X-BULL Winch Recovery Kit 11PCS 4WD 4x4 Pack Off Road Snatch Strap Essential

Recovery gear tends to get bought one piece at a time, until the day something goes wrong and you discover the shackle you own does not suit the strap you own. A kit answers that by turning up matched, in one case, with a place for everything to live between trips.

What the strap is, and what it is not

The strap here is 9 m long, quoted by the supplier at 8000 kg, and woven from 100% polyester. Polyester is a low-stretch fibre, and the supplier describes the strap as a tow strap, recovery strap, tree saver or winch extension. It does not describe it as a kinetic snatch strap, despite the word appearing in the listing title. Use it the way the supplier describes it, for steady-pull work, unless the manufacturer's own label on the webbing says otherwise.

Shackles, block and damper

Two shackles are supplied, marked 4.75 tonne, along with an 8-ton snatch block for doubling a winch line back on itself or redirecting a pull around an obstacle. As with the strap, these figures arrive without a basis: the supplier does not say whether they are breaking strengths or working load limits, so treat each one as the largest number the supplier will claim rather than a load to work toward. The damper is the piece most people leave out and the one that matters most, since it drags a failed line down instead of letting it whip back.

The rest of the case

A folding shovel covers the digging that comes before most recoveries, whether that is clearing sand from in front of a buried tyre or cutting a ramp out of a rut. The tyre deflator lets you drop pressures at the start of a soft or rocky section, which prevents more bogs than any strap ever fixes. A shackle hitch receiver and a trailer hitch lock round out the contents. The whole kit packs into a 40.5 x 29.5 x 18.5 cm case and weighs 12 kg.

Key features

• 9 m strap: long enough to reach an anchor without joining two straps together, which must never be done with a shackle.
• Snatch block included: doubles the line for a slower, higher-effort pull, or redirects it around an obstacle.
• Damper supplied: the one item that changes what happens when a line fails.
• Folding shovel: digging is the first half of most recoveries.
• Tyre deflator: for setting pressures before the terrain gets soft.
• Cased and packed: 12 kg in a 40.5 x 29.5 x 18.5 cm case, so it stays together in the vehicle.

Specifications

• Strap: 9 m, 100% polyester webbing, quoted by the supplier at 8000 kg. The supplier does not state whether that is a breaking strength or a working load limit.
• Shackles: 2 x 4.75 tonne as quoted by the supplier, basis not stated
• Snatch block: 8 tonne as quoted by the supplier, basis not stated
• Kit weight: 12 kg
• Packed size: 40.5 x 29.5 x 18.5 cm
• Colour: black
• Compatibility: the supplier states it suits X-BULL and other brand winches

What's in the box

• 1 x 9 m polyester strap
• 2 x 4.75 tonne shackles
• 1 x 8-ton snatch block
• 1 x recovery damper
• 1 x folding shovel
• 1 x shackle hitch receiver
• 1 x trailer hitch lock
• 1 x tyre deflator

The supplier lists eight line items, or nine pieces once the second shackle is counted, while the title says 11 pieces.

Before you rig anything

• Inspect the strap, shackles, block, pins and your vehicle's recovery points before every use. Retire webbing that is cut, frayed, sun-damaged or chemically stained, and any shackle that is bent, stretched or seized.
• Lay the damper over the middle of the line, every time.
• Keep everyone well clear of the line and of the arc it would travel if it broke. That means out of the vehicles and well off to the side.
• Attach only to recovery points rated for the job by the vehicle or component manufacturer. A tow ball, tow bar tongue, bumper bar or unrated bracket is not a recovery point, and a hitch receiver insert is only as good as the receiver it goes into, so confirm that rating with its manufacturer before using it in a recovery.
• Never join two straps with a shackle. Use a strap of the correct length instead.
• The trailer hitch lock is an anti-theft item. It is not recovery equipment and must not be used to snatch, tow or winch.

Store it made up and in the vehicle, and give the strap a look over each time it goes back in the case.