and secure your vehicle again prior to getting out to unhook the cable.  Assist with rewinding the winch by holding the cable taut and guiding it as it wraps on the drum.

Winching (self-recovery with your own winch): If you happen to have your own winch, congratulations.  In addition to my on-board air system, my winch is one of the most useful "tools" on my Jeep.  I’ve use my winch extensively; not only to rescue myself and others, but also to help straighten out bent-in tie rods, to reposition my axles while trying to install new control arms, and to pull tree stumps in my yard!  Self-recovery, however, is why most people buy a winch.  It allows you to venture out more on your own, without having to worry (as much) about getting stranded out in the boonies.  Although a winch won’t rescue you from every situation, it will certainly get you out of most predicaments!

There are a few winching accessories that you must have in order to safely and effectively use your winch.  As a minimum, you will need a tree strap (a.k.a., tree "saver"), a screw pin shackle, and a pair of leather gloves.  A tree strap looks like a short, wide recovery strap, except that it doesn’t stretch.  It’s typically 3 – 4 inches wide and about 6 feet long, with sewn loops at each end.  Its purpose is to eliminate damage to trees, as well as your winch cable.  Never wrap your winch cable around a tree and hook it back onto itself!  It will cut into, and damage, the tree.  It will also put a kink in your cable, creating a weak spot.  Instead, wrap your tree strap around the tree, as close to the ground as possible, and loop both ends into a screw pin shackle.  Then attach the hook to the shackle pin.  From this point on, procedures are much the same as if you were being winched by a recovery vehicle.

Winching (pulling at extreme angles): Whether you are being winched by another vehicle, or self-recovering, you should try to keep the angle of the pull within 30 degrees on each side.  This usually isn’t as much of a factor during self recovery, cuz if you don’t have an anchor point somewhere in front of you, you aren’t going to be able to pull yourself in that direction anyway.  But when being winched by another vehicle on a tight trail, it isn’t always possible to line the recovery vehicle up between your 10:00 and 2:00 position.  In this situation, recovery success can be greatly enhanced with the help of another winching accessory, called a "pulley block" (a.k.a., "snatch block" -- although I have no idea how anyone came up with this particular name for it).  A pulley block allows you to effectively convert to a near straight pull from virtually any angle.  The pulley block is attached to a winch point (e.g., a tree) which is in front of both the stuck vehicle as well as the recovery vehicle. The pulley block is attached using a tree strap and a screw pin shackle.  The winch cable extends from the recovery vehicle, straight to the pulley block, then through the pulley block, and then angles (wherever) to the stuck vehicle. 

Winching (more power): Sometimes you get stuck soooo bad, that your winch just can’t get you out.  Relax, you still have two options.  First of all, your winch rating only applies to the first wrap on the drum.  That means you 9,000-pound winch only pulls at 9,000 pounds when the cable is pulled nearly all the way out!  Each successive wrap decreases your winch’s torque by 12%.  A 125-foot cable will wrap several times around your drum.  Therefore, if you choose a winch anchor point that only requires releasing one or two wraps of your cable, you are probably only able to use about half of your winch’s capability.  To get "more power", try selecting an anchor point that’s further away from your vehicle.  The more you unwind your winch, the more torque will be available for pulling.

Or, if you really need more power, you can effectively double the capacity of your winch when used in conjunction with your pulley block.  That means if you have a 9,000-pound winch, you can effect an 18,000-pound pull!  Here’s how: Attach you tree strap and screw pin shackle to your winch point.  But instead of attaching the winch hook to the shackle, attach your pulley block instead.  Run your winch cable straight out, through the pulley block, then back to your vehicle, and attach it to one of your front tow points.  While the winch will pull your vehicle at only half the speed, it’ll be at twice the force!  How does this work?  I don't know!  It has something to do with physics, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one.  ;o)   BTW, the same applies here about the number of wraps on the drum.  Therefore, you’ll get that 18,000-pound pull only on the first wrap!

To Be Continued . . .