My soft shackle failure experience 🤕 -- The Off-Road Recovery That Almost Killed Me

[swooshdave]

Yup, lot of learning points. A lot of people are talking about a dampner on the rope. I talked to Factor 55, Madmatt4WD and several other sources, they all agree a blanket on the rope would not have helped at all in this particular scenario. Doesn't mean its not a bad option though as it can help.

I'm not good at math but I know that the energy and weight of the kinetic rope vastly overpowers a blanket or damper. And adding a really heavy damper defeats the purpose of a kinetic rope.

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[Shrek27]

@popo_patty You're too modest dude. YOU should have been the one to post this up. There are dudes on here posting links to vids upgrading their phone holders and console organizers...you make vids about real offroading, real upgrades and the like. This stuff is what we are here for, to learn and grow. Not saying post every vid you make but don't feel like you're trying to pull one over on us when you do. Just sayin...

Really glad you're still here! Keep it up.

 

[Bmadda]

For a winch line, yes. For a kinetic rope, no.

Gotcha...never used a kinetic rope, but the more I learn about them, the more I think I don't need one...just seems to create a false sense of security! Also think @TRACKTOY is right, the failed soft shackle was the difference between a dangerous accident and a lethal one!

 

[Apollo]

"In this video, I take a deep dive into the incident from a personal, story perspective. Then we zoom out and look back using hind sight 20/20 and a birds eye view. I include various clips, pics and physical evidence. Please watch the WHOLE story and do not skip, you will get a false idea based on partial facts if you do. Use this as a tool to educate and encourage safety when recovering. Share to your hearts content!"



Oof that looked like it hurt.
Since the incident I’ve been talking directly with some of the recovery industry greats such as Factor 55, Madmatts4wd and local recovery group leaders. I’ve learned a TON of stuff from them that admittedly just isn’t talked about much in the kinetic rope world and they as well as I now want to bring up more and help spread conversation on.

The common consensus from all of them so far is that the soft shackle failed at the Clevis. In fact it was at the loop around its own knot and not the Clevis. The other takeaway is that the soft shackle quality was poor (I have found 3 different ratings now for its strength). It was probably degraded more from the first forward pull.
Another item was the strength of the pull being too hard for the conditions I was in.
Me rushing was also huge as I didn’t get out and assess and see that my passenger side was now buried vs how it had been before. In that situation a winch line and digging would have been better.
Another thought was a winch blanket, they all agreed that the blanket would have just been tossed off and was not heavy enough to make a difference.
Another big point was that the kinetic rope I had was “rated” for use on any vehicle up to 11,000 lbs. Looking-back though, they said a 1” rope is too thick and a 7/8th would actually be better and allow for more stretch. From now on I am only using, high end, quality gear regardless of rating from cheaper companies. I am also going to slow myself down despite any rush I may be in.
I’m also going to rethink how often I use my winch and break that out more.
I still believe soft shackles are safer and will continue to use them. I am also going to make more use of a bridle now as well to distribute the load better.
I interviewed with Madmatt4WD from Australia and he brought up a TON of good advice. I’ll link that interview here when it posts.

One last point that Matt brought up was the mindset. In the US we see recoveries typically as the driving not having the skill to get through something and now we have to recover them. It’s an obstacle and a chore for us that we try to get out of the way ASAP so we can get back to wheeling. This mindset is dangerous. In Australia they see recoveries as part of the process and it’s not looked down on or rushed. It’s a methodical, slow and mostly safe process every time. For them it’s part of the process.

Caleb thanks for making this video. One of the best ways of learning is to see and understand failures. No matter how much experience someone has, watching and understanding a failure is typically the best way to learn how to safely go about rigging. In engineering, studying failures is the key to advancing knowledge.

The whole situation I’m sure took a toll on you, mentally, physically, and financially. Thankfully you are OK and in the end a little wiser.

Happy Trails

 

[stampede1]

Glad that you are ok, and that your family still has you! Thanks for posting the video and for your candor and insight. You have provoked a lot of meaningful discussion about a critical subject and compelled many in the off roadig community to engage in serious introspection about the equipment and procedures that all too many apparently took for granted, including the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for emergency first aid. Get well brother and soldier on! See you on the trail one of these days,

 

[Pseudoko]

your video is getting traction all over different offroad groups. of course no one wants to watch the video and are making a ton of assumptions. nice to know someone out there could replicate this because they didn't take the time to watch and learn. by the way, i appreciate you responding to everyone to help educate everyone from your experience. And as mentioned previously (and most importantly) I am glad you're ok.

 

[popo_patty]

your video is getting traction all over different offroad groups. of course no one wants to watch the video and are making a ton of assumptions. nice to know someone out there could replicate this because they didn't take the time to watch and learn. by the way, i appreciate you responding to everyone to help educate everyone from your experience. And as mentioned previously (and most importantly) I am glad you're ok.

Yea it’s kinda blowing up more then I expected. Lotta hate coming my way haha but it’s too be expected. I will be doing a cliff note version that I will quietly release soon. I honesty just made it to spread awareness and fall on my sword publicly to prevent others from doing the same.

 

[Pseudoko]

Yea it’s kinda blowing up more then I expected. Lotta hate coming my way haha but it’s too be expected. I will be doing a cliff note version that I will quietly release soon. I honesty just made it to spread awareness and fall on my sword publicly to prevent others from doing the same.

I know... just sad that people these days just have no attention span to take the time to learn. Someone could very well wind up in the same exact situation and have an expensive US made soft shackle to have that potentially fail too. Then who are they going to blame? Your video gives great awareness to the potential dangers of recovery. The last 5 years, it feels like the off-road community has grown exponentially, but with that, you have a lot of new drivers. Things can happen and learning techniques is very important.

