How to Use a Recovery Strap Safely

Tow strap vs recovery strap

The two look alike and are not interchangeable. Factor 55 describes a tow strap as a flat woven cord for towing another vehicle, and a recovery strap or kinetic rope as one designed to stretch and be elastic, and says not to swap them.

Check the label or the maker's page for the rated working load and breaking strength. If a strap shows no rating, do not use it for recovery.

Before you pull

Take a minute for these checks:

• Inspect the strap. Cuts, fraying, stiff or melted fibres, UV damage and damaged stitching mean it stays in the bag.
• Find rated recovery points on both vehicles. Your owner's manual shows them. See recovery point basics.
• Never use a tow ball. Factor 55's guidance is blunt: never attach a recovery strap or kinetic rope to a receiver ball.
• Pick the connection. Rated shackles or soft shackles join the strap to the points. See shackles compared.
• Agree signals. One person in charge and clear hand signals. See spotting and communication.

Step by step

1. Park the recovering vehicle in line.
   Position it ahead of the stuck vehicle with room to move, on firm ground, as far as the line of the pull allows.
2. Connect both ends.
   Attach to the rated recovery points with rated shackles or soft shackles. Check each connection.
3. Lay the strap out with slack.
   Factor 55 says to have some slack laid out on the ground rather than start taut.
4. Clear everyone out.
   Factor 55 says everyone around both vehicles should be safely out of the way. Keep people out of the line of the strap and well to the side.
5. Agree the signal, then pull smoothly.
   Follow your strap maker's instructions for how the two drivers work together. Do not improvise.
6. Stop if it is not working.
   If the stuck vehicle does not come free, stop and reassess. Dig out, use traction boards, or rig differently. Do not escalate force.
7. Unhook and inspect.
   Release all tension, disconnect, then look the strap and shackles over. Clean, dry and bag them.

When a strap is not the answer

A strap needs a second capable vehicle. Traveling alone, or stuck because a tire is spinning on soft ground, is often a job for traction boards first; see traction boards vs recovery straps. A vehicle sitting on its frame needs digging, not pulling. For a winch-based approach, see how to use a snatch block.

After the recovery

Wash off grit, dry the strap fully and store it out of sun in its bag. Retire any strap you are unsure about. Add it to your post-trail inspection so you catch damage before the next trip.

What to check on the strap itself

• A rating from the maker on the label or product page: working load and breaking strength. No rating, no recovery.
• The intended use. The product should say recovery strap or kinetic rope, not tow strap.
• The ends. Sewn loops or protected eyes suit shackles and soft shackles; hooks and bare metal ends are not what a recovery pull should rely on.
• The maker's sizing guidance for your vehicle weight. We do not give a ratio: read the rule your own maker states.
• Condition. A strap that has been cut, crushed, melted by friction or left in the sun for years is a retired strap.

Common mistakes

• Using a tow strap because it looks the same.
• Hooking to a tow ball, a bumper cover or any point that is not a rated recovery point.
• Starting with the strap tight and the vehicle already moving.
• Letting spectators stand beside the strap or in front of either vehicle.
• Pulling harder and harder when the first attempt fails, instead of stopping.
• Skipping the inspection after the pull.