No Trees in Sight? Try How to Make A Winch Ground Anchor!

Have you ever faced weird circumstances where the wheels fall in a hole? And if there’s no tree, how did you get out of it? Did you know how to make a winch ground anchor? It may help you recover your car wheels when you get stuck in the sand. These odd situations are not rare now a day. Rough countryside means something weird you might have to face.

On rocky terrains, you can use rock for winching vehicles. But the sandy roadways are empty of trees or anything like these to use for winch anchors. The alternative idea is to use a ground anchor.

So, what is a ground anchor?

We will learn more about the ground anchor, but before you go, keep in mind that this type of anchor is helpful only when no other options are available. Anchoring a tree, rocky stones, or stump is less laborious than a ground anchor. It will cost you digging the soil for a certain time.

Of course, there are some winch ground anchors available on the market. You can keep one on your land cruiser for future pathways.

The Winch Earth Anchors

An object, sand parachute, metal, or spare tire is secured or buried in the ground, anchoring winch rope to recover stuck wheels. It may be an excellent travel partner and adapt to any weird circumstances.

The earth anchor may be of two types depending on its usage. Using this anchor below the ground will refer to as a ground anchor. On the contrary, people use parachute anchors to cover rocks above the ground.

However, if you carefully look over it, you’ll find the following anchoring options for winching.

  • Deadman Parachute Anchor
  • Ground Anchor
  • Rock Anchor
  • Tire Anchor
  • Log Anchor
  • Commercial Anchor

The Deadman Anchor – HOPE NOT TO DO AGAIN

Think, it’s just simple! Secure a rock/spare tire or bury them like Deadman, attach the winch line and pull out. That’s it. But it’s not at all.

Accidents occur suddenly without giving you a forewarning. No one knows how physically fit you are, then. What will you do when you see a wheel gets stuck on sand or snow? You have to prepare yourself for a battle right now.

This is really an odd job on a drive. However, preparation always reduces the risk and labor. And practical knowledge and experience do help you one step ahead. We suggest you keep reading and know how to do a deadman anchor. It will eventually help you in such unexpected circumstances.

Deadman Earth Anchor – Here’s How

The main thing of this anchor is to dig a deep hole into the earth. It may require hard labor.

But carefully observe whether the earth’s surface is hard soil or sands. If it is sand, it may be easier to carry on. It’ll be harder to dig hard surfaces. However, dig deep into the earth when it is sand so that the anchor can’t uplift when the winch hauls.

Primarily target to make a small, lightweight anchor so you can easily bury and retrieve without digging deep.

You may also require making trench digging and re-digging if the load and winch force becomes higher than the anchor’s capacity. It is an unwanted task at all. It may sometime make you impatient when it takes a long time. However, everything depends on the situation.

Having a shovel is the right thing. Use the shovel to make sure the trench line is stiff. Also, be sure it doesn’t break when the winch starts to pull. Sometimes, the anchor gets rooted out when the pulling force is implied.

Complete Deadman Anchor (Parachute Style)

Followed by the Deadman’s unique style, you can use a parachute underground like a dead body as an anchor. The parachute is sturdy and never torn out at a tolerable weight limit. You can make one yourself or buy it available on the market.

You can use this parachute anchor in 3 different forms. You can use it over the heavy rocky stone or around the lower part of a tree if they are available. In a remote and empty space where you are alone, with no trees and stone, you can use the 3rd method.

This way, you can pick a parachute anchor, a shovel, and a winch. Since there’s no means of anchoring winch rope, you have to dig deeper into the ground like a grave.

If you find some stony materials, collect them. Make sure the stench is deep enough compared to the vehicle’s load. It is not necessary to have an accurate measurement. You can apply your common sense so it can pull out.

Then, keep the small stone (as many as possible) on the parachute. Place it into the dug stench and fill it with sands or soil. Get all the four hands of the parachute together and tie them with the winch anchor. That’s it.

Right now, try winching the vehicle.

If it works, that’s good.

