WINCH ACCESSORY KITS 
Must-have items for those whose job site work takes them off the beaten path
Having a winch on your rig without a proper accessory kit is like having a socket set without extensions: Both can be used do the basic jobs, but they are worthless for more demanding situations.
Every pickup equipped with a heavy-duty winch should also carry a winch accessory kit that includes tree saver straps, choker chains, shackles, a snatch block, winch straps and leather gloves.
Notice many of the items listed above are plural.
Most winch accessory kits come with one item each. But heavy-duty winches being used around the jobsite or in the field often require longer, heavier and more difficult pulls than those encountered during a weekend hunting outing.
Two 30-foot winch straps, a pair of 10-foot choker chains, a double-sheave snatch block, and three or four shackles in your truck will handle most winching situations.
Having these items at your disposal when the winch on your rig might be the only one for miles around is smart thinking.
Sure, they take up a bit more room, but the time these winching necessities save in a pinch is well worth that little bit of lost space in the tool box or under the back seat. 
That equipment needs to be up to the pulling task as well. Keep safety at the forefront.
Make sure whatever accessories you carry are capable of handling twice the load for which the winch is rated.
Like the Boy Scout motto says, “Be prepared.”
