A rant of shovelled form

I am looking at writing something on recovery and hence I have been trawling various forums looking for interesting comments that will be relevant to what I want.

So far zilch, zero; all I find is how NOT TO snatch recovery. The trouble here is all too many YouTube vids of people drinking beer and things going wrong. Yes these may reinforce the do it the correct way approach.

I did come across this little piece from a person I consider holding some wisdom in the subject:

The Evil Twin
I know how to solve or eliminate every single issue mentioned so far... Don't use a Snatch Strap.

Very old school thinking on my part I know but... Pffft... has worked for me to date. I reckon of all the Snatch Recoveries I have witnessed at least 90% did not , indeed should not have involved using a Snatch Strap.

Probably 50% of the time the dude could drive the mired vehicle out if they got their fat butt outa the drivers seat and grabbed a shovel.

E.T. dons flame suit and heads for... uuummmm... Argentina might be just far enough

ref: http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...l=1#post126659

The significant part here was the reference to that horrible thing called shovel.

To often I hear about rated recovery points, to often I hear about using a snatch strap correctly, to often I hear don’t use a tow ball; occasionally the MaxTrax type system gets a mention. BUT I don’t hear enough of using the shovel to do the initial preparation work.

This is not a case of this forum but of many 4WD forums and similar sites.

The other thing that seems to slip into the front of recovery concepts is "lets use a snatch strap". Why is this the first thing people jump to?
I am beginning to wonder if snatch straps should not be costed as much as winches. Perhaps we might have fewer accidents.

Passing thoughts form the old one
Ok end of rant..

Call me old and grumpy.

Well put and a good discussion point. Why the strap first?

On the recent trip I got caught up on the front diff (well the wife did), but I could get enough momentum to get things rolling again.. it was thick sticky clay on road tyres.. :p
So a quick scavenge to find some nice dead wood and into the rut they went. A couple of blokes to give the initial shove and I drove out..

When I get the rack on the first thing will be a shovel mount, and axe mount.

I try to abound using my straps, its just more crap to clean when I get home... :p

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

my Shovel is on a Quick release on the back door. i can have it off in 5 seconds. I use it constantly when in groups and often the only one on a shovel. It makes a MASSIVE Difference. I have copped a ribbing a few times about being on a shovel. Yeah guys you watch i say.

I have driven a detour track to get a group of young blokes out of a bog that they had been in for 2 hours, they knew i was about and got me on the phone then the radio and asked for help. Down i went, got to them. got out of the car, walked up the back door of the stuck car and removed THEIR Shovel! dug a cross rut out of the slippery ruts they were stuck in and put the dirt i was digging into the rut they were to drive out of.

I drove for 2 hours to go help them, i was on site for 5 minutes while the group of Young Fit blokes watched and then asked them to get back in their car and drive out. They did! very embarrassing for them!

The Power of the Shovel. Round mouth short handle is my friend in the bush. In the sand the long handle is a winner.

5 minutes on a shovel can change the world and reduce the strain on the rest of the recovery.

I'm with MR some prep work first, most times ppl only stuck for 1mtr of track. IMO

Edit,,,,,,,,Might find the young bucks tend to use a strap more thats my take out bush,
I've just fitted a "D" handle to my post hole shovel just for this purpose

"Why is this the first thing people jump to?" Because it works.

I do carry a shovel and do use it so dont get me wrong here, but a bit of road building without the shovel normally gets most jobs done.

A bit of a hand over a obstacle with the use of a snatch strap is safe and quick, often doing not much more than moving the vehicle a couple of meters and we are on the move again.

There are many ways out of the same situation, so a bit of shovel work is right there amongst them and may be your only real way out.

In my case I hate reversing down a rutted track to have another go, if I think its too much for me, we do some road building, as above, and if that is not going to work I reach for the snatch strap first.

My choice that I am comfortable with, and for my piece of mind thats all that matters.

If I come across someone stuck the first thing I do is hand them a shovel because I am not going to ruin my recovery gear without them having a go getting out themselves first especially if I can't see daylight under their diffs.

