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Soft shackles and kinetic ropes

welndmn said:
is 'Recovery' the new buzz word?
What happened to just pulling someone out? 'Recovery' to seems to imply there is some sort of urgency to it.
I've been pulling people out of my way and out of ditches for years, but I think I've only had to go on 1 or 2 'recovery' 'missions'.
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It’s what all the kids say. If you weren’t mid you would know that…bet
 
Yankum Ropes sent an email today with some info that made me think of this thread:

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WHAT IF I DOUBLE UP MY KINETIC ROPE?

Lately, we've received questions about using a 20' or 30' rope folded back, allowing the recovery vehicle to get closer to the stuck vehicle, especially in tight spots.

While this approach is possible, keep in mind that when you double up the rope, it essentially behaves as two separate ropes. This is because the pulling force is divided out to each leg (see image below).

That means a 6000 pound vehicle that can easily stretch a 7/8" rope up to it's maximum 30% stretch, no longer has the mass to stretch a doubled up 7/8" (at a safe speed), and would take more like 10-11000 pounds to achieve the same stretch.

In practical terms, this means the rope will act more like a strap, minimizing the kinetic benefits, and will perform something closer to a static pull without the usual stretch or dynamic effect.

If you want a kinetic rope to have a cushy stretch and be close to the stuck vehicle, you will want a short kinetic rope.
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Straps vs Ropes

I have seen this come up a few times now. Material matters when discussing the differences. There are both Nylon (kinetic/dynamic) and Polyester (static(ish)) straps in the market. Nylon kinetic recovery straps are pretty common in Australia compared to ropes, but in the USA, we see a lot more polyester straps ( tree straps, 'tow' straps, and items like endless round slings ).
 
Mieser said:
Straps vs Ropes

I have seen this come up a few times now. Material matters when discussing the differences. There are both Nylon (kinetic/dynamic) and Polyester (static(ish)) straps in the market. Nylon kinetic recovery straps are pretty common in Australia compared to ropes, but in the USA, we see a lot more polyester straps ( tree straps, 'tow' straps, and items like endless round slings ).
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I have some friends and family in SA and have been wheeling there a few times. Everything they do down there is either driving on sandy beaches or muddy tracks with hill climbs. Ropes make more sense in those situations. They also can't modify their vehicles much so they tend to buy every accessory they can so they can bolt it on to their vehicles, so they probably like the fancy expensive ropes.

Over here we tend to do a lot more stuff in the rocks where you typically need to move only a few inches to get un high centered, or get your diff off a boulder, you do not need the cool kinetic ropes and a strap is much better in those situations since you do not need to move the recovery vehicle more than a few feet. Plus a strap is much more versatile, you can wrap it around trees/boulders to make a winch point, and they are also much cheaper, so you can have a spare.

Never been into mud so never really got stuck in it, aside from this one time I decided to drive through the drainage ditch down the street when I was 16 and sank my truck to the frame. Some dude in a ranger pulled it out with a strap just fine.
 
Mieser said:
Straps vs Ropes

I have seen this come up a few times now. Material matters when discussing the differences. There are both Nylon (kinetic/dynamic) and Polyester (static(ish)) straps in the market. Nylon kinetic recovery straps are pretty common in Australia compared to ropes, but in the USA, we see a lot more polyester straps ( tree straps, 'tow' straps, and items like endless round slings ).
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I've been using an ARB kinetic strap for over a decade, wouldn't be without it. Never tried a rope.

Even for light tugs or just towing a broken down vehicle down a trail the kinetic strap is so much nicer to use because there's no shock. I carry a tree saver strap as well, but that one's more for winching.
 
LScout800 said:
I have some friends and family in SA and have been wheeling there a few times. Everything they do down there is either driving on sandy beaches or muddy tracks with hill climbs. Ropes make more sense in those situations. They also can't modify their vehicles much so they tend to buy every accessory they can so they can bolt it on to their vehicles, so they probably like the fancy expensive ropes.

Over here we tend to do a lot more stuff in the rocks where you typically need to move only a few inches to get un high centered, or get your diff off a boulder, you do not need the cool kinetic ropes and a strap is much better in those situations since you do not need to move the recovery vehicle more than a few feet. Plus a strap is much more versatile, you can wrap it around trees/boulders to make a winch point, and they are also much cheaper, so you can have a spare.

Never been into mud so never really got stuck in it, aside from this one time I decided to drive through the drainage ditch down the street when I was 16 and sank my truck to the frame. Some dude in a ranger pulled it out with a strap just fine.
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My point is that you can have a 'strap' that works just like a 'rope'. There is little difference in performance if they are made of the same material. Nylon is used for kinetic recoveries because it will stretch and remain dynamic longer. Polyester is used because it doesn't have much stretch ( and now we are starting to see more Dyneema type fibers also ) for static tow/lift applications.
 
LScout800 said:
I only have a cheap tow strap from harbor freight. Lasted me through the last 5ish years. In times of desperation I may have used a ratchet strap...

Never had a kinetic rope and don't plan to. I just think the concept is pretty interesting and soft shackles are cool.
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I use retired crane straps. And my brain. It's worked out so far.
 
Anyone see Stan Fullers new video? Some guy getting winched had a soft shackle failure in Moab during EJS. Doesn’t sound like people got hurt but…



Around 10 mins in and some stick welding repairs
 
I wheel mostly sand and mud. I prefer a kinetic strap like ARB's over a rope because the sand doesn't get inside it as much. And they are easier to clean. Kinetic gets used for pulling people out or around. Standard strap is used for anchoring or as an extension.
 
[memphis] said:
Anyone see Stan Fullers new video? Some guy getting winched had a soft shackle failure in Moab during EJS. Doesn’t sound like people got hurt but…



Around 10 mins in and some stick welding repairs
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Looked like they used it again for the next pull. Maybe didn’t get it cinched down around the knot before pulling?
 
ApeEater said:
Looked like they used it again for the next pull. Maybe didn’t get it cinched down around the knot before pulling?
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I rewatched it… I think you are right and Stan even mumbled something about it but I couldn’t really understand him
 
Figured I'd bump this shitshow with a proper shackle mount that's designed based on what works instead of what looks cool. :flipoff2:

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