The Kranken exists because of a hunting trip that went sideways. Our founders were deep in the backcountry of Utah and Idaho when their traditional tensioners failed, and they ended up stuck on the side of a mountain, a long way from help. That trip didn't end with a truck in a ditch and a story to tell at the shop - it ended with a patented product. If a chain tensioner is going to fail you, it's going to fail on a backcountry road, in the dark, when you need it least. We built The Kranken so that doesn't happen to the next guy.
The Backcountry Doesn't Care About Your Schedule
Hunting season doesn't wait for good roads. Whether you're chasing elk up a forest service two-track or trailering into a drainage before sunrise, the roads that get you to good hunting are usually the same roads nobody plows and nobody patrols. Add snow and ice, and a normal drive turns into a decision about how much risk you're willing to take to get to camp.
Out there, there's no tow truck on speed dial. Just you, your rig, and whatever you strapped to your tires before you left pavement.
Why Traditional Tensioners Fail Hunters When It Matters Most
Traditional tensioners are set once and left alone, which is fine on a flat, plowed road. It's a different story on a rutted mountain grade with a foot of fresh snow.
- They loosen over rough terrain - exactly the terrain that gets you to a good hunting spot.
- They require a stop to fix, which means lost time, lost daylight, and a colder start to your morning.
- They fail without warning, and on a remote road, that's the kind of surprise that turns a hunting trip into a rescue story.
Built By Hunters, For the Roads Hunters Actually Drive
The Kranken wasn't designed in a lab for a highway commute. It was built by guys who've been stuck on the side of a mountain because their gear let them down. Every part of it - the aerospace-grade and marine-grade materials, the automatic tensioning, the one-click removal - comes from knowing exactly what goes wrong out there, because it happened to us first.
More Daylight, Less Fumbling
Every minute spent wrestling a chain in the dark is a minute not spent getting to your spot before shooting light.
- Sub-30-second installation, so you can chain up in the dark and still be set up before legal shooting light.
- Automatic tensioning while driving keeps the chain tight over washboard, ruts, and grades - no pull-overs to retighten.
- One-click removal gets chains off fast once you're back on cleared road.
- Aerospace-grade and marine-grade materials hold up to terrain that chews through traditional tensioners in a single season.
Gear Up for Season
- Inspect your chains now, not the morning you're loading the truck for opening day.
- Swap traditional tensioners for something that holds tension automatically over rough terrain.
- Keep The Kranken on hand year-round - mud season and early snow don't check the calendar.
- Let someone know your route before you head deep into the backcountry, chains or no chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do traditional snow chain tensioners fail on backcountry hunting roads?
Traditional tensioners are set once and don't adjust as the chain shifts over rough, uneven terrain. On rutted forest service roads and mountain two-tracks, that means chains can loosen without warning, increasing the risk of getting stuck or damaging the vehicle far from help.
How fast can I install The Kranken before a pre-dawn hunt?
The Kranken is built for sub-30-second installation per wheel, so you can get chains on in the dark, in gloves, before legal shooting light, without eating into your hunt.
Does The Kranken work for overlanding and off-road hunting rigs, not just trucks?
Yes. The Kranken and The Kranken XL are used across commercial trucks, personal trucks, and overlanding and off-road setups - anywhere a vehicle needs reliable traction on snow- and ice-covered backcountry roads.
What is The Kranken made of?
The Kranken is built from aerospace-grade and marine-grade materials and is protected under U.S. Patent No. 12,485,712, designed to hold constant tension automatically instead of relying on traditional tensioners that require manual readjustment.