I guess I have to be the first dissenter on this one. I have used straps for years. If you use a high quality strap with a high load capacity it will perform right up there with chain. I haven't had any problems with wear. I guess you could argue that over time a chain will outlast a strap, but my heaviest strap is now 10 years old and still going. The advantage is that a strap is lighter and easier to carry around. It manuvers around groups of logs better than chain. It tightens better than chain when you start pulling. And perhaps best of all, it is much safer should a breakage occur. There is another thread out there that recently discussed what can happen when a chain breaks under extreme load.