Traction board recovery

I have seen countless videos of people using traction boards and then spending a ridiculous amount of effort digging them out.

Is there a reason you can't tie a small strong chord with a handle to one end and keep it out of the mess. Then you can
1-find the board easier and
2-pull it out without swimming in the mud.

I'm considering some. That's why I'm asking.
Thanks

 

Most of the manufacturers sell leashes for that purpose. I went to a fabric store and bought a roll of neon green 1” nylon webbing, cut it into ~5’ lengths, tied a loop in one end and rig them to the boards before use. It works great to find the boards and leverage them back out.

 

I would just get 250 paracords. strong as hell and thin enough to not be a pain in the butt. make a loop at one end; after you get your vehicle out (with a tow hitch receiver), shove the loops in where the hitch goes into, push pin through, then just drive forward to get trax out. The 250 paracord is rated for... 250 lbs, so its more than enough to pull the maxtrax out in deep mud.

 

That's what I thought. So why do you still see so many videos of people knee deep in mud scooping out mud with their grubby paws looking for their traction boards lol.

 

https://www.maxtrax.com.au/product/telltale-leashes/

 

My maxtrax came with leashes - wasn’t an extra purchase.

 

My Tred Pros came with leashes as well.

 

People probably get caught up in the moment and forget to put on the leashes on before laying out the boards and starting the recovery. If the boards are mounted outside the vehicle the leashes are probably stored somewhere else so they don't flap in the breeze when driving.