Every well-prepared four-wheeler has a tow strap stashed away in their rig. You absolutely must have one for pulling your buddy out of a mud hole, or hooking up to your buddy’s 4×4 when you get stuck (and we all know that’s an inevitability) so he can help pull you out of a sticky jam. While walking the halls of the 2013 SEMA Show, we came across one of the most interesting and useful off-road products we’ve seen in a long time — the Bubba Rope.

What’s the Bubba Rope, you ask? Well, it’s an amazingly effective vehicle recovery rope, that Faron Tidwell from Bubba Rope told us all about. “A few years ago, some good-ol’ boys came up with this, and it’s turned out to be the best recovery rope you will ever use. It’s made from double-braided nylon, coated with a urethane polymer so that mud and dirt can’t get into it, and that’s what makes it so that it doesn’t get beat up after years of use pulling trucks out of trouble. When you pull on it hard, the Bubba Rope stretches a bit, and then like a giant rubber band, its elastic action pops the stuck truck out the mud.”

Bubba Ropes come in a multitude of sizes, lengths, widths, and breaking strengths — the Extreme Bubba is 2 inches by 30 feet, with a breaking strength of 131,500 pounds. The company even makes custom sizes that are available with six different eye colors. And you can get your Bubba Rope “Gatorized,” an added touch of protection — made from a high-performance elastic polymer coating that looks like the tough skin of an alligator — to the wear points of any Bubba Rope.

For additional information on any of the Bubba Rope products, go to the company’s website or Facebook page.