Getting out and exploring the Aussie bush in a 4WD is a lifestyle many dream of, and part of that is being able to safely extract your vehicle from just about any tricky situation, including soft boggy sand, deep greasy mud and even from the misfortune of a partial of full rollover.

When people aren’t prepared for a recovery you might find the process to be as close to a living nightmare as possible, however, even with the right gear, it certainly pays to know what you are doing, to prevent the situation from becoming worse!

A good quality recover kit is by far one of the most critical pieces of gear that a 4WDer can purchase so when it comes to shopping around for your own, do you really know what it is that should you be looking for?

Weighing up your recovery gear!

A snatch strap is one of the first bits of recovery gear that many people purchase to help get their vehicles free from sand and mud. The weight rating of a snatch strap is important, as a snatch strap works like a big elastic band, so when choosing a new Snatch Strap the minimum breaking strength should be between 2-3 times the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass.

The Hercules 8,000kg strap should cater to most mid/full sized 4WDs but if your pride and joy is a Patrol or Cruiser that is loaded right up to it’s GVM and you regularly tow a camper it might be wise to consider going with the Hercules 11,000kg strap.

A set of rated bow shackles are also extremely important and any gear that says “not to be used for 4WD recoveries” in the fine print is not safe to use, ever!

Recovery hitches and extension straps need to be rated around 4.5t or over, while a tree trunk protector and a snatch block should be rated to around double that of your winch.

What should your budget be?

Gone are the days where price is an accurate indicator of quality. There are very good examples of premium gear that’s competitively priced, and average quality items that are clearly over-priced. So when it comes to bagging a bargain, don’t just go with what you see on the shelves of your local auto parts store.  Make sure you shop around and do your research.

Look for kit like the Hercules complete recovery Kit that offers a good warranty and includes just about everything you might need to perform an offroad recovery on the tracks.

If you spend a little time comparing prices, it could reward you by saving you thousands over the long term.

Snatch it out VS. Winching

You can’t discount the use of a massive amount of kinetic energy when it comes to extracting a 4WD from a bog.

A general rule of thumb is that the more “bogged” the vehicle the better someone can make use of the amount of pull a snatch strap can offer and if a vehicle is resting on its chassis on a beach or belly deep in a bog hole, using a winch may cause trouble by digging the vehicle deeper, in this case it is better to extract it using a snatch recovery.

If the vehicle is halfway up a monster of a hill climb and simply cannot bite traction, it is usually better to take a little time and spool out some of the synthetic winch rope from the Domin8r X Winch for a smooth controlled winch recovery.

These rules are guidelines and are meant to be broken and generally for the most part, it comes down to the experience and knowledge of those who are involved.

Snatch Recoveries made simple

1. Make sure the path in front of the vehicle is clear, remove passengers from the vehicle if possible and clear out sand from in front of the tyres, diffs and any low hanging components on your 4WD.
2. Make sure you are using a RATED snatch strap, as mentioned earlier, they have around 30% stretch and are suitable only for vehicles within the particular weight range that is recommended.

1. Attach your snatch strap to a rated recovery point on both vehicles. This should be a rated recovery hitch that goes into the tow hitch receiver in the rear of the recovery vehicle and a rated recovery point on the front of the stuck vehicle.Make sure the strap is flat and doesn’t twist or coil along its length.

1. Around half way along the strap, form an “S” with approximately 1m of overlap to allow the recovery vehicle to gain momentum before it ‘snatches’ the stuck vehicle free.

1. Jump on the UHF and establish a clear line of communication so both drivers know exactly what’s going on, then start with a gentle extraction. Most of the time this will be all that’s needed to get the stuck vehicle out of trouble.

1. If gentle doesn’t work, back up and give it a little more power. If you try two or three times with no luck, reassess the whole situation and look for other ways to dig the stuck vehicle out before trying again.

1. Even the best snatch straps won’t stand up to neglect, so as soon as you get home, give yours a bath to ensure it lasts. Fill a bucket with water and gently massage any mud, dirt or sand out of the fibres. Avoid pressure washing it, as it only pushes the dirt further in. Rinse it a few times until the water comes out clear, then let it dry in an airy position out of direct sunlight.

5 PRO TIPS FOR SAFE RECOVERIES

1. Don’t panic! The second you get into trouble, stop, take a few deep breaths and calmly assess the entire situation.
2. Only ever use a rated recovery point. The factory down hooks can and will break, and in unfortunate circumstances become deadly projectiles.
3. Carry a quality and fully stocked recovery kit like the Hercules Complete Recovery Kit that includes everything you’ll need to get yourself out of any situation.
4. Use a rated recovery hitch to help distribute the load of the recovery evenly across the rear of the vehicle.
5. Utilise a Hercules snatch block where you can to reduce the load placed on your winch.