Scoutn79
Adventurer
Before I had a regular winch I did a lot of hand winching using both a Hi-Lift and a com-a-long. Both will work, both are very very slow and you will get a good workout, both are tedious.
With either don't use anything that will stretch, you will be wasting a LOT of your energy (and giving up distance pulled) stretching the strap. Carry a length of 5/16" winch cable Syn or steel your choice. It is lighter although it is harder to control the length of the cable vs the chain and proper hooks on the ends. You can adjust the length of the cable it will take some creativity. A 10 length of chain along with a 50' length of cable gives you lots of adjustability without being overly heavy.
If you get a com-a-long get a good 4 ton unit, the cheap ones will flex under a heavy load and the locking mechanism might not work right.
Darrell
With either don't use anything that will stretch, you will be wasting a LOT of your energy (and giving up distance pulled) stretching the strap. Carry a length of 5/16" winch cable Syn or steel your choice. It is lighter although it is harder to control the length of the cable vs the chain and proper hooks on the ends. You can adjust the length of the cable it will take some creativity. A 10 length of chain along with a 50' length of cable gives you lots of adjustability without being overly heavy.
If you get a com-a-long get a good 4 ton unit, the cheap ones will flex under a heavy load and the locking mechanism might not work right.
Darrell