strap i guess. i have seen a towing cable snap brake a window and almost hit the driver in the head. so strap...

 

Ouch!

 

New to the whole offroading life, but I've already used straps and they seem to work nicely. Less cumbersome and won't rust as mentioned above.
Besides, they won't smash the **** out of your truck if it breaks lol.

 

Strap or winch if available. I always put a blanket or floor mat or something over the middle of the cable. Helps stop backlash if it snaps.

 

Havn't gotten the blazer stuck, but when I'm up to my armpits with my ATV i pull out the strap, Chains are too heavy and I've seen some freaky sh*t when chains snap... not that winching an atv out would snap a good chain.

Backhoe pulling a truck out of a ditch with a chain, chain snapped right in the middle, one half took the mirror off the truck, the other through the rad of the backhoe (shovel was up, not sure why... it was a deep ditch though with a steep incline though so that may have had something to do with it)

 

Love mine

 

Wire rope. (i get it for free) But otherwise a strap.

 

550 Cord FTW!!! lol, but seriously Strap or Chain doesn't matter if you hook it up to a crappy Reciever Hitch. Hooked a strap up to my buddies '85 305 Blazer... tore the hitch off and it went flying into my buddies tailgate before landing into the lake. lol

 

Strap for sure! Chains are too viscious, plus recovery straps "snap straps" actually help pulling a vehicle out.

 

I think most of ya have the right idea using straps. for those of you that have stated not using the straps with metal hooks on the ends, you're exactly right! lots of damage can come from even those little chunks of metal. now for my preferred method of extraction... 10,000 pound winch on the front with line covered by heavy horse blanket (also used when working underneath rig on trail) also carry a 20,000 lbs. strap and 2 30,000 lbs. straps hi-lift jack and military shovel on the rack. several d-ring shackles. only thing chain good for is keeping my dog in camp.