Good thread boys.
At the risk of sounding like a "know it all", I might add a wee bit 'cause if its of use to even one person only, its worth it;
- very good point (but one that's often overlooked) is the resting of a kinetic strap after use. Basically any more than 3-4 snatches on a kinetic strap and it loses its ability to stretch or snatch any more.
Use it again and you are basically snatching with a static strap, there will be huge loads imparted onto your vehicles recovery points and drive train, not to mention the risk of strap failure itself.
To rest a strap properly it then needs around 24 hrs loosely stowed. Rolling it up all pretty looks good, but will not allow the fibres to relax.
- as Tintin found out, if you do need to join two straps together, you should never use anything dense or with any real mass. When, (not if, always plan worst case) the strap breaks that thing will be a deadly missile. Joining with a shackle is REALLY bad.
The straps should be joined by looping it onto themselves, with something placed between them just tp prevent them locking to tight, otherwise you will never separate them after. Use some rolled newspaper, fabric, bunched up grass, rubber floor mat, that kind of thing. It will also serve the dual purpose of acting like a damper should the strap break.
- on the subject of damper, its something I rarely see us do, and I'm guilty as charged
. Something draped over the middle of the strap will take the energy out of it should it break. If you look at a complete recovery kit, there's often a damper of some sort in there. they include it for a reason.
Apologies for the rant
you can tell I've got bugger all on at the mo!!!