Does anyone know of a place here in the US where I can order sand ladders? I have been searching google with no luck, every place I find is out of the US.

Try looking for metal catwalks or walk ways in warehouse catalogs. We have these flumes where I live that have these sorts of walkways on top of them. They are similar to expanded metal lath, only about 10 ga. steel. I keep looking for off cut sections to "acquire" for just the purpose you are talking about.

Thank you, I will look for that.

What I do not understand is for such a simple recovery device why these are not more popular here in the states.

we have winches and places to anchor them for pulling us out...the vast deserts in other parts of the world have much more use for sand ladders....


also we use paddle tires here for most types of sand travel... and our sand is of a coarser consistency, allowing vehicles to stay on top easier...


:usa

I saw some on E-bay about 1-2 weeks ago

Originally posted by lsloth
What I do not understand is for such a simple recovery device why these are not more popular here in the states.

because in other countrys they have much smaller engines. we just air our tires down to 6 psi and use some of that good ole made in america v8 power. :D big engine and big tires = no need for sand ladders.

Originally posted by Yellowsub1962
our sand is of a coarser consistency, allowing vehicles to stay on top easier...


So rocks decompose differently here in the Great USofA then in other countries?????

Interesting....
I guess I should go read my Geology books again :flipoff2: :D

I said they have a different coarseness, mainly due to climate, more moisture and less wind will tend to make the "granules" bigger that a dryer climate and lots of wind that keeps the sand tumbling across the desert all day...

besides, rocks erode, not decompose :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Jason M


So rocks decompose differently here in the Great USofA then in other countries?????

Interesting....
I guess I should go read my Geology books again :flipoff2: :D


Glamis and Pismop have totally different sand and they are only 500 mi. away. So that is very possible:flipoff2:

Check with a scrap metal dealer near a major US military base. Ask for perforated steel plank (PSP) or "Marsden Matting". Comes in 10 ft x 18 inch sections.

Originally posted by Yellowsub1962
I said they have a different coarseness, mainly due to climate, more moisture and less wind will tend to make the "granules" bigger that a dryer climate and lots of wind that keeps the sand tumbling across the desert all day...

besides, rocks erode, not decompose :flipoff2:

It all depends on the source rock of the sand. A good chunk of the sand in florida is not Quartz but Aragonitic fragments from the coral reef. In Hawaii the source rock is principly basaltic. So some of the beeches have "black" sand (olivine). Most of the sand out west here is derrived from the erosion and yes decomposition, of granite (generic term) The size variation, how well the "sand" is sorted and the roundness is directly related to how mature it is. Heck if you ever look at the sand that composes the slickrocks in Moab you will notice that they are very well sorted and rounded. That was a big A$$ strech of dunes for a very long time. I would have loved to have had my banshee to go play on them... Damn cementation......:D

Climates change a lot. I mean really quickly compared to what it takes to make a dune. You have seen the pictures of the Alps right :-)


Oh yeah, Mountains erode and decompose. Erosion is a Physical process and decomposition is a Chemical process.


:flipoff2:

Originally posted by RRaker



Glamis and Pismop have totally different sand and they are only 500 mi. away. So that is very possible:flipoff2:

Different ages and source rocks baby. Not continents
:flipoff2: :rolleyes: