Having worked at a ski area for 5 years, I have seen the best and the worst.

The best is real chains, hands down. Like Jonathan said, keep a pair of
gloves w/ you, you'll be glad you do. Also, keep a few spare bungees, the
thick black rubber kind, they really help tighten up the floppy chain
syndrome, if needed. I have had the original bungee fail on me and wished I
had a spare.

The cable chains, in my opinion, are usually of a lesser quality, which is
why they are so cheap. They flop around, harder to put on, and I've seen
countless amounts of them on the side of the road. Yes, they may get you
through a couple sticky situations, but more than likely they won't last.
Splurge for the real thing. I had a pair of real chains that lasted me for 6
years and I eventually gave them to a friend when I bought a 4x4 truck
(pre-van years).

Chains on top of snow tires: Winning combination

my .02

Chris

On 8/30/07, Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I keep cables in my van at all times as they can be very useful in mud,
> snow, ice, wet grass,, etc.  Even though they aren't as good as chains
> they
> are more than adequate in my experience and also a bit easier to handle.
>
> If you start carrying cables or chains I recommend that store a pair of
> thick gloves with a long cuff near them.  Wearing good gloves can allow
> one
> a more humoured perspective when hugging a wet and dirty tire while
> kneeling
> in deep snow.
>
> Along with my tire cables I also keep a strong come-along a length of
> tow chain and some tow rope (along with mechanic tools etc etc) in my van
> at
> all times.  Without all of these rarely used items I doubt that I would
> have
> much peace of mind exploring the remote or rugged areas that I sometimes
> visit.  These tools are sometimes essential for getting yourself out of
> trouble, but I have used them more in helping other people or to clear a
> road etc.
>
> Jonathan Poole
> '82 ac westy
>

--
Chris
88 Vanagon GL
02 Golf GLS TDI (SOLD, looking for a Westy, now that I know what I really
like to drive)