Recently had my batteries go bad and didnt have any cables. Realized that was stupid and there is no reason not to keep a set.

Truck is a diesel with dual batteries so a little dinky set wont cut it. I am thinking at least 25' but am open to suggestion.

just get what ever your local parts store has. I'm sure it'll say heavy duty somewhere on it.  Its just for a jump not constant charge.

Long cables are a double-edged sword.  More convenient, but problematic if they're not a large-enough gauge of wire.  Harder to store, too.





I have a set of Sears Craftsman cables.  Long cables - ~25 foot, 4 gauge wire, and extended jaws for the stupid GM side terminals.



ETA - If I was looking, I'd get something like THESE.

The auto parts shop I worked at 25 yrs ago would make sets. From welding cables. Thick, heavy, flexible. They edge the bomb. Always wished I had a set of those. Find a shop to make you up a set.

Unless your vehicle has an odd battery configuration, or is extremely difficult to push, I'd go fairly short and heavy gauge.

Not all vehicles, especially heavier vehicles, jump really easily.

I have had, more than once, to jump a truck... and the car that previously tried to jump it, and now won't start itself.

Heavy gauge cables help. Short cables help. Keeping the jumping vehicles RPM's up helps. Gun for all three.

ETA: The Jeep, and my previous Jeep, jump pretty much anything and don't have a need for long cables. (It won't, however, stay jumped without some RPM's on it fairly immediately)  But a car... those often have smaller, weaker batteries, alternators, etc... jumping a full-sized truck, etc, is beyond their capacity and will tend to drain the battery of the jumping vehicle.

I made a set years ago.  Bought 50' of 2 gauge wire from local welding supply store and some heavy duty clamps.  Cut the cable in half to make them.  Wrapped the wire in split loom, and put a zip tie on it every foot or so.  They're awesome.

Welding leads work awesome. Biggest problem with most store boughts jumper cables is the stiffness, especially if you are somewhere cold, welding leads don't do that to the same extent.

If you want something ready to go check out heavy truck/equipment parts houses, they should have some long 2 or 4ga with good heavy duty clamps.

25' was the cat's ass when my Super Duty was nosed in behind the other vehicle in the drive, on flat ground, at -40 something 0530 needing to be at work at 0600 and the battery had finally had enough. Also super convenient for jumping jet skis and boats in the water.

The other thing that I've thought about doing is getting a service/tow truck style front and rear quick disconnect setup, comes with long heavy cables too, had a service truck with one, extremely handy, and after the wiring is already done for a receiver winch.

My excursion is heavy and hard to push for sure. As Alpha82 pointed out the real pain is if you are nosed in somewhere.

Have seen quite a few 25' 4 gauge sets and a few 2 gauge but that seems like too much maybe?

When talking jumper cables there is hardly a way to say 'too much' on wire gauge. Heavier wire means less current/voltage loss and a faster jump. Good cables will last you a lifetime for personal use so don't skimp if you can stand the bill.

I just meant too much in terms of size and bulk. Starts getting hard to store.

I need to see if I can find some in stock and see how bulky they are.

Put wuick disconnects front/rear on the vehicle - eliminates one set of bullky clamps and might let you use slightly shorter cables

These are the heaviest I know of

I have some 2 ga cables that I bought from a local auto parts store that work well.

I have this:

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/450-amp-jump-starter-stanley-fat-max/prod7120128.ip?navAction=

And it has saved my ass so many times when I had a defective cell on my Optima red top.  

The built-in compressor also was very handy.  I oftentimes find myself putting air in tires of my buddies and whatnot.

My truck runs twin optima red tops. I never have dead batteries.
however, everyone else does.
Northern tool has some 75$ or so 0 gauge cables. they're like welding leads.
USA made.
like 15-20' reach.
with a heavy duty bag
it's the only way to go.