X-BULL 4WD Recovery Kit Off Road Snatch Strap Soft Shackles Snatch Block Pulley

A first trip past the end of the bitumen tends to reveal how little is actually in the back. A shovel and optimism will handle some situations, but not the one where a wheel has dropped into a washout and the vehicle is sitting on its chassis rails.

Four items, one bag, nothing to decide

This is a starter set rather than a full recovery outfit: a 9 metre strap, two soft shackles, a recovery ring and a bag to keep them in. The soft shackles connect the strap to rated recovery points without adding steel to the load path. The ring lets a line be redirected around an obstacle or doubled back, which is often the difference between a straight pull that will not work and an angled one that will. Bright colours make the gear easier to find in mud and easier to see once it is under load.

What X-BULL does not publish

No load rating is given for any item in this kit. Not for the strap, not for the shackles, not for the ring. No standard is named and no breaking or working figures appear anywhere in the supplier's information. That does not make the gear unsuitable, but it does mean you cannot match it to a vehicle weight on paper. If your planned recovery needs documented ratings, ask us before ordering or choose gear that publishes them.

Key features

• 9 metre strap: enough length to reach an anchor without parking the recovery vehicle in the same bog.
• Two soft shackles: connect strap to recovery point with no steel in the load path.
• Recovery ring: redirect or double a line when a straight pull is not available.
• Carry bag: keeps wet, gritty gear out of the cargo area.

Specifications

• Strap length: 9 metres
• Soft shackles: 2
• Recovery ring: 1
• Storage bag: 1
• Load ratings: not published by X-BULL for any item in this kit
• Strap type: X-BULL's description calls it a tow strap while the listing title refers to a snatch strap. Confirm with us before using it for a kinetic recovery.

What's in the box

• 1 x 9 m strap
• 2 x soft shackles
• 1 x recovery ring
• 1 x storage bag

Rules that keep a recovery boring

• Inspect every item before use and retire anything cut, frayed, glazed or stiffened.
• Drape a dampener over the middle of the loaded line. A recovery bag with something heavy in it will do.
• Everyone stands well clear of the line and the whole area it could sweep through, including whoever is filming.
• Use rated recovery points and nothing else. X-BULL's description suggests attaching the ring to the vehicle frame; disregard that, and never use a tow ball, tow bar tongue or bumper bar.
• Never join two straps with a shackle.
• No dampener is supplied in this kit. Carry one before you use the strap for any snatch recovery.

Ask us if you are unsure whether this covers the trips you have planned. A starter kit is worth having, provided it is treated as a starting point.