COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
SMALL HOISTS, BIG PULL
A search down ‘the rabbit hole’ leads Idaho inventor to create super-strong and lightweight Pocket Ox pulleys. PHOTOS BY POCKET OX
I
n 2001, Mike Lafrenz was looking to replace a small six-pulley hoist that he had used for over 20 years. After an extensive search – “it’s hard to imagine how, not long ago, online shopping just wasn’t a ‘thing,’” he recalls – Lafrenz was finding nothing but shoddy products. “So, into the rabbit hole,” he says. “My first prototype was the parts from two four-pulley hoists pinned together to make a six-to-one. The thing was huge! And the bundle of rope? Wow. My quest for small-diameter rope took me to Oregon kite surfers, then I had to downsize everything else to match this tiny line. Like most stories, I never dreamed of selling these things. Just
Mike and Rhonda Lafrenz, owners of Pocket Ox.
Pocket Ox hoists are force multipliers and their small size bely the power to help backcountry and other hunters hang much larger game than they otherwise would be able to. But uses go far beyond that, with applications for everything from technical rescues to yarding dirt bikes out of bad places, and a home in the survival kits of hikers and others.
make a couple for my buddies and that’s it.” Of course, Lafrenz’s creation, dubbed the Pocket Ox, quickly found a following and he opened for business from his Idaho home. “We are just one of your neighbors with a busy basement,” he explains. “I hate to call it a ‘hobby business,’ but that’s what my accountant seems to imply. We are small. Most every kit is made to order, as there are a few options and accessories.” Pocket Ox offers the smallest, most powerful “in your pack, not in the truck” manual hoists. Products are designed for endeavors, both recreational and professional, “where the size and weight of every item needs to be justified,” says Lafrenz. “Our tools are for packsaddles, snow machines, and hunters’ fanny packs that I swear get heavier every season. I know there’s at least a couple in Alaska bush planes.” There are three sizes of hoist kits
to choose from. The 16-pulley Pocket Ox Bull mini-hoist is the largest production model, weighing 24 ounces. The Bull provides a mechanical advantage of 16:1 and is rated for 2,000 pounds (static load). This is the recommended size for ATV and snowmobile recovery, technical rescue, multi-person expeditions and hunters wishing to hang whole elk or moose. The 12-pulley Pocket Ox Cow mini-hoist is the midsize offering, weighing 20 ounces. The Cow provides a mechanical advantage of 12:1 and is rated for 1,500 pounds (static load). This is the recommended size for those on safari abroad, dirt/snow bike selfrescue, saddlebags, wilderness guides and trail crews, and backcountry or urban survival. For hunters, the Cow is ideal for manipulating elk-sized game on the ground or hanging elk halves, deer and hog-sized game. The eight-pulley Pocket Ox Calf mini-hoist is the smallest of the trio, americanshootingjournal.com 111