I think the reason is poor training in recovery and no motivation for physical labour. Ten minutes digging can mean more time driving IMO


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A snatch strap would be the last thing I'd try. If I couldn't winch, dig or maxrtax myself out or another vehicle couldn't pull me out due to no traction, then I'd have to use its forward momentum to pull me out with a snatch strap.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by patrolmq

.......... or another vehicle couldn't pull me out due to no traction, then I'd have to use its forward momentum to pull me out with a snatch strap.

Sent from my AT300 using Tapatalk 2

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You've highlighted an important difference there.
People think snatch straps are for dangerous hoons because they only ever envisage high speed, big run up, full throttle snatches. The reality is that a snatch strap can be used to give an ever so gentle tug just to get the bogged vehicle going again. %99 of recoveries I've done or seen with a snatch strap have been gentle and controlled.


sent from my phone using motor culture

Quote:

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Originally Posted by taslucas

You've highlighted an important difference there.
People think snatch straps are for dangerous hoons because they only ever envisage high speed, big run up, full throttle snatches. The reality is that a snatch strap can be used to give an ever so gentle tug just to get the bogged vehicle going again. %99 of recoveries I've done or seen with a snatch strap have been gentle and controlled.


sent from my phone using motor culture

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Agree however i tend to use a chain. Does tend to take up alittle room though. A gentle pull with a strap if digging does not work

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well im surprised about not using a shovel they are a must have item,well I thought they where
every 4by you see in town has one strapped to the spare wheel or rack and don't see to many that
have been used unless they paint them black before they go out again in some places its quicker
to get the shovel than muck around getting the snatch strap out

As you point out Lucas ,Macca and Bob, usually only stuck for one mtr, and a slow tow or a light snatch after some track building and shovel work.
When working I used to call shovels Black snakes, cause nobody wants to pick it up. I made rear long handle shovel holders and roof rack shovel holders only.
No one takes a shovel these days IMO. Everything you take should have 2 or more uses, a shovel IMO would be very high on the list of what to pack first.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

As you point out Lucas ,Macca and Bob, usually only stuck for one mtr, and a slow tow or a light snatch after some track building and shovel work.
When working I used to call shovels Black snakes, cause nobody wants to pick it up. I made rear long handle shovel holders and roof rack shovel holders only.
No one takes a shovel these days IMO. Everything you take should have 2 or more uses, a shovel IMO would be very high on the list of what to pack first.

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I use mine to dig a drop dunny, too. lol

That was its 2nd use then you have 3rd use for fire duties, so one of first things packed, well its in/on camper all the time
Best piece of kit out there IMO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by taslucas

You've highlighted an important difference there.
People think snatch straps are for dangerous hoons because they only ever envisage high speed, big run up, full throttle snatches. The reality is that a snatch strap can be used to give an ever so gentle tug just to get the bogged vehicle going again. %99 of recoveries I've done or seen with a snatch strap have been gentle and controlled.


sent from my phone using motor culture

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My experience as well.

Best thing I use a shovel for is putting coals on, under or around my camp oven.

A mate calls them DC sticks, cause you have to be a DC to use one. I must be dumb cause I use one most days at work lately!

Using the shovel is hard work! All too often one looks for or the easier way out which can end in disaster.

Myself I take a shovel every time I go out but rarely use it as a gentle tug is usually all we require as its usually just loss of traction on slippery clay not so much being bogged, I've only once seen a strap used in a shocking manner other than on youtube ill stick up the link if I can find it.

This is the only time I've whitnessed this sort of dodgy work. Though putting 2 bolts through a already broken strap takes the cake for me bet nothing was don right here.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...ball-recovery-!

My shovel's had more use than my strap, and its all been helping others out. Not much use snatching if bogged up to the sills (sand) or go an obscenly low long range tank.

The only time the straps been out was helping the removalists getting the fridge over the balcony cause it wouldnt fit up the stairs.

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