Riverside offroading and a winch alternative
 

Recently I went for a river fishing perches with my daughter. We moved along the riverside off roading style here and there. It was just a light off-roading session - nothing harsh - but I made an observation that not every place has always a tree to offer for the winch. Here's the photo and a short video on how it looked like:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...de5b03422f.jpg


A solution here that would work are so-called "anchor belts". I realized that I haven't seen a topic on them here and I think it might be a polish invention. Here are some videos on how do they work on. There are already some pros - the tree that I've mentioned already and You don't need an alternator change!
Sorry if I am doubling the info.
Here's the link: Kotwice pasowe zastosowane jako wyci?garka samochodowa cz.1.

Those are cool. The idea of using an anchor to pull yourself out of trouble is one with which I am familiar with my sailing. For boats, we would call them kedging anchors.

Using the drive wheels reminded me of something I saw from Australia that had a metal spool that is attached to the outside of the wheel so that when it rotated it would pull on a rope.

Alaska offroad warriors
 

I watched a TV show where it was about 5 or 6 modded 4x4 suvs/jeeps, that journeyed across a specific path across northern alaska. There was one guy, I believe driving an old pathfinder, hammered the end of his bumper jack a little more then a foot in the ground, and hooked his winch to that. Pulled himself threw a deep swamp that way.

:) A point for Christine. It seems that the anchor idea was taken out of boating - they even have a same shape.
An Australian idea posted by Christine at the first glance looked brilliant and handy - no digging to put the belt on (= time saver). However, the belts are more versatile, as You may use them on every car, not necessarily with the rim mounts on.

I am intrigued by the polish rescue straps. Am I reading their website correctly (using Google Translate) that the kit costs 358 PLN or about 100 USD?? I like that is is so cheap and useful. I saw that they also have spikes for ice which is something I would need with any of these "wheel winches."

One down-side or perhaps just challenge to using these is that you cannot pull the vehicle off-axis; otherwise the straps won't wrap around the tire.

For fun, here is a video of some guys using the same idea to get their Chevy Pickup unstuck from the snow using a long rope. Based on the 8B on their licence plate, they are from the part of Idaho near Yellowstone Park (Bonneville County, near the city of Idaho Falls).

Mike, have you used these anchor wheel straps? Would you recommend them?

Christine,
As the definition says: "if You haven't been stuck, then You probably haven't been really off roading". That applies to me :) I've spend hours bringing my Chevy to its shape and I don't enjoy the idea of dumping it into the mud now. The other things - like a winter snow and so on - are not likely the reason for hanging the Beast. Of course, I am struggling to resist an idea of getting another ride for about $1k pure mud fun. My option here would be a shorter and a lighter one, rather 2door than 4door, like Opel Frontera A, known as Isuzu Mu in US. Full set of parts at the wreckers, they are really cheap and available unlike my current orders for Blazer.

I think I know what's Your point, so I am going to ask a friends if they ever used these anchor belts to bring You the facts. There's also an option to fabricate them on Your own. The boat anchors, the belts and some invention ;)
Based in their license plates "WR" they seem to be from my town. The video with Suzuki they shoot is within a quarter mile of my house :D It's a public off-road track. Although I haven't meet them nor I can say anything on the product quality. I like the idea, that seem to be more robust at the places You can hardly have a tree to use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrgGHeYgRvk...as for the promised update.
A friend of mine who off roads often for hobby said he doesn't know anyone who uses them[1], neither knows the guys who make them (yes, they seem to be from our local town). He was considering buying them, but finally decided to get an electric winch.
A few facts he pointed out - he has seen the "australian" design, but he said he wouldn't like the idea of using them, as if they break, they fly like a projectiles.

[1] In sense it isn't a bad idea, but just unpopular. As for the idea he pointed me to the video with a hang Jeep on a muddy terrain:

Thanks Mike. That is still useful information.

As for the Australian Bush Winch, I found out that their current design won't fit my Blazer anyway. But they have a new version coming out in the near future that might. I'll be looking forward to seeing what the new type has to offer.

I'm mostly interested in being able to get out of snow. The Bush Winch seems to have been designed around getting out of sand which is somewhat similar to snow. We'll see.

Hmm - just thought about old fire hoses.

Got a belt made of an old firehose. Nice material rubberized inside and with a tough material outside.

How much could they widthstand?

Another option would be a set of good chains. I'm just looking into them to get a set of 4 for my Blazer.
If you can get them on they pull you out of nearly anything you got into without as well.

https://www.rud.com/produkte/reifenk...greifsteg.html