 

[Oldhippie]

I am glad you are ok…gave the group some anxiety…we live, hopefully we learn…thanks for sharing…don’t let the “haters” get ya down…party on!

 

[Snacktime]

I fully plan on using my kinetic rope and soft shackles moving forward. Untill we get something better I still think the Bungie cord is better than a winch for snow and sand. I also think it better on rocks as it gradually loads up on a high traction pull.

 

[Big Pony]

@popo_patty Thanks for sharing gent. I watched the whole video and I appreciate the lessons in it. Glad you walked out in one piece and can share your experience with the community. Very fortunate indeed! Many blessings to you.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

All the recovery gear talk aside - the biggest thing that needed an upgrade was the doofus in the other vehicle. Can’t leave him entirely on the hook alone as it’s definitely a “crew” type of job that needs some conversation and planning but backing up and throwing a 10lb sledge at a 2lb problem caused most of the issue.
For me that’s 96% of the value of this educational experience (for which we’re thankful you’re here to talk about) - HOW to properly recover someone with a side of ”what to use”. Bad things happen slowly when you go slowly

Going to echo you here, because I agree now that I’ve watched “the entire video”.

HP has taken over everything and I’ve said it a million times to guys here in several threads; horsepower doesn’t have much of a place off-road. Only real exception is desert running and some rock bouncers.

What you need off-road is torque and at low range at that. The jeep guy seems like he was having a little fun. Sort of like a baby with a loaded pistol; it happens, as most guys have no idea what they’re doing, just that they have enough money to be dangerous and stupid. Rich guys in Porsches, etc are the same; at a track they’re the worst because they can’t drive!

Anyway, slower is smarter and that would have given him the opportunity to draw from all the torque he seemed to have with that LS or Hemi swap..

To @popo_patty , I heard what you said about guys not using an actual D ring for years….. Well, yeah, that’s true, I’ve seen it too, but never done it because it only takes once. Difference here Is that you have a channel and didn’t carry shame enough to not talk about it. Guys trash rigs and themselves all the time and just never talk about it.

When using a soft shackle, never feed through any sharp edges at all, ever! Also, to everyone, stay the fu@k off of Amazon! Y’all kill me with all the cheap trash crap you buy to save a few bucks. Cool for a poseur or soft roader, but never for a wheeler; you know better, you‘ve grown from this now and you’ve done a service for the community.

I’m not you dad, but want you to know that I’m proud of you for learning a lesson, swallowing pride, and doing the right thing in sharing the experience. You’ve likely saved some lives with that video and this thread.

Thank you.

 

[Pilsner]

Great video! Glad you were ok to make it @popo_patty ! I watched it at work w/a guy who had zero idea what was gonna happen and when the Jeep launched he was saying "no dude...don't do it!" I get everything you said about the recovery gear...buy stuff you can trust, but that wont fix the loose nut behind the wheel! Have seen whole bumpers ripped off doing stuff like that JUST DON'T! ALWAYS TAKE UP THE SLACK 1ST! Very educational! Sorry you had to go through that, but good for the less experienced to see it and think next time!

You don't take up the slack. That's the whole point of a snatch strap. They are made to stretch and use that energy to pull you out.

 

[Pilsner]

I caught this video on YouTube this weekend and watched it.
First off: Very happy you walked away from this, and thanks for posting and helping others.

Just my thoughts for what they are worth.

Anything moving at a fast enough speed can kill. The stronger the tension the more energy there is to be released, the faster the object will go. ANY OBJECT, or any line material and whatever is connected on the end.

Kinetic energy is no joke! You’re releasing a spring, less control than a winch, although effective in some situations.

For anyone who thinks cheap gear was the cause, I believe, at least in this case, it would have been better if the shackle broke under less stress – which would have built up less stored energy and wouldn’t have been the almost lethal rocket it was. The point is, if the rope (soft shackle) didn’t break, there was a great chance a hunk of metal was going to go flying as he stated in the video. Much like beefing up your tie rods, the breaking point gets shifted elsewhere – be aware of what that is.
This is not a recommendation for cheap gear by any means, just physics. These are things you do not skimp on prices with, ever.

I respect Caleb’s stance on taking responsibility, but I also think it’s obvious that the guy in the Jeep was incredibly overzealous with the power he put down and it would be easy to put blame on him. But I’m going to assume Jeep guy had no idea what he was doing, much like I think many people don’t understand and respect the physics and applied power that comes with these situations and the equipment they are using.
Too many people try to power out of a jam, power is not a substitute for lack of knowledge.

Yes of course if he had taken more time to reassess, or dig out, or used boards this could have been avoided, but I think another big reason this happened, is something that happens to many of us, although this changes with age for many.

Whenever someone is helping you, you are grateful that they are taking the time to do it, and so it feels uncomfortable to tell them they are doing it wrong. He knew with every fiber in his being that Jeep guy didn’t really know what he was doing and he was being too polite to tell him. This is a mistake everyone needs to learn from, it’s not about manners, it’s not about ego, it’s not about respect – it’s about being safe. Don’t be afraid to stop and if need be, educate others.
If you don't feel comfortable, there's probably a reason.

I 100% blame the soft shackle. The rating on those cheap ones is a joke. Hard to say, but those are dangerous.

 

[AttackGuy64]

The soft shackle isn't what caused the damage to the windshield, it was the kinetic rope. The rope has a lot of energy and weight, the shackle was just along for the ride.

Yes, I get that, the soft shackle gave up and caused the kinetic rope to fly back and destroy the windshield. The point was that the shackle was the failure point, not the rope. If you looked at the picture and didn't read the story, it would look like the recovery point on the bumper broke off and that is what caused all the damage. However, that was not the case. I thought kinetic ropes were designed to NOT cause that kind of damage. Hence, my surprise.

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