COMPLEX WINCHING TECHNIQUES

IN LAST MONTH'S INSTALMENT OF 4X4 AUSTRALIA'S HOW TO OFF-ROAD DRIVING SERIES WE USED AN ELECTRIC WINCH TO PERFORM A BASIC VEHICLE RECOVERY. THIS TIME WE EXAMINE MORE ADVANCED WINCHING TECHNIQUES

- DEAN MELLOR

ARMED with a bit of knowledge and a fair dose of common sense, extracting a vehicle from a stuck situation using a vehicle-mounted electric winch is often straightforward, but as with all things when driving off-road, complications are a part of the game.

Sure, there are plenty of scenarios where a straight-ahead, single-line winch pull will get you out of strife, but throw in some obstacles and pretty soon your winch could run out of puff, or the situation might mean you need to winch at an angle rather than straight ahead.

The farther you drive off-road, the greater the chance you’ll need to get a little creative with vehicle recoveries from time to time, so in this ‘How To’ instalment we’re going to look at a couple of advanced winching techniques where you’ll need to employ snatch blocks or winch rings to perform a vehicle recovery, as well as winch extension ropes.

If you want learn more about winching basics, make sure you take a look at 4X4 Australia’s ‘how to perform a basic winch recovery’ story published in the last issue, and which you can also find at www.whichcar.com.au/gear/ how-to-perform-a-winch-recovery

THE GEAR YOU NEED

AS with any winch recovery, you will need a winch on your vehicle equipped with steel cable or synthetic rope. You will also need a solid anchor point (often a suitable tree) a winch controller, sturdy gloves, a recovery damper, a treetrunk protector, and a rated soft shackle or bow shackle.

For a more complex double-line pull, you will also need a snatch block or a winch ring, a winch extension strap or winch extension rope, an additional rated soft shackle or bow shackle, and an additional recovery damper.