I’ve seen my fair share of recovery gear over the past 15+ years. It’s not too often you see something new and different. While soft shackles are not a new idea, the Hitch Hero is.
The Hitch Hero is essentially a very large, heavy-duty soft shackle. The added length paired with a protective sleeve come together to make a unique piece of gear. As seen in the name, the primary use is for attaching it to a hitch receiver. The strong design is specifically made to handle large loads around sharp metal corners which can damage a smaller, traditional version. In the bigger picture, you can use it in any application that you’d use a standard one for.
If you’ve considered buying a hitch mounted shackle receiver, this product seems to be a not only a good potential alternative, but a complementary and versatile one.
Table Of Contents
Features & Specs
The Hitch Hero comes in three different diameters. 3/8″, 7/16″ (seen in this post), and 1/2″. Choosing the right size will come down to what vehicle you’re pairing it with. We have 3G Tacomas, so 7/16″ was the diameter of choice.
In terms of length, these are 34″ long. The primary feature is the UHWMP cover, which gives it the abrasion resistance. I got this as a part of their Ultimate Recovery Kit, but if you purchase individually, expect a carrying bag and some stickers.
Sandy Cats products are all CERTEX certified and come with a lifetime warranty.
Hitch Hero Vs. Standard Soft Shackle
It’s always nice to get a visual. So I snapped a quick photo of the Hitch Hero next to my soft shackle. The difference in size and durability is easy to see. A standard soft variety will fit in smaller and more narrow places, but the Hero is more useful in its own way can be utilized in the same manner, as long as it fits.
How To Use
There’s nothing special in terms of using one of these. Simply run it through your receiver and back around. Connect your kinetic rope, winch line, etc., and ensure everything is well connected. It literally doesn’t get any easier.
Real World Testing
A few months ago, we had two trucks break down in a really gnarly spot. It was a long recovery with the most winching I’ve ever done, so we don’t have a ton of photos. However, I was able to grab the one above.
If you take a closer look, you can see that we utilized the Hitch Hero in a non-traditional way. Not that this is outside of it’s intended use, we just used it to connect our various gear together.
In the image above, we used it to connect a tree strap (wrapped around a big boulder), to a synthetic rope pulley and a winch line. We wanted to use our strongest option to ensure a secure recovery.
After 2 hours of winch pulls, we dragged this setup through every rock, tree, and abrasive corner the terrain had to offer. There were serious loads pushing our gear to it’s limits, and the Hitch Hero held up great. It almost goes without saying, this product has a permanent spot in the recovery bag.
Final Thoughts
I won’t get overly wordy here in the last section. This is a neat product that fills a void. It’s a good alternative if you’d rather run something besides a steel or aluminum shackle block and shackle. Not to say those aren’t good, but the Hitch Hero is cheaper and lighter. Technically speaking, if it were to fail at least you don’t need to worry about metal projectiles. Again, not condemning the other options, I run them all for a complete kit but something to note.
I’ve been impressed with the Sandy Cats line of products and will continue to support them. You don’t need to empty your pockets for a solid set of recovery gear! Let me know if you have any other questions below.
