yes the bungee straps work great! here's my testament: at my local drive on beach my dads suburban (2003) was stuck while towing 2 jet skiis. Thing is, the suburban was backed down the beach! (a little steeper than a normal boat ramp). Some dude now dubbed "jeep dude" pulled up in a old jeep cherokee from mid 90's bone stock, pulled out one of those stretchy ropes and snatched him out absolutely no problem. He said the trick was you need to do the ****** to get the rope to work right. You take off like a normal ******, and by the time your truck has pulled the rope out as far as it can, the rope will contract back to normal and pull the stuck truck out. Saw it with my own eyes, jeep dude is a badass for life.

 

I use both I have to 15 ft chains and 1 20 ft strap. When hauling something like a log a chain is best I have seen ropes and straps chafe and snap, chains won't. As for a tree saver I guess the strap. There is a time and a place for both.

 

I carry both, and a come-along. Never know what I'm going to run into. I like a chain for rigid strength, but a strap is compact and light. I also prefer a strap for pulling/towing others, it has more "give" for a gentler pulling experience.

 

If i am by myself a high lift jack is my buddy but when i am with someone i would use a strap.

 

For off road recovery, straps and shackles only. Never a chain or strap with hooks. I've seen too many break and send a hook into a tailgate/ windshield, etc. My opinion... i know chains have their purpose, but not in my rigs.

 

Coudln't agree more. Chains are for holding heavy things down on trailers and flatbeds...

I've always had a 30ft ****** strap since I got my first 4x4, and I've used it solely until I put the winch on my Blazer. Since then it's stayed wrapped up in my garage for the must part unless I'm actually hitting a trail lol. Got a couple tree savers in the storage cubby in the back of the Blazer along with the winch controller, that's all I've needed since

 

Had to use a crappy chain once. Fortunately had a length of rope which we intertwined with the chain and fixed on both trucks bumpers.

Succeeded in pulling the stuck truck out, then the front axle hit the drain along the road and because of the slight slackening the subsequent jerk had the chain let go.

We would have ended without radiator and window on the pulled truck if it were not for the precautionary measure with the rope.

So it is straps I use.

And to fix things on trailers we use straps as well way more flexible in application than chains. Less damage and even heavy building equipment today is fixed with straps and ratchets.

 

Strap, I have seen what a chain can and will do when it breaks...