totalloser
11-24-2009, 08:57 PM
I was a bit skeptical when I saw the diagrams of a "picket" system for a rope rescue course I just completed, and felt that anchoring to a vehicle would be more prudent. After hanging off them I completely changed my mind, and think this is a VERY handy trick to know for if you have nothing to pull from with your winch or come along.
Basically you drive a stake (3' x 1" give or take) into the ground leaning about 15 degrees away from your rig, and then drive a second one behind it about 3 feet. Wrap a rope many times around the two from the base of the second one to slightly up the side of the first one, and tie it off. Slip a lug wrench between the ropes, and twist the ropes to tension the first with the second. Hook up to the first one at the base.
In rope rescue, these things use webbing, and three 4' stakes or a v of 5 stakes, but for a non life threatening application, I suspect two would be just fine for a light truck like a Tacoma. It is REMARKABLE how strong this setup is. Field tests of in excess of 5000 pounds of dead pull on a properly set up windlass picket system of three 4' pickets.
A slick trick IMO. A good use for broken axleshafts! :) My agency is using commercial tent pegs that look like GIANT duplex nails- they are way cheaper than official rescue stakes, and the duplex is a lot easier to hammer on.
PS Aw dammit, I just discovered this trick is old news on this forum. Sorry folks. :( New guy boo boo.
Basically you drive a stake (3' x 1" give or take) into the ground leaning about 15 degrees away from your rig, and then drive a second one behind it about 3 feet. Wrap a rope many times around the two from the base of the second one to slightly up the side of the first one, and tie it off. Slip a lug wrench between the ropes, and twist the ropes to tension the first with the second. Hook up to the first one at the base.
In rope rescue, these things use webbing, and three 4' stakes or a v of 5 stakes, but for a non life threatening application, I suspect two would be just fine for a light truck like a Tacoma. It is REMARKABLE how strong this setup is. Field tests of in excess of 5000 pounds of dead pull on a properly set up windlass picket system of three 4' pickets.
A slick trick IMO. A good use for broken axleshafts! :) My agency is using commercial tent pegs that look like GIANT duplex nails- they are way cheaper than official rescue stakes, and the duplex is a lot easier to hammer on.
PS Aw dammit, I just discovered this trick is old news on this forum. Sorry folks. :( New guy boo boo.