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How do you pull someone out of the snow?

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dm6

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I have never had to do this, but I have seen other trucks try to pull someone out of a snow bank deep snow before and imagine I may be in that position to help someone someday. Rather than encounter someone that has their own strap they may want me to use, I would rather make sure I have my own so they are not giving me a torn up strap with a metal hook on the end that may snap and go flying. Same reason I carry a battery jumper that I have never used myself but have helped others with it because I do not want to jump it from my vehicles and mess anything up. So one thing I recall reading is to not use a strap with a hook on the end or anything that could break off and hurt someone. Can someone just give a basic method as to the procedure, type of strap I should carry, etc.?
 
I use a tow strap, something like this:


If you can pull hitch ball to hitch ball (just throw the loop over the ball), that's best. If you have to use the front tow hook, use the shackles for that.

Don't use the chain loops on the hitch.

Go slow; let out the slack in the rope by idling away until it's taught, then apply gas. You DO NOT want to get up to speed and jerk a truck, it can damage things. If they can't get out slow, it's not worth risking it.
 
I think the answer to this question is, if you have to ask - you shouldn't be pulling people out.

You can seriously injure or kill someone during recovery operations.

There is a ton of knowledge involved in recovering someone safely - its also more than just "a strap".

You open yourself up to alot of liability; injuring someone, damaging their property etc.

We actually have laws around here against pulling people out in the winter due to fatalities from people getting struck while pulled over and outside their vehicle.

I have a truck full of recovery gear and its very very seldom I will recover someone; there are many variables i consider before doing it.

I understand wanting to be a good Samaritan, but this might not be the right situation to be one.
 
Greenhills said:
I think the answer to this question is, if you have to ask - you shouldn't be pulling people out.

You can seriously injure or kill someone during recovery operations.

There is a ton of knowledge involved in recovering someone safely - its also more than just "a strap".

You open yourself up to alot of liability; injuring someone, damaging their property etc.

We actually have laws around here against pulling people out in the winter due to fatalities from people getting struck while pulled over and outside their vehicle.

I have a truck full of recovery gear and its very very seldom I will recover someone; there are many variables i consider before doing it.

I understand wanting to be a good Samaritan, but this might not be the right situation to be one.
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That's a good point. I guess a couple times I was thinking of when someone was stuck in the deep snow in the median from where it was plowed and they looked like they were about to get free and I thought if I only had a strap I could give them the extra pull. Or someone up at the ski area that was stuck and just needed a little pull. I didn't think about the liability aspect though but I supposed a lot could go wrong to people or property if that strap gets loose. I would never consider doing anything like this on a busy road or anything though. In that case, is it even a good idea to carry a strap or something in the truck?
 
i keep two soft shackles and a kinetic rope in my truck at all times. have only used it to pull out friends. unless you're way out in the country where people seem to be more normal, i'd think twice about helping out a stranger. no good deed goes unpunished these days.

i bought the shackles/rope so i had it in case i was way out in the country and could convince someone to help me out of a jam, not so much for pulling out others.
 
Carry a big strap. Maybe some shackles. Maybe some tire chains. I like a big chain too. And a big winch. Help when you can. Don't get hurt.
 
4 low small tugs and make sure the pulled truck wont slide further in the ditch this guy i had to pull back 30 ft to get him out of a deeper section then hook to the front and pull him right out of the ditch

Hard to tell but the snow was up to the bottom of passenger side window of the chevy


43EA952E-27DC-4A57-BA0C-F1BE5493F4C8.jpeg
 
Greenhills said:
I think the answer to this question is, if you have to ask - you shouldn't be pulling people out.

You can seriously injure or kill someone during recovery operations.

There is a ton of knowledge involved in recovering someone safely - its also more than just "a strap".

You open yourself up to alot of liability; injuring someone, damaging their property etc.

We actually have laws around here against pulling people out in the winter due to fatalities from people getting struck while pulled over and outside their vehicle.

I have a truck full of recovery gear and its very very seldom I will recover someone; there are many variables i consider before doing it.

