Thread: Snatch strap misuse danger

And "Tommy" knows what he is doing!

It's a wonder someone didn't get seriously injured or even worse!



Cheers, Mick.

Soon our ltigious society will demand we have training in everything. Before I dare move about on my tiny hobby farm I will need a D.O.G. (Diploma of Opening Gates) and a B.A.R.K.S. (Bachelor in Attaching Recreational Kinetic Straps).

Heck, we will also need certificates to wipe our arses, they will be available in rolls of 300, each triplicate copy will have to be personally signed in brown ink before delivering to the proper authority.

I don't think it will quite get to be that bad. There's a sort of societal safety valve that tends to kick in when things get carried away. One of my favourite things about Australia is a unique combination of common sense and a basic acceptance of the rules tempered by a mistrust of authority.

Originally Posted by Davo

I don't think it will quite get to be that bad. There's a sort of societal safety valve that tends to kick in when things get carried away. One of my favourite things about Australia is a unique combination of common sense and a basic acceptance of the rules tempered by a mistrust of authority.

Could not have said it better.

I edited some clips together for educational purposes & took out the language, (should not get in trouble with mod this time)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPIeqh7guWs]Why 4x4 Recovery is dangerous. - YouTube[/ame]

That video posted above is a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go downhill in a recovery...

I'm over on Teewah Beach (Noosa North Shore) fairly often and some of the recoveries I've seen on the sand are so dangerous - kids and adults standing around in direct line of fire if something goes wrong.

Done my fair share of recoveries and I have no issues with using a snatch strap if it's the best option - when it's used properly!! If I'm recovering someone it's on my terms and it's done right - first get the shovel out and dig the 4WD out as much as possible, then depending on how stuck it is, maxtraxs under the wheels and finally the snatch strap - attached to proper recovery point and used with a gentle rocking motion to free the 4WD.

Nothing justifies putting my life or anyone else's life in unnecessary danger. In the scheme of things taking an extra 15min (or even an hour) is nothing if it means a safe and successful recovery.

I took this Picture this weekend just gone on a 4WD course I was involved in running.
When talking about Recovery Gear, one of the students pulled this out of his kit.
The story is this, he was bogged on Fraser Island and a stranger offered him a snatch out of the sand.
The stranger reversed up and hooked a snatch strap to his Hayman Reese towbar using........a Hayman Reese safety Shackle.
Not knowing any better old mate went along with it.
As can be seen by the pic, the shackle deformed, the pin bent and the eyes elongated, not to mention the thread letting go on the pin and the shackle body.
The whole thing let go and hit the towed vehicle just to the left of the Mitsubishi Badge on the Pajero, bounced up into the air landed on the bonnet and bounced over the windscreen.
One lucky, lucky man.
I still have the shackle, it was given to me to use as a training aid.

That shackle looks like it may not be a Rated (SWL WLL) stamped with load, hard to tell from the pic but rated shackles always have a thicker pin than the body of the shackle. If it is rated it's SWL or WLL would be about a Tonne, or less, too small for anything you should use in any type of recovery action.
My simple rule if snatching, try not to use any shackles at all and make sure that the weakest point in the system is the snatch strap, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

<snip>.... so I would attach my tree protector sling through the eye of the snatch strap, shackle and tow point of the towed vehicle and attach the other end to another tow point or solid bit of chassis or whatever. That way if the tow point tears off my keeper sling will restrict or stop the shackle sling eye and tow point screaming through my back window, I know my end will not break,....

Frank, I like your safety line idea, should be mandatory I think.
something like this bloke is demonstrating, he has a safety line both ends,
Would the way he attaches it to the snatch strap with a cow hitch work ?? .

There few good points here but not sure about those factory 'recovery points' on the Pajero

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JBnxSqpuCM&feature=related]Using Kinetic Straps with John Rich - YouTube[/ame]