If you ever have a receiver on your truck, don't be tempted to simply put the strap into the receiver tube and slide a pin through. You can bend the pin and then have it stuck in there.
Be very careful what you hook things to. I have a set of J-hooks, like what most tow trucks will have, and I thought I could simply put one of the hooks into a hole on the frame of a truck and give someone a tug. Well the hook ripped right through about 2" of the frame metal on the front end of the truck......with lots of people standing around watching, it's a good thing nobody got hurt.
Your axles can be very solid points for recovery as well. There is a reason why I see large trucks that have the cable's slung through the front bumpers and hooked onto the rear axles, so when you pull on the cable you are actually helping to move the axle forward (hopefully to a better traction spot).
If you're trying to pull someone out with a jerk, it's best to have a proper strap for it. You can actually buy "kinetic"recovery straps that have more stretch than a basic sling or tow rope. Chains are terrible for a running tug, cable isn't any better. That being said, it never hurts to have a winch weight to throw over winch cables. Or if you prefer some fancier recovery equipment, synthetic winch lines are available that don't stretch and store energy the same way a steel winch line will.
One important thing about wheeling, you don't want to have the biggest, heaviest vehicle around. You don't want to be "that guy" who got stuck and nobody could pull out because you had the biggest and heaviest vehicle.
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