Back to Basics: How to Wrap your Rachet Strap for Quick Deployment
We often joke that the hardest thing to use in our strut system is the ratchet strap! Ratchet straps are one of the most versatile tools in our extrication arsenal, but who wants to bother with them when they look like a rats nest in the bottom of a box? We’ve experimented with several different ways of wrapping a ratchet strap and this “Rescue Roll” is our favorite:
Prepare straps for storage by:
- Feeding the strap tail up through the drum slot
- Pulling it until the hook is next to the drum. Both hooks should point down with the handle closed.
- Wrap the fixed length strap around the handle and hook it through the trigger.
- Wrap the adjustable strap over the handle in the same direction and hook the hook through the trigger next to the other hook.
- Line up the two straps on top of each other and pull the strap tail until tight.
- Wrap the tail tightly around the ratchet assembly and secure with a rubber band, Velcro strap, etc. When you need to deploy the strap, simply hold the unit sideways by the handle and let the strap unravel.
That’s a lot to take in from a tiny picture in a newsletter, so here is a Ratchet Strap Operation PDF for you to download with larger pictures and a lot more information.
