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Soft-Roading

Soft Roading Recovery Ropes – Bigger isn’t Better

In the Off-Road world there is generally an attitude of “Bigger Is Better” and “Over-Kill is Just Right”.  I usually am a believer in this, since gear that is not strong enough for the job can get you killed.

One of the rare exceptions is Kinetic Recovery Ropes.  You need to have one rated correctly (around twice your loaded vehicle weight) because the point of a Kinetic Rope is that it stretches at the start of the pull to absorb the shock to both vehicles, then recoils.   Think about pulling on a chain versus pulling on a really strong elastic band.  Even on a full size rig that stretch can lower the chance of damage to the vehicle, but with the Unibody construction and weak tow/recovery points on most Cross-Overs and Compact SUVs it can be the difference between a happy recovery and ripping your rig apart.  This is also why we need Recovery Ropes with their 25-30% stretch versus Recovery Straps with their 10-12% stretch.

Finding ropes that are rated for Cross-Overs and Compact SUVs is not easy though. Most Off Road gear is intended for the big Body-On-Frame rigs like Jeeps, Broncos, and Pickups. The rope I carry in my Jeep that can handle a full size truck loaded with gear (on the left in the pic) won’t even notice my little Subaru attached to it, so it won’t stretch and do its job.  At the other end you have gear intended for Side-By-Side Utes that isn’t strong enough to pull a loaded street vehicle that is good and stuck.

My new kit came from Freedom Recovery Gear, and is designed for vehicles with up to a 4,000lb GVW.  The breaking strength of the rope is 12,900 lbs, so even if I have passengers and a load of gear in the back I’m still under that 2x load rating, but it will still stretch even if I’m basically empty.

The kit comes with the Recovery Rope, two Hard Shackles, and three Soft Shackles, plus the carry bag.