GROUND ANCHORs -advice needed

[John Clayton]

What Ground Anchors are out there, and can anyone advise on which are good, bad and ugly?

Here are 2 that I spotted, as a start

http://www.paddockspares.com/pp/OFF_ROAD/Ropes_and_Recovery/Ground_Anchor.html

[Saffy]

I had a PRT (portable rescue tree) for awhile, nice and compact and easily stored.

http://www.extremeoffroadgear.com/ARB-Portable-Rescue-Tree-Ground-Anchor-REC-ARBARB230.htm

[John Clayton]

I wonder if the Portable Rescue Tree (PRT) is what he had problems with on here:
http://www.landroverexpedition.com/equipment/how-to-use-a-winch/

There are some very reasonably priced Ground Anchors (GAs) on here:
http://www.forgetec4x4.co.uk/winchingequipment.html

[John Clayton]

The Pull Pal's another one that might be worth a look

http://www.pullpal.com/aboutPP.html

[Saffy]

What do you want a ground anchor for if you don't mind my asking? Competition guys will have specific needs and will have weeded out the trash by now so see that they are using. Overlanders hitting sandy dunes may want a nice big shovel opposed to pegged rails etc. For greenlaning then ground anchors really do not have any business being used and even so their effectiveness can be limited, the pull pals/prt boat anchor style etc are next to useless in Wiltshires chalky/clay for instance and a peg and rail is more suited (as per military on Sailsbury plain), Ground anchors are useless on rocky terrain such as found above the valley line in Wales and so on...   So unless you have specific use it can just be a clumsy, very heavy lump of ornamental iron.

[Range Rover Blues]

I made my own from angle iron and marking-out pegs.  Only used it twice with mixed results

[Dr Evil]

This is great.
http://www.x-eng.co.uk/X-Anchor.asp

[John Clayton]

I need summat that's not so big that it will be a pain to have in the boot (with all the other clobber that goes in there e.g. waffle boards, jacks etc.

This looked quite good:
http://www.paddockspares.com/pm732-ground-anchor.html     

[John Clayton]

Useful gen from people who have tried various forms of Ground Anchors:
http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic.php?t=65731&sid=ea79f5050b1b1912b0473f7d71c44647

http://forum.landrovernet.com/showthread.php/79309-ground-anchor

http://forum.ih8mud.com/winching-recovery/455760-tire-ground-anchor-2.html

More Army ground anchors:
http://www.anchorsupplies.com/accesspries.htm   

[Saffy]

I have that paddocks pm732 one in the shed, used in anger and it's failed every time, just pulls out of ground even on a rolling load. No where near the size of what it needs to be, it's nothing compared the proper MOD style it copies. And you will need hi lift jack to remove the pegs, and a hefty sledge hammer to put them in.

[John Clayton]

Ah -I was intending to buy one of those -but I won't now!

I wonder if you could use a waffle board with a load of stakes hammered through it?  The winch hook would have to attach to either:
a) the stake at the front
b) or a tree strop wrapped round the middle of the waffle board (with the board orientated perpendicular to the cable i.e. as if it were the top of a letter 'T')

[Saffy]

I still wonder where your going that needs a ground anchor.

[Skibum346]

Ah -I was intending to buy one of those -but I won't now!

I wonder if you could use a waffle board with a load of stakes hammered through it?  The winch hook would have to attach to either:
a) the stake at the front
b) or a tree strop wrapped round the middle of the waffle board (with the board orientated perpendicular to the cable i.e. as if it were the top of a letter 'T')

Interesting idea... not sure perpendicular would be best approach. Shorter side may be more resistant to pulling forces.

This kind of thing from my old scouting days seems like a useful method... the model shown uses wodden stakes and has too low a rating for vehicle recovery... but can't help thinking that replacing wood with steel would improve the performance. The equipment required would be easy to stow as well.

[John Clayton]

I still wonder where your going that needs a ground anchor.

I did a lot of off-roading in the Falklands last year and there are almost no trees there (just peat bog).  However, that's an extreme example and I'm permanently back in the UK now.  therefore, I'd guess that there are probably trees available in many instances.  BUT, it's the occasional times when there aren't and you are sunk up to your axles e.g. marshes that I'm worried about.  I'd rather have an anchor in the boot and not need it than vice versa...

[Range Rover Blues]

Interesting idea... not sure perpendicular would be best approach. Shorter side may be more resistant to pulling forces.

This kind of thing from my old scouting days seems like a useful method... the model shown uses wodden stakes and has too low a rating for vehicle recovery... but can't help thinking that replacing wood with steel would improve the performance. The equipment required would be easy to stow as well.

I've seen one of those on a Dave Bowyer video, very effective.  It's also owrth noting that the Army style of rail and peg (whcih can be chained together) were around when my dad did his national service and are still in use, if it's not bust don't fix it they say, well that design hasn't been bust probably since the 1940s.

[John Clayton]

Good point.

Spotted a couple more plough types:
http://www.extreme4x4.co.uk/acatalog/GROUND_GRABBER.html

X-Anchor Longbow (also sold by Dave Bowyer)
http://www.x-eng.co.uk/X-Anchor.asp?MID=63