Winches are one of the most drooled-over accessories on the list of desired 4x4 components. They provide a sense of security and elevate you to the next level in the unofficial off-road caste system.

The first recorded use of a winch was in 480 BCE when Herodotus of Halicarnassus describes how wooden winches were used to tighten the cables of a pontoon bridge over the Dardanelles (then known as ...