Critique this recovery gear video

matkal

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I ran across this video and thought it was worth sharing, this is part two, part one is a recovery.
I’m hoping those with real world experience can watch and critique the equipment and methods described in this video. Some of the info seems accurate, some maybe not so much. As I have never recovered a vehicle all I know is what I’ve learned on the internet so I’m interested in what the experts think.

 
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Nobody? Good bad or ugly?
TBH I only watched up to the snatch block explanation which is wrong, the snatch block only doubles the line pull in the configuration he mentioned. He could have anchored the TJ to the tree and that would have given him a better anchor and the tree would not have been damaged.. As far as the snatch block is concerned, if he ran his winch line to a block on the other Jeep, back to a block on his and then to the tree it would have spread the load and increased his mechanical advantage, but that uses more line and all he needed was more anchor. Let the discussion begin.😉
 
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The only thing I thought that was unique in this video compared to the 1M other videos on recovery was the chainsaw. I carry a chainsaw in my truck and Jeep every day. That is the one tool I’ve use the most (by far) when we go exploring in the woods. Knowing what to bring is very dependent on the land that surrounds you.

Personally, I carry a 50’ strap, snatch block, 30’ kinetic, 2 tree savers, 4-5 soft shackles, 3-4 hard shackles. I feel like that is complete overkill and I never find myself needing more than my winch, the block, and a tree saver.
 
Also, the recovery they show…why the hell wouldn’t they recover off of the ENTIRE group of trees? You can hear the things cracking under the pressure before he gets out. After seeing the gear he has, it makes zero sense. Just seems like laziness.
 
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Generally I would wear gloves and wouldn't want somebody running around and moving their Jeep while the winch was in use. It also looks like the guy runs towards/under the tree while it's being pulled. I guess it's not a big deal but certainly overall not something I'd watch as a good example of how to do things, especially the part with the tree. The guy also walks over the winch line instead of going around the rear of the Jeep. I guess it's not the end of the world but if you are making a video about how to do it why not get the basic stuff right?
 
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I'm typing my thoughts as I watch:

- They should have initially tried a kinetic rope. Growing up in FL, that type of off-roading is all there really is, and we usually try snatching first because it's quicker, and if that doesn't work, then you winch.
- Sidenote: Before you actually hit the trail, make sure all your recovery gear is ready. For example, if I know I'll be mudding in a place like that, where both the front and rear of the stuck vehicle will be under the water/mud, I will attach my kinetic rope to the rear shackle hitch receiver and wrap the rope around the spare tire so if someone gets stuck all I need to do is get in position and run the rope to them. Similarly, in the front, make sure D-rings are only finger tight (I tighten with a wrench when on the road to prevent theft) so you can easily get them on/off.

- The recovery Jeep should have pulled in front of the stuck Jeep (not turned around) with their tires out of the mud (depending on the length of the kinetic rope) and attempt the snatch while driving forward.

- It looks like they used the stuck Jeep's winch rather than the recovery Jeep's winch. I've always done the opposite, because it's quicker for the recovery Jeep to free spool their winch out to the stuck Jeep and get everything rigged up, and if they need to reposition or strap themselves to a tree, it's easier to adjust the line length of the recovery Jeep. In this case, the stuck Jeep released line using their winch controller rather than free spool, probably because nobody wanted to get in the mud to switch to free spool and back, but it ended up adding time to the recovery.

- The recovery Jeep should not have driven in reverse while the winch was rigged up. I assume they were doing that to try to help pull the other Jeep out, but they could have been trying to dig their tires down to help them stay in place. Either way, doing that can introduce shock loads that aren't good for either the winch or winch line.

- Rather than re-rig the winch directly to that little tree, I would have tried positioning the recovery Jeep between the stuck Jeep and the tree and attaching the rear of the recovery Jeep to the tree using a tow strap. All the recovery Jeep needed was a little bit more help (in addition to its own brakes) to stay in place and that little tree probably would have provided that and not broken in the process.

I made this video in 2007 before I even bought my Jeep. My buddies had Land Rovers so I went off-roading with them and bought my Jeep shortly thereafter. You'll see a similar mud bug and trying to recover first using a strap followed by a winch. I think you have to watch directly on YouTube bc they flagged it for a copyright infringement due to putting a song in there:
 
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I got to here before I quit watching. 2 IDIOTS stuck in the mud playing tug o war. Back up the 2 door 40' and get out of the mud!
DUMB.jpg
 
The video was obviously just them playing around to talk about the equipment and not a real recovery. Still the basic safety stuff is important.
 
I hadn't thought about " the million other recovery videos" I haven't watched all that many for that very reason, they 're pretty similar. One of the reasons I watched this one was it was "local" and thought there might be a bit more relevant info.

The recovery itself was, even to a noob like myself, a bit " unprofessional" but it did help illustrate what not to do. LOL. The RustedUP guys are like that though, a little less polished than some and maybe more real(?). I was interested in the gear the guy was talking about and how he explained the uses of it. I have a decent collection of recovery gear; winch with steel cable, snatch block, a couple D-ring shackles, a couple soft shackles, tree saver, snatch strap and a hand saw. I'm not sure of the usefulness of the handsaw but it's light and doesn't take up much space.

The one thing I did come away with was removing the hook from the winch cable if using an extension. I'm curious about part three.
 
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I'd leave the hook at home. Especially with steel line you don't want open connections like that. The way I saw it if I needed the hook I was doing something I really shouldn't. I carry a saw and shovel too, they are both useful camping as well.
 
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2 friends and I recovered my Toyota Tundra with an axe and a couple of skis. I recovered my SxS with a heavy duty ratchet strap. The Tundra was down an embankment in about 4 feet of snow and the SxS was buried to my lap in mud.

Point being, with basic gear and some persistence you can get yourself out of some sticky situations. There is a wrong way to do something but sometimes you have to work with what you have and just respect the danger.
 
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2 friends and I recovered my Toyota Tundra with an axe and a couple of skis. I recovered my SxS with a heavy duty ratchet strap. The Tundra was down an embankment in about 4 feet of snow and the SxS was buried to my lap in mud.

Point being, with basic gear and some persistence you can get yourself out of some sticky situations. There is a wrong way to do something but sometimes you have to work with what you have and just respect the danger.
I agree. Some have limited funds and or limited space and some don’t care 🤷‍♂️ lol
 
I am a rank amateur and based on where I live have little experience with deep mud holes but here is what I think I would have done different…

(1) I would have backed up the recovery vehicle to solid ground and had the side benefit of less wraps on the drum and let the winch do the work.

(2) Since I would not know what is at the bottom of that hole; maybe a big rock, a hidden stump, a log or huge root (or maybe just more mud) I think I would have eased up on the tire spin (just enough to break any suction) and let the winch do the work. Like most of life, when you find yourself in a hole, it is usually a good idea to stop digging.
 
What would be a good resource for information like this? Video? Book? Webpage?

Ive never pulled a vehicle out of anything. Other than towing a car with a chain.
 
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