Determine how you are stuck.
· The terrain, e.g. water, mud, sand, rocks, etc.
· The depth.
· The easiest recovery route.
· Useful aids available from the surroundings.

Then determine what contributed to the vehicle getting stuck.
· Obstruction.
· The incorrect line.
· Gear selection and High or Low ratio.
· Momentum.
· Clearance.
· Tyre pressure.
· Steering direction.
·
Then decide on the best method of extricating the vehicle.
· What equipment do I have available to use.
· Any aids available from the surroundings.
· Gear selection or diff-lock.
· Direction.
· Speed/Momentum.
· Tyre pressures.
· Pull or Snatch Strap.
· Winch.
· High Lift Jack or Airbag.
· Sand Ladders.
· Spade clearing.
· Rock clearing.
· Vehicle rocking.

Once you have studied all your options and decided on your course of action, proceed with your recovery plan BUT DO NOT FORGET THE SAFETY ASPECT. You do not want to add an injury to your predicament!

RECOVERY EQUIPMENT

PULL STRAPS

Pull straps have no stretch and may be used when the recovery vehicle has good traction. Pull straps are available in various lengths and it is advisable to have one ten metres in length. They should never be shorter than five metres. Remember, cheap straps of any kind are usually not worth the money you pay for them. A quality strap could save both you and your vehicle.

Procedure
· Secure the strap to a recovery point on the stuck vehicle by means of a loop on the strap or with a bow shackle.
· Take up the slack in the strap by slowly moving the rescue vehicle.
· When the strap is taut, continue to pull the vehicle out using 1st gear low range without any sudden jerks or power application.

SNATCH STRAPS

Snatch/Kinetic Straps are extremely useful when the rescue vehicle has minimal traction on sandy or muddy surfaces. A high quality strap of at least nine metres in length is recommended. It should have a minimum stretch of around 25%. A strap which snaps can be extremely dangerous as the speed and force of the broken end can result in extreme damage, injury or worse. The vehicles should be properly aligned in order to utilise the maximum energy of the strap.

Procedure
· Line the vehicles up.
· Clear as much sand or mud as possible from the path of the wheels.
· Lay out the strap between the vehicles ensuring that there are no loops or knots.
· The rescue vehicle stretches the strap and the added rebound force of the strap pulls the stuck vehicle out.
· The rescue vehicle should only exert sufficient force required to extricate the stuck vehicle. Avoid using maximum force wherever possible.
· The rescue vehicle should no be lighter than the stuck vehicle in order to avoid the rescue vehicle being pulled back to the stuck vehicle when the strap rebounds. This could cause the rescue vehicle to be pulled backwards out of control.
· Both vehicles should be in the same low gear and the stuck vehicle should rotate its wheels slowly in the direction of the pull.
· It is advisable that a third person should direct the recovery from a safe distance by using hand signals. This allows the two drivers to keep their heads inside the vehicles out of harms way.
· The rescue vehicle should pull away with sufficient speed to stretch the strap and should not over accelerate at this point as it may bog down itself especially if it is in sand. There will be a moments pause before the strap recoils and extracts the stuck vehicle.
· The recovered vehicle must at this point in time be careful not to drive into the rescue vehicle.
· Both vehicles should continue until they reach a pre-determined safe area to stop.

Safety Precautions
· Never connect a strap to a tow hitch ball.
· The Kinetic Strap should be connected to the vehicle’s recovery point by means of a loop or bow shackle.
· Never use a bow shackle if the vehicle only has an open hook as the shackle could become a missile if it breaks loose.
· Always attach safety straps.
· Place a bag (e.g. a recovery bag) or blanket over the centre of the Kinetic Strap in order to reduce the velocity of the strap in the event of something breaking loose.
· Open the bonnet/s in order to protect the windscreen/s if the recovery points are in the front of the vehicle/s.

WINCHING

Winching can be extremely hazardous to life and limb. The following safety procedures should always be followed:-
· Industrial gloves should always be worn to protect ones hands from the sharp wire fibres.
· A badly frayed or kinked cable should not be used.
· Connect the cable to the anchor point with as few connections as possible in order to avoid mishaps. Use the loop of the cable and not the recovery hook whenever possible.
· When using the hook, face the back of the hook to the ground as this will be the direction it will travel should something break.
· Always use shackles with a load capacity sufficient to handle the vehicle’s mass plus the additional force created by the suction of the mud or sand on the vehicle.
· Always use a safety strap.
· Always use a blanket, strap or similar means to reduce the velocity of the cable should something snap.
· All bystanders should be at a safe distance (more than one and a half times the length of the cable).
· The vehicles bonnet should be opened to protect the windscreen and driver.
· The engine of the stuck vehicle should be running in order to charge the battery if an electric winch is being used and also to ensure that the vehicles brakes remain functional.
· The winch remote control should only be connected when the person operating the winch is ready. The remote control should be disconnected when not in use.
· The operator must always be in positioned in a safe place either in the vehicle or behind the open door of the vehicle.
· Winch in a straight line.
· The cable should be checked periodically to ensure that it is running evenly onto the winch drum. The tension on the cable should always be released before checking.
· Before winching, there should be a minimum of eight turns of cable on the winch drum. The friction of the cable on the drum holds it there rather than the small nut that attaches to the end.
· When anchoring a recovery vehicle prior to winching, rather connect it to the winch bracket at the front of the vehicle by running a strap underneath.
· Always use a tree protector if using a chain around a tree to prevent damaging the bark and/or the tree itself.
· Never use the winch cable as a tow rope.

SNATCH BLOCK

A Snatch Block allows one to change the direction from which the recovery is being made and also effectively doubles the winch pulling power which, in turn, effectively halves the winching speed.

ROCKING

Rocking the vehicle is used when a vehicle is trapped between two obstacles. When a point is reached that the vehicle will not proceed any further in one direction, the direction is then reversed with the traction available. This is repeated until sufficient momentum is obtained to overcome the obstacle and continue on ones way.

HI-LIFT JACK

A Hi-Lift Jack should be part of your rescue equipment. It can be used to elevate a vehicle so that material can be placed under the wheels to assist traction. The Hi-Lift jack can be fitted under a bumper which is a mere 10cm off the ground and is able to lift almost 100cm. This allows you sufficient space to remove rocks or other obstacles from under the vehicle.