What equipment to take offroad?

[Ron]

Granted, leaving slack in the tow strap and gunning it as was mentioned, is something we would NEVER do. Slow and steady gets the job done. 

I have used the technic of useing energy built up in a proper nylon rope on several occasions to yank rigs out of snow drifts and mud.  If used properly and with the proper type nylon rope damage is not likely to occur.  The use of hooks on the ends of a nylon tow rope is not considered a wise thing to do.  As Ned mentioned placing a nylon loop in the tow reciever and using the pin to secure it is a good practice.

The tow hook that was released from a Blazer I mentioned earlier  was the result of a crack in the frame possibly there since manufacture.  That is why the fix was covered by ther dealer.

[taoshum]

It's been said that 4WD simply allows a person to get stuck harder, deeper, and further from the nearest road

I take plenty of water (a few days worth), and don't go more than a few miles from a road unless there's more than one 4x4 going.
Off-road I also bring a shotgun... not so much for protection, but as a source of food... it doesn't bother me to be away from civilization for days at a time.

That recovery strap wrapped around an axle can become a winch in an emergency...

A can of lighter fluid (and a match/lighter) can re-set a tire bead when necessary... the tire may still be flat, but having the bead seated makes it useable...

If it gets really bad, a couple car batteries and some jumper cables can become a welder (you'll need to have brought rods, of course)...

welding with batteries and jumper cables!!!  I'm putting some rods in the jeep tonight.  I love it.

[Gizmo]

Actually, you don't want a tow strap, but a recovery strap.  A two strap is meant to tow a vehicle that is not stuck.  A recovery strap is meant to recover a vehicle that is stuck.  The recovery straps can stretch, so when you start pulling and pick up the slack, the strap will stretch and when it retracts again will give extra momentum for the recovery.

Preferably get straps that don't have hooks, a flying hook can break a window or a head.  The recovery points on the both the recovery and stuck vehicle as well as any pins or shackles used should be stronger than the strap to avoid damage to either vehicle.

Here's a good offroad checklist: http://www.offroaders.com/tech/Offroaders_Checklist.htm  It's a bit too complete, but can be adjusted depending on the location and duration of the trip.

Good catch in addition to what you said, recovery straps are typically at least 30' in length which usually allows the towing vehicle to stay out of the mess the stuck vehicle is in.  In a tow strap you want a 20' length to prevent other drivers not paying attention from cutting in between the 2-vehicles.