Best tire or cable chains?

"Real" tire chains!

Cable chains are for emergency use, they don't wear well.

If you plan on driving in those conditions, then I would recommend you go with chains, like the professional drivers use,

I think a good truck stop is the place to buy or find out where to buy the best ones,

You also need to be sure your vehicle can 'take' chains or even cables lots of them can't these days,

Mike

I want something to get me out of a ditch if slide off in bad weather and alone

Thought easy on/off chains might be the ticket. No?

If you slide into a ditch, a winch is typically more relevant than chains. Chains might help keep you out of the ditch however. In either case a well stocked emergency kit is in order in the event you are stuck for some time in the cold.

As the other poster mentioned, once you have say 2 wheels on one side of the vehicle hooked into the ditch, you are in more trouble than chains or cables can help you with. Even in my 4x4 Jeep, if I get 2 wheels hooked I am pretty much stuck without a tow or a winch,

The cable chains may keep you on the road for those trips where you 'have' to be on the road, but if you plan on that, then something more for longer use is warranted.

I carry a hand cable winch or 'Come-A-Long' and some straps in my Jeep and in my car in the winter time for getting unstuck as well as my Jeep has a powered Warn winch on front,

I can't really think of many stuck times where I wished I was chained up vs having the little winch along to get me out and I run on snow covered logging and ATV trails regularly. I 'can' remember one stuck that cables or chains would have prevented and that was on a glass ice logging trail we slipped sideways off from plain gravity. The trail was unwalkable it was so slippery. If the paved roads were in that kind of shape, I 'would' just stay home because no matter how good 'my' traction is, the other fools on the road, well.... you know.

Mike

I'm not looking for something to use all the time when slippery just for times I slide off road.... and emergency tire strap or chain of sorts

I would spring for Blizzak snow tires if wanting to run something all the time

Last week we had rain fall on ice cold concrete and was slippery as al get out. I came down exit ramp from four lane highway and when touching brakes slid off into ditch. I wasn't stuck THAT bad but little front wheel drive Mazda Protege car just couldn't get a bite into ground! Ha

Anyway some friends came along and pushed me out backwards

Your idea of come along is a good one! I was just thinking of getting kitty litter and some kind of cinch strap to thread thru tow fronts tires to give it enough "bite" to get out myself..... then remove once on concrete again

Don't know if you can get them, but we use tires with ice spikes here in Indiana. They work very well and last for many years.

-Doc