I've actually been saving up for a winch. I'd need to get a new bumper to hold a winch though, or mount a hitch to the front end.

Get a hand operated winch you can sling around a tree at the top of the ditch, rather than being permanently anchored to the car? Bonus, it can live inside the car and it won't get dinged in the crash.

Bumper-mounted winches being used with a proper winch bumper won't take damage in a crash either; if they do, you're likely not driving away from the crash so easy retrieval is unimportant. Off-road and winch bumpers are not designed with crumple zones in mind, they're mounted directly to the frame and the winch itself is tucked behind a 3/16th steel plate and steel tubing surrounding it.

With a front-mounted hitch, though, you can keep the winch inside and just hook it to either the front or the back depending on the needs. The downside is there's one more thing in your car taking up space and becoming a projectile in a crash.

Come-alongs (hand winches) are less than ideal for many reasons I've listed in another reply to your comment. The better solution is to do your best to not need one.

Get one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1200-lb-capacity-cable-puller-3...

http://www.harborfreight.com/4000-lb-capacity-cable-winch-pu...

http://www.harborfreight.com/8000-lb-cable-winch-puller-543....

http://www.harborfreight.com/manual-strap-winch-95541.html

It's only $15 for the cheapest one (they have other types too that mount to the car). Also get a long strap to go with it in case the nearest tree is not close.

You don't want an electric winch anyway - you never know if you'll have power in an emergency.

Having used come-a-longs and hi-lifts as come-a-longs, I would never wish that agony on anyone else. It's better than nothing, but far worse than an electric winch by a long shot.

Generally speaking, if the engine can't start/run, and help is nowhere to be found, winching the vehicle out will be more trouble than its worth. The best part of an electric winch is you may use it in conjunction with the engine when solo, meaning you can generally free the vehicle as soon as you find some traction, rather than constantly advancing, re-entering the vehicle and checking for traction again.

But you're right about and additional strap: one should always have with their winch, at a minimum, a tow strap and a tree saver (plus requisite shackles, snatch blocks, and gloves if using wire rope, or rock guards with synthetic). I once got stuck deep in a ravine, and 150' of synthetic rope fell short of the nearest tree by 5 feet, but a tow strap and tree saver made up the difference and I got to sleep in my bed that night, rather than in the jeep.

I've owned an 8000lb come-along in the past. Pulling my truck from the mud, the cable came off the pulley. I replaced it with a new come-along from a different brand, and again the cable hopped the pulley. This damages the pulley and bends the axle, rendering the winch useless. They're less than ideal for vehicle retrieval, especially if doing intense labor is not a great idea (like when you're at risk of hypothermia). Pulling a stuck car with a come-along is a very laborious and time-consuming task.

There are wheel-mounted winch pullers that are much better suited for the task, since they don't require standing out in the cold or as much physical effort.

http://www.bushwinch.com.au/recoverysystem.html

That looks really cool, but $1000 for it is insane! It's a small metal drum and some cable.