Ever since I started wheeling I've been carrying a cheap $20-$30 30ft, 30,000lb, tow rope that I picked up from Princess Auto. While its gotten me, and many others out of some situations I always knew that it wasn't the ideal tool.
It finally became time to look at investing in a proper kinetic rope. For those that don't know, a kinetic rope has a bit of stretch in it which has multiple benefits. The first and main benefit is that it allows the rescuer take a bit of a run, starting with slack in the rope. This creates a bit of an elastic band effect and 'pops' the other vehicle out with the momentum of the other vehicle rather than relying on good traction. The second benefit which I feel is just as important is that the stresses on the vehicles, specifically the tow points are minimized. There is no instantaneous jolt, instead its a smooth transition of energy from the rescuer to the stuck vehicle.
I chose the Gemstone Offroad rope since its a local company, and all reviews, and people I talked to spoke positively of the product. I suspect that these are sourced from China, and build to a specification, but so are many of the other brands.
First off, this rope looks the part with its bright color. Each eye is spliced deep, I suspect close to a foot if not more. Each eye is protected with a nylon sleeve and the base of the eyes are well wrapped. I opted for the 20 foot model since from my experience with the 30 foot tow strap it can be a little long especially when trying to apply a lateral force to get a vehicle back on a tight road. Ideally I'd have one of each.
The day that I picked this thing up from the post office I was on my way to go wheeling in the snow with some friends, we found ourselves run out plowed road and quickly into the deep stuff. When forward progress was no longer happening most of the group was able to back out on the tracks we came in on however the Jeep ahead of me made a mistake and got sucked off the road. I quickly deployed this rope and with a slight, smooth, tug he was back on the road.
So far I am impressed for the price. I'm sure sure it will provide years of use. Go to Gemstone Offroad to pick yours up.
Of coarse I still keep the tow rope with me as well, since you would not want to pull anyone for any length of time with a Kinetic rope. Also after several pulls with a kinetic rope they should be left to rest and resume their original shape otherwise they loose elasticity and risk breaking.
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