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Snatch straps are great for recovering stuck vehicles. The strap is attached to a strong point on the stuck vehicle and the other end is attached on the recovery vehicle. There is usually a few feet of slack on the snatch strap in between both vehicles.

Snatch straps should not be used to extend a winch cable during vehicle recovery because they will stretch and store energy. Winching hardware and cables might be launched if the straps break. Ideally, the winch cable does not stretch at all or only a small amount.

Using Snatch Straps
Snatch straps should be attached to strong points that are able to withstand the huge forces generated. Only adequate towing strong points should be used to attach snatch straps and not shackles. For example, ordinary tow-balls are not designed to withstand the strong forces generated and most bull-bars are not approved for use as attachment points for snatch straps.

If a strong point becomes detached during recovery, the heavy metal object can become a lethal projectile and is capable of punching a hole through vehicles or through any people that are standing in the way. The snatch strap alone can inflict injury if it breaks. Recovery hardware must be used properly and innocent bystanders should be kept away from any recovery area.