Tips: There is a chance to break the wall of the ditch. If it happens, the anchor may be rooted out. In that case, dig the gutter deeper and fill the anchor with more sands. If you have any steel pipe/rod on your vehicle, you can use it to support the parachute anchor. Hopefully, it’ll work for success.


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How to Make A Winch Ground Anchor?

So, you now know how to make a deadman anchor using a parachute anchor. This time, I’m going to show you how you can fabricate an earth anchor for any winching system you have brought on the vehicle.

I plan to use 24 inches in length and one-inch diameter round stocks. These stocks are of 1144 stress-proof steel. So, when you begin, make a section of 24 inches in height with an arp head bolt welded across the top and cut off at the end.

Make two of them of similar types. Also, make sure the steel rod has a coupling for anchoring the mud plate.

Now I’ll introduce a gang plate through which you have to drive these two sticks into the ground. This way, it’ll double the anchoring capacity.

So, drive the sticks through the holes of this plate until they tighten the steel plate on the ground. When it is done, anchor the winch rope to start pulling.

I don’t know exactly how powerful it is to draw loads, but it will pull several thousand pounds of load without bending and pulling out of the ground. If the earth’s surface is soft or muddy, it’ll still pull right through, and this is why the fabricated mud plate has been combined with two sturdy steel rods.

I have intentionally maintained a substantial gap between the two steel rods. So, when you hammer over the two stakes, they also hold up the ground inside. The hammering over the stakes until the mud plate reaches the ground surface will strengthen holding power and allow a good pull. Here you go for how to double winch pulling power.

Right now, hook your winch anchor to one of the stakes and start winching. Hopefully, it’ll work to pull out the stuck wheel.

All that you’ve done well, but the final puzzle is how do you pull them out when you hammer the stakes almost 24 inches deep? Not so hard if you could pull them the right way.

You’ll require a pipe conduit. Do you remember you have made anchors on the top of the stakes? Hook it up and rotate it several times left and right, then pull it straight up. Hopefully, it’ll come right out.

This is how you can make a winch ground anchor helping yourself in distress on the remote, rough way.

Watch this video for a better understanding.

Rock Anchor for Winching

This is the way to Deadman ground anchor. The difference is to use rock stones as an anchor rather than earth or soil.

On the rocky terrains, you’ll see some small but heavy rocks. If you have a parachute anchor on your vehicle, you can use a heavy rock stone to make an anchor for winching.

What you have to do is to locate a heavy size rock nearby your stuck vehicle first. Then, cover that with your parachute anchor that you can hook the winch anchor and pull that the right way. It may sometimes help to pull out the stuck wheels.

Spare Tire Anchor for Hauling Jeeps

In most cases, Jeep owners have a spare tire on their jeeps. If it happens to you that your jeep has gone stuck in the mud, you can use this spare tire as an anchor.

The idea is as the Deadman anchor did earlier. Same way, you can dig deeper into the earth to bury the spare tire to anchor the winch tongue so that it doesn’t pull out of the graveyard while winching. Make sure it is deep enough to haul the wheel up.

You might have some difficulties anchoring the cable behind the tire. In that case, crowbars are ideal to use. You can use a strap as well to make the whole way easy.

Log Anchors for Winch System

It is mostly known as the log deadman anchor. This way, the deadman anchor provides more strengths than earlier. It is ideally chosen for extreme loads. As you’ve already known how to bury the deadman anchor, log anchor then let you less learning to comply.

What you need is to do everything you did for deadman anchor. Additionally, you have to use a log or wood on the deadman anchor to ensure it doesn’t allow pulling out of the earth.

Keep the log and hold it in place to prevent rotating. The horizontal position of the Deadman anchor will strengthen pulling power. So, make sure of its horizontal position.

Final Words

Hopefully, you have learned about how to make a winch ground anchor.

In this article, we have focused on the most popular winch anchor options for you guys. If you, at least, know all the anchoring processes we dealt with right here, anytime they may come to your help. What you need is to figure them out.

Moreover, if you keep an anchor on your vehicle, it will be the right thing to help you in need. A shovel is an essential tool to help you in such circumstances. The wise task would be to keep one in your vehicle.

To conclude, I wish you all a happy journey.


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