This is an old and possibly dead thread here, but as a former Motorsports Recovery Operative, I was a bit concerned when more than one member posted to say, "It is up to the member to go and look and then make his own assessment as to whether he is able to help recover or not." This is frightening to anyone with experience. Because without proper training and experience you cannot make any sort of assessment of what you can or can't do. Just because you have a winch, recovery strops, tree strops, snatch blocks, ground anchors etc, doesn't mean you know how to use them. They aren't the problem, the vehicle to be recovered isn't the problem, even not having a proper recovery point isn't a problem! (You should see the things some rally drivers think is a recovery point, we had to keep a special small shackle to attach to the ridiculously small and inconsequential things they had, and the proper recovery shackle, in order to make a start!)
Too often it is a case, with amateurs of "all the gear and no idea". No the problems are always, the terrain, the weather and the obstacles. As one member correctly said, recovering a wreck on its roof is often the best way. Even professionals can get caught out. Me and my crew chief once had to recover ourselves after accidentally backing our truck and the jib into a ditch, on our way down to lift a vehicle back on to the track. But at least we knew how to do it and it only delayed us about 5 minutes. Bear in mind that in MSR if the car is on or just off the track, we are working against the clock. So, if you want to get the gear, become an MSR operative, join a crew and get some training. It costs very little. But do be aware, you will not be insured, either your vehicle or yourself by the MSA, which is why my mate and I packed it in. (No one will tell you this, but I did once write about it in Land Rover Monthly.)
