And when we do get bogged, there’ll be
no ‘one-size fits-all’ approach to vehicle
recovery. It’s true that, without a winch
bolted to the bullbar, and a good idea about
how to use it, it may feel like the prospect of
a vehicle recovery has evaded us.
But sensible alternatives may include a
hand-operated Tirfor Jack, a set of Traction
boards and/or a shovel. Or you may find that
a set of BOG OUT vehicle recovery straps has
the answers you’re looking for.
We recently field trialled this Aussie-made
invention. And, I have to say, we came away
pretty impressed.
The BOG OUT Vehicle Recovery Kit
has been designed and tested in North
Queensland for more than 10 years. BOG
OUT straps look like nylon rope ladders and
when they are fitted it looks like a tyre chain,
but it’s not.
A chain works by increasing the traction
of the tyre by gripping the ground. What’s
happening here is the ladder is gripping the
tyre like a snare.
This increases the traction to the spinning
wheel which then increases the torque to the
opposite axle and you drive out. If you have
a diff locker and both wheels are spinning,
you fit a BOG OUT to both wheels and this is
where it works like a winch.
The stress is placed where stress is
designed to be placed: at the tyre. And of
course a slow, controlled recovery is less
stressful on the car than backing up and
hitting things at speed — or being jerked out
of a bog hole.
So what do we reckon are the pros and
cons of this ingenious Australian invention?The PROS
- The BOG OUT system works on both front
and rear wheels. To do this with a winch
you need to buy a second one and mount it
on the tow hitch or carry a Tirfor-jack. - Small and lightweight: In fact you can stuff
it under your seat. - Unlike a ‘bush winch’ system that extends
the hubs, BOG OUT straps place no
unnatural stressors on your rig. - At less than $300 for a pair, BOG OUT is a
low-cost recovery option. - The straps are 4.5m long with 4t in
strength. To achieve 9m recovery length
148 caravanworld.com.au
The designers are clear that you should first test-fit the BOG OUT in the safety of your own front yard. This is because of the variabilities in rim
profile, tyre size and brake design.
The BOG OUT will fit on tyres that have a tyre width of between 165 and 345mm as the knots have to be on the tyre wall for it to work (and not
slip off), which is fine as this covers most tyre sizes. Of note however, is that Method 1 as shown on the packaging will suit 85 per cent of vehicle
makes and models whilst Method 2 can be utilised on all makes and models. This is because of the design and fitting of brake components.
So unless you want to be stranded somewhere with a vehicle that has been recovered but now has no brakes, it pays to test and adjust in the
safety of your own home first.TESTANDADJUST
ABOVE If untying knots is not your superpower, try doing it with needle nose pliers instead