I understand wanting to be a good Samaritan, but this might not be the right situation to be one.
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To add to this, the only person I am going to try to pull out of a situation is someone I know isn't a dumbass that's going to do something on their end to jeopardize either of our safety.
The common guy or girl on the side of the road can call a tow truck. They have the equipment to do it properly and safely for all parties involved.
 
resoverlord said:
If you can pull hitch ball to hitch ball (just throw the loop over the ball), that's best.
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I hate to be that guy, but absolutely do not do this. The only way you can potentially get away with using a tow hitch ball for recovery is one of the tri-ball welded options. There have been so many times that someone has done this and a tow ball gets ripped off sending both the rope and ball flying forward, could easily kill someone, especially the driver.

There are a million recovery hitch options and if you're not going to invest the money into doing it right and safely you shouldn't be doing it.
 
Couldn't agree more with UglyViking. I know a guy that ended up wearing a hitch ball due to a rope ripping it off a truck. It's best to only hook onto something that's meant to be hooked onto, like a hitch or tow hooks. Poly ropes don't work nearly as well as nylon but they are much safer. Around here we only hitch to stuff that won't break with stuff that won't break, like forged steel clevises.
 
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Everyone has mentioned the litigation exposure, so I won't repeat. Once you get past that, like others have said, you want to use a closed loop point both on your rig and the vehicle being recovered. That is pretty easy if it's an HD truck or similar because they typically come with exposed recovery points. (worst case, you can put your strap into a hitch and put the pin through it) Like you mentioned in your first post, you don't want to use a standard tow strap with hooks for a kinetic recovery. Instead keep a recovery strap in your rig. I have an AEV strap, but ARB, Yankum and Bubba Rope make similar models. In addition to that strap, keep 2 soft shackles (like mentioned above) with it. The shackles are used to connect the strap to each vehicle. When you attempt the recovery, start at a distance where the strap is extended. Back up about 1 vehicle length. Accelerate at a moderate pace over that 1 vehicle length. If that momentum is sufficient, the recovery strap will stretch and the stuck vehicle will begin to move. If that happens you can gently tow the vehicle to the point where it can move under its own power. If your first try doesn't work, you may need a little more speed or multiple pulls to get the vehicle out. It's best to try the system out with a friend first, just to get a feel for how everything works. It's actually kind of fun... a good way to spend a morning with friends. Back when I lived in Colorado, I pulled out dozens of vehicles in random blizzards out there. I lived in the country and everyone was very grateful. In New England, I haven't pulled a single person out.
 
I’ve pulled a lot of vehicles out that were stuck in snow or mud. Use a 1 1/2” nylon rope 30’ long with eyes braided in each end. Use shackle or short piece of chain if needed. Never a problem…heck most of them offered to pay me.
 
Out here in farmer country it usually involves a tractor and logging chain. :eek: If you pull out a kinetic rope the old boys look at it like it fell off of a space ship.
The ticket is kineticrope/soft shackles and if at all possible get the other driver to hook to their vehicle. The problem with 80% of the vehicles out there is there is no good place to hook front or back and everything is plastic and are a recipe for disaster. For attachment point on my trucks I use Beavertails and the wife’s beater Jeep I use a big old cast iron receiver hook.
 
Many great points covered above, so I won't duplicate, but had to add a couple of points.

Whenever I agree to pull someone out I NEVER touch their vehicle. I ask them to make the connection, but of course while observing and making sure it is being done properly.

If you don't have a receiver shackle, another option to connect a tow strap or a kinetic rope is to insert it into the receiver and lock in place with a hitch pin.
 
Great White North Eh said:
Out here in farmer country it usually involves a tractor and logging chain. :eek: If you pull out a kinetic rope the old boys look at it like it fell off of a space ship.
The ticket is kineticrope/soft shackles and if at all possible get the other driver to hook to their vehicle. The problem with 80% of the vehicles out there is there is no good place to hook front or back and everything is plastic and are a recipe for disaster. For attachment point on my trucks I use Beavertails and the wife’s beater Jeep I use a big old cast iron receiver hook.
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i always make em hook themselfs up i didnt drive in the ditch im not paying the “stupid tax” thry can get wet and cold not me…..
 
Dingo said:
I'm certainly not an expert, but this dude has done thousands of recoveries and uses a chain bridle on most of them.

Recovery Gear And Hook Points
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Certified chain is different but also using chain with a winch is fine but shock loading a chain is a huge no no…. I have seen lots of back windows and tailgates destroyed from snapped chains
 
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