Hell gang, I thought I would share this trick with you all.
I have never had a winch on my 4x's since my 1st 78 scout in 79 or my 2nd scout in 97 nor the 91 toyota 4 runner I have now but I have winched myself out 3 times using this simple trick. I have always had good tires and always carried a tow strap which was 3 inches wide. Usually 3 straps each 50 feet long.
Up here in the sierra nevada mountains oak trees are plentiful and up higher there are pines. Any tree will work as long as you are close enough and you have enough tow strap to reach from your front tires and the trees.
I guess I was born with a great imagination, at least my brain had a magical way of envisioning something I wanted to accomplish. I got stuck at 4500' on a logging road in clayish mud and all I had were 2 tow straps, some flares, a chainsaw and a shovel. My brother was with me and had no doubts we were going to walk out without my 4x. Yeah right!
This idea came to me as I was thinking or having visions of the winch if I had had one with the cable stretched from the winch to the tree. In my mind the cable turned into the tow strap and the winch became my front tires.
I got all excited and told my bro we are getting out of this mud. He watched me as I ran around the truck gathering my straps from the rear and running to the front of the truck.
What I had to do first was put part of the strap under the front of the right tire (close to the tree) and start up to spin that tire a bit to get the strap under the tire. when I had enough strap under it I looped it around and put the long end of the strap through the end hoop and pulled it tight.
(You have to get it looped right so that the direction of the spinning tire puts tension and tighhtens the strap around the tire.) I proceeded to stretch the strap out towards to tree and had to add another strap to make it to the tree. I wound the end of the strap around the tree 3 times and had enough to make a good knot.
You get in the truck making a note as to the direction of the front tire you are using and where the tree is. My brother was a good help in giving me signals when I needed to correct the tires angle so the strap would stay centered on the tire. A little by little I managed to spin the tire slowly and the strap slowly wound itself on the tire and 10 minutes later I had traveled 16 feet and was free of the mud. Wow!
If you drive in the mountains on dirt/muddy roads I would give this a try no matter what type of truck you have. Of course the vehicle has to be high enough so you have enough clearance for the strap without hitting the fender area or the bumper.
It does work as proved with my 1st experience in 1984 and I have done it 2 more times.
It can be a life saver if you plan on driving anywhere after tshf and you don't have a winch.
I hope someone gives it a try and will come back here and share their excitement as to their success.
cheers...........!
I have never had a winch on my 4x's since my 1st 78 scout in 79 or my 2nd scout in 97 nor the 91 toyota 4 runner I have now but I have winched myself out 3 times using this simple trick. I have always had good tires and always carried a tow strap which was 3 inches wide. Usually 3 straps each 50 feet long.
Up here in the sierra nevada mountains oak trees are plentiful and up higher there are pines. Any tree will work as long as you are close enough and you have enough tow strap to reach from your front tires and the trees.
I guess I was born with a great imagination, at least my brain had a magical way of envisioning something I wanted to accomplish. I got stuck at 4500' on a logging road in clayish mud and all I had were 2 tow straps, some flares, a chainsaw and a shovel. My brother was with me and had no doubts we were going to walk out without my 4x. Yeah right!
This idea came to me as I was thinking or having visions of the winch if I had had one with the cable stretched from the winch to the tree. In my mind the cable turned into the tow strap and the winch became my front tires.
I got all excited and told my bro we are getting out of this mud. He watched me as I ran around the truck gathering my straps from the rear and running to the front of the truck.
What I had to do first was put part of the strap under the front of the right tire (close to the tree) and start up to spin that tire a bit to get the strap under the tire. when I had enough strap under it I looped it around and put the long end of the strap through the end hoop and pulled it tight.
(You have to get it looped right so that the direction of the spinning tire puts tension and tighhtens the strap around the tire.) I proceeded to stretch the strap out towards to tree and had to add another strap to make it to the tree. I wound the end of the strap around the tree 3 times and had enough to make a good knot.
You get in the truck making a note as to the direction of the front tire you are using and where the tree is. My brother was a good help in giving me signals when I needed to correct the tires angle so the strap would stay centered on the tire. A little by little I managed to spin the tire slowly and the strap slowly wound itself on the tire and 10 minutes later I had traveled 16 feet and was free of the mud. Wow!
If you drive in the mountains on dirt/muddy roads I would give this a try no matter what type of truck you have. Of course the vehicle has to be high enough so you have enough clearance for the strap without hitting the fender area or the bumper.
It does work as proved with my 1st experience in 1984 and I have done it 2 more times.
It can be a life saver if you plan on driving anywhere after tshf and you don't have a winch.
I hope someone gives it a try and will come back here and share their excitement as to their success.
cheers...........!
