Safe Recovery?
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Mucksavage
Adventurist
Remember when a select few had winches? My brother in law recently put a HF winch on his truck. He proudly told me "I had my friend who was stuck straddle the winch cable in case it broke, it wouldn't snap back & hit my windshield"
Xplore Colorado
Adventurist
The main issue is that there isn't any winching in this video. It's unsafe extraction techniques and overall shines a bad light on off-highway recreation, but no winching.
Xplore Colorado
Adventurist
They are trying to snatch the vehicle out. Regardless of where the cable is connected to the stuck vehicle, it's a snatch. The driver has no winch controller....both hands are on the wheel. The "spotter" even says "As soon as you see him go, hit it".
A snatch recovery should involve a proper snatch strap. A snatch strap is designed to stretch or flex like a rubber band and essentially snatch the stuck vehicle out using kinetic energy. The idea with a snatch strap is to do what they did in that video.... Strap connected safely to good recovery points on both vehicles, enough slack for the strap to at least be on the ground, get a medium running start and "snatch" the vehicle out allowing the strap to do the work. Winch cables are not designed to hold up to the shock created by a snatch or snap like this.
Winching is just that, winching. Huge difference.
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Got it. You are correct. The MAIN POINT is they were using equipment inappropriately and in an unsafe manner.
Xplore Colorado
Adventurist
We go over safe recovery techniques at every event we host. Cruise Moab, FJ Summit, 100s in the Hills and Rising Sun Recovery Night. Some of the absolute safest and most respected trail leaders and guides are the instructors.
Snatching (The vehicle and the strap do the work)
[video=youtube;-Ire31FrEAI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ire31FrEAI[/video]
Winching (The winch does the work) Notice in both videos they mention taking up all the slack.
[video=youtube;kfvEV0V6kvI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfvEV0V6kvI[/video]
[video=youtube;FnZiyi_RqQs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnZiyi_RqQs[/video]
Snatching (The vehicle and the strap do the work)
[video=youtube;-Ire31FrEAI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ire31FrEAI[/video]
Winching (The winch does the work) Notice in both videos they mention taking up all the slack.
[video=youtube;kfvEV0V6kvI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfvEV0V6kvI[/video]
[video=youtube;FnZiyi_RqQs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnZiyi_RqQs[/video]
Got it Stan. Again, you are correct.
At the events I teach at and other contracted activities this is all curriculum we discuss in detail through lecture, demonstration, and practical application, too.
"Never miss an opportunity to educate." Thank you for taking the time to dissect the video in detail and explain what you saw in it.
At the events I teach at and other contracted activities this is all curriculum we discuss in detail through lecture, demonstration, and practical application, too.
"Never miss an opportunity to educate." Thank you for taking the time to dissect the video in detail and explain what you saw in it.
Xplore Colorado
Adventurist
Thank You, Sir.
Not trying to beat a dead horse with all the videos, just trying to show some good with the bad. The off-highway and adventure community is a family. We all share the same interests and same goals.
The best recovery advice I've ever heard is "Don't just do something, stand there" That means take a second and ensure what you're doing is safe. No vehicle is worth a life.
An example of too much skinny pedal, improper recovery points, improper technique (one vehicle up high, causing the other to pull down instead of back) and way too many people standing INSIDE of the hazard area.
WARNING: THIS IS GRAPHIC so I'm not embedding the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV894H83gt4
And.... using a proper recovery point is pretty important too....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3IcFsk5q7U
Here's a great example of a safe recovery. Notice, the winch never gets pulled out. The vehicle is snatched out using proper equipment and proper technique. Showing videos of how to do it right is more important than how to do it wrong....... but seeing it done wrong with the consequences shown above should make all of us evaluate every recovery we're involved in.
[video=youtube;i7GSL3o1pUU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7GSL3o1pUU[/video]
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Here's what happens when you get in a hurry... tide was coming so I guess they had good reason but...
Full version of that recovery is pretty good.
arclight
Adventurist
One thing most of these videos have in common is that they feature a full-sized truck that is buried to the frame rails and someone attempting to pull it out of the ground like a stump. When someone asks for help getting unstuck, the first thing I normally do is give them a shovel. I really want to see both diffs and a bit of space in front of the tires before attempting to pull them out
From the reactions I've gotten ("Uhh, can we try it without the digging first?") I suspect this isn't a universal thing...
Arclight
From the reactions I've gotten ("Uhh, can we try it without the digging first?") I suspect this isn't a universal thing...
Arclight
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Herbie
Adventurist
So much this. Maybe it was spending my younger years in Anza Borrego using nothing more than a snow shovel and floor mats to get various cars un-stuck from silty washes, but the thought of going straight to yanking on a big truck just makes me shudder...
