Understanding Your Gear Needs
We can’t stress enough how important it is to understand not only the gear you already have, but also the gear you might still need for your specific recovery situations. The last thing you want is to put your rig (and potentially your life) into someone else’s hands who isn’t knowledgeable with proper recovery gear. It also goes without saying, they care less about your rig than you do. So be prepared to get yourself out of any jam and know what you have and what you need for your specific situation.
Recovery straps and ropes are generally made from nylon, which allows them to stretch a bit, and are not typically used for towing situations. If your rig is flat-out stuck and the situation calls for vehicle-to-vehicle pulling, you’ll want to pull out your recovery rope or strap. These types of recoveries are referred to as dynamic/kinetic recoveries.
Winch line, winch extensions, and tow straps
are generally made from polyester or some version of HMPE (Dyneema, Plasma, and so on). They don't have nearly as much stretch as recovery straps/ropes and are best used for towing a non-stuck vehicle, winching a stuck vehicle, and serving as a winch extension. Since this type of strap has very little stretch, the last thing you want to do is use one to jerk or yank on a stuck vehicle. This is referred to as “shock loading” and the effects can be dangerous.
Did you think that recovery straps are onesize-fits-all? Don’t be duped when you see a strap marketed as an all-in-one for any recovery situation. It’s just not possible and, quite frankly, not safe.
While we recommend always carrying the right variety of ropes/straps for your vehicle setup, they're only as good as knowing when and how to use them properly. Every adventure rig should carry at least one recovery rope or strap, however, these will be of little use to you in a solo situation. While it’s always good practice not to hit the trails alone, we’ve all done it and have probably had our fair share of “white knuckle” situations. As Adam Wood, CEO of Step 22 Gear, will be the first to say, “While we do offer a line of ropes and straps, if you have a habit of doing solo trips I would rather see your priority be a winch or a set of MaxTrax.”