How a Snatch Strap Actually Works

What is a snatch strap?

A snatch strap is a woven nylon strap that is used in multi-vehicle recoveries to free a bogged vehicle that can’t move under its own power. They generally come in nine-metre lengths and in various load ratings, and they’re designed to stretch during a recovery to achieve the desired ‘snatching’ effect before returning to their original length afterwards.

How does a snatch strap work?

Snatch straps work by transferring energy from a free vehicle to a stuck vehicle in an effort to ‘snatch’ the bogged vehicle into a position where it can gain traction and move freely again. Snatch straps, due to their nylon webbing construction, are designed to stretch by around an extra 20% of their original length. This stretch occurs when the free car drives forward to pull on the strap – which is connected to rated recovery points on both vehicles – which in turn creates stored kinetic energy that’s transferred from the strap to the bogged vehicle. A successful snatch strap recovery occurs when enough energy is transferred through the strap to pop the stuck vehicle out of its bogged position.

When should you use a snatch strap?

Vehicle recoveries come in all shapes and sizes, and a snatch strap is the perfect tonic for situations where a vehicle is ‘bogged’. This can happen in sand, mud and snow, and it essentially means your vehicle is no longer able to achieve enough surface traction to achieve forward motion. It’s recommended that you try other techniques to free your vehicle before using a snatch strap, simply because you can, most often, quickly and safely extract your 4WD yourself without the need of a second recovery vehicle.The simplest solutions include lowering your tyre pressures – which elongates your tyres’ footprint, spreading the weight of your vehicle and increasing your chance of achieving traction – and self-recovery tools like recovery boards. Recovery boards give your tyres a surface that they can grip onto and drive out of a bog quickly and easily. In fact, sometimes escaping a bog is as simple as putting your rig in reverse and giving it another go with some added momentum (or choosing another line if it’s possible).

Are snatch straps dangerous?

Snatch straps get labelled as dangerous by a small minority because of incorrect use by uninformed individuals. Countless videos can be found online of snatch recoveries gone wrong – however it’s because the end of the strap was attached to tow balls or unrated recovery points. When a part of your vehicle breaks before the snatch strap does, it can create a projectile flung at great speed, which is why it’s essential to only attach snatch straps to rated recovery points with adequately load rated shackles.

Snatch straps are, in fact, designed to break before any of your vehicle componentry does. This is to ensure recoveries remain safe by avoiding flying vehicle components; because if you want anything to break in a snatch strap recovery, your preference is the strap. This is the reason why snatch straps are rated to a particular weight. When choosing a strap, the general rule is to choose a strap that is rated to 2-3 times your vehicle’s GVM.

When a strap is used correctly – which is not difficult to do – and it is in good condition, a snatch strap is an incredibly safe and effective recovery tool to use. To make a snatch strap recovery even safer and to spread the recovery load more evenly throughout the bogged vehicle’s chassis, it’s highly recommended that you use an equaliser strap in conjunction with your snatch strap.

After a snatch strap recovery, it’s important to ensure it’s clean and not overly frayed. If it’s dirty, clean it off and inspect it for damage, and replace it if need be.