First of all I am aware of the rules regarding when I can use tire chains.

We are in the middle of an ice storm here and I have concluded that I am totally immobilized. I stood on my slightly sloped driveway and gravity pulled me down with almost no effort. Big time slick. It got me thinking, I've for two small children and third on the way. If for some reason I had to go out in this for some unforeseen reason as a last resort I'd like to have a set of chains. Purely as a last resort mobility option. I drive a '11 Silverado half ton with the factory wheels. Any suggestions? Cheapos vs real deal?

Aren't chains more for snow than ice?  I would think studded tires would be the better way to go.

V-bar chains is what you seek and get them for both axles.
Also pay for the real chains.

Weight in the bed helps a lot too.

I use v-bar chains for my truck, have a set for front and back.  Rarely needed on regular roads - more necessary if off travelled roads (i.e out in the woods)  but I keep them handy anyway.  I think about about $100/pair for them at the local Murdochs store.   Made in china of course.

I always believed it was the other way around. Studs for snow and chains for ice. Not the case?

Thanks guys. I will get the v-bar chains and I'll do 4. Anything I need to know about using them? For obvious reasons I don't want to do a lot of tests and dry runs.

Get chains with the cam-lock hooks (they go on the outside).  

Get the rubber tensioners.

I lay them out in front of the pair of tires I'm chaining up, vbars down, cam-lock to outside.   Drive over the chain maybe a 1/3 of the way.  Flip chain over the tire and hook up the inside link.  For my tires I hook up on the second link.  Make up the outside cam-lock as tight as you can reasonably do.  Install the rubber tensioner.   Should drive a few yards and check tension, but they shouldn't need any adjusting.

I do pretty much the same except to install I put a short piece of 2x4 or 2x6 block in the chain opening and then drive up onto the blocks. It lets you shift the chain around the treads and get it tight right off the bat. I've never run the add on tensioners though they sure don't hurt. You do want to make sure the chains are tight, if they get loose and some off they can really do some damage.

I would do a few install / removal dry runs in warm weather during daylight so there is some experience to fall back on for bad weather.

Learning to do stuff with sleet crawling up your backside is a pain in the ass.

Have seen folks take 2x8s and nail cleats across them to sit between crosschains. Lay chain on 2x8, drive on and plenty of wiggle room to install and adjust.
I havent needed to put mine on over 30 years but i still keep 4 in the truck.

Even a 2wd pickup with chains and some weight in the back will drive circles around a 4x4 without. You can also make your own chains if your handy. Just use good quality hard chain. I can get about 80 miles out of a snowchain (18 wheeler) before the center bars wear through, and start flailing.

No. Studs bite into the ice/ hard packed snow. Chains give you what is essentially a more aggressive tread that grabs loose snow better.

V-bar as most have said already.  I would get two of the rubber tensioner a for each wheel.  The tighter the chains are the better, quieter and safer they are.  Also, I would suggest carrying a small roll of heavy gauge baling wire and a pair of dikes.  Use the wire to secure any excess chain links so they don't flap around and bang up the wheel well or area.  Tightly installed chains are your friend.

Another tensioning trick is to air down your tires a bit, install chains tightly, then snug up a bit more with added air. Loose chains will get looser and break things.

Play on youtube.  Biggest thing with chains on front is to really pay attention to what happens when you turn. 

If someone puts bigger tires on a vehicle with the stock lift and then puts chains on there is often gonna be some chain clearance issues at full lock.

My jeep as it sits could take a tire an inch or two bigger, but it would have clearance issues when making the suspension work.  But it would look good.

But if I were to ever put chains on those bigger tires, I would have to be dang careful about turns.

Have the stuff needed to secure a broken piece of the tire chains, if left to flail around it can damage sheetmetal or even more fun maybe it can tear up a brake line.

The v bar do well on ice from what I recall, I almost bought some chains years ago and they were well regarded then.

Being east tn I don't want studded tires.  I could somewhat sort of see chains.  But don't have em.

I forgot to add that i run 4-5 rubber bungies.

The tool to take off and put on links is nice but not needed if you know how to do it.

A hammer,chisels,big screwdrivers and vise-grips are what i have used before.

Nobody mentioned running the chains for 1/4 to 1/2 mile and then stopping and re-tensioning. This saved the paint many times for me.

I have set of Thule XB16 Chains for my truck.
https://www.amazon.com/Thule-16mm-Truck-Chain-pairs/dp/B000UNPVQA?tag=vs-outdoors-convert-amazon-20
What's nice about them is you can put them on w/o moving your vehicle. That's pretty handy if you are stuck and can't drive forward or reverse. I used them a couple winters ago, buddy needed a tow out to the highway as his sedan was about to slide into his pond (snow over ice). I pulled into his driveway and started sliding into his woods. Chained up and got instant traction and pulled him out.  

Video on how to install them w/o moving the vehicle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1OzowR4Bs

Test fitting them on my truck.