Tree stand safety harnesses

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 8:38 am Post subject: Tree stand safety harnesses

I saw in another post that one of our members had a fall from a tree stand and broke his arm. I was reminded of one of my coworkers who fell out of a tree stand last year. He was really messed up; broken arm, ribs, pelvis and lots of other damage. He took months to recover and lost his job (exceeded the FMLA leave time). Here's a link to some info on tree stand safety >> www.treestandinfo.com/...safety.htm

When I first started using a tree stand I didn't wear my safety strap either, it seemed such a nuisance. Then I fell asleep in the stand one day and woke up as I was rolling out! I was able to grab on and didn't fall. However I wore that safety strap afterwards!

A little later I had a class in "Climbing and Rigging" for work. The instructor talked about the chest straps then commonly included with tree stands. He said that he had been hoisted off the ground wearing one once and lasted about 30 seconds before he made them put him down. Too much pain and pressure. On the other hand in a safety HARNESS he could hang for quite a while without much discomfort.

After talking to him I went out and bought a safety harness for hunting. Mine is from Summit but there are plenty of others around. www.summitstands.com/c...ccessories

Recently I read a little more about them and saw that some of the industrial harnesses have an attachment strap that is a loop for you to "stand" in should you be hanging. This allows you to take the weight off of your crotch if you have to hang for a while waiting for help. Apparently it is possible for the straps around your thighs to cut off the circulation to your legs if you hang for too long. I'll be adding a piece of rope to my harness that will provide a loop for my foot should I need it. I'll include a picture when I get it done.

I'm curious about what others of you are using so share the info!

chambered221 · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

I've been using the chest strap that came with my stand but it's been a concern of mine for a while now !!!

What did the instructor have to say about the vest style harness ???

Suzanne · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:47 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

I was a parachute rigger in the Navy and after using a parachute rig a few times you can appreciate the need to strap yourself in tight. Just like the recoil from a rifle butt, if you're not up tight against your shoulder the recoil will smack you hard. Now I don't have cajones to deal with (how do you guys walk around with those things anyway) but am sensitive to being smacked anywhere, so I would suggest a full harness to spread the body weight, and tighten it up, if you don't want injury. You would want to secure it from the back so that you don't get smacked in the face, but be able to disconnect from the front, so that if you do fall you can disconnect more easily and use that extra length of rope (you smartly tied onto the rig) to get yourself down. I don't climb trees but I used to climb rocks and one very helpful item is a jumar, which is a one way rope climbing device or ascending device that allows the rope to go only one way. If you have 2 of them you can actually climb a rope using your legs. It's tedious but it gets you there. That would be a handy item and not expensive or heavy, to snap onto your extra length of rope. Better than a broken anything.

Suz

Crackshot · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

My safety is to stay on the ground. I aint no hawk.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

Chambered, as long as it supports you with leg straps I figure it has to be a lot better than a chest strap.

As Suz mentioned, I get the straps pretty tight when climbing up or down although I have loosened them a bit when I was just sitting. Careful positioning of the leg straps is a must... I fasten the lanyard high enough above me that it is almost tight when I sit down. If I want to bend over much I have to lower it some.

Crackshot, its awfully neat to get about 15-20' up and have deer, etc walk right underneath you without ever knowing you're around. By the way, I put a knot every 5' in my rope that I use to pull my gear up so that I can tell how high I really am. Its hard to judge height looking straight down, at least for me. I know a guy who was "way up" in a tree in his climbing stand but the marks in the bark only went up about 6-7'.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:28 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

Pumpkinslinger

Hey thats a neat idea putting knots every 5' on the rope, btw I also have a summit harness. Its the original sop harness and like I said in another post I will not head skyward without it again.

Crackshot · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:47 am Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

The deer here DO look up, so I found the tree stand hunting was only marginaly beneficial for me......That and they dont make a tree stand that will hold my fat ass anymore! Very Happy

I have an old climbing tree stand I've had for years that my Son is useing. He has been busted several timbs visualy.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

I've been busted a few times but not nearly as many times as I've had them walk right by. Anyway, to each his own! I've had them pretty close while sitting on the ground too.

Nobody else using tree stands and harnesses?!?!? Or is everybody else up IN them? I've got a few more weeks before muzzle loader season starts.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

Trying to delete double post...

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Yes a Harness is better then a strap. When I go up on a tree stand I use a commercial safety harness not a "hunting" product.

Still it is rare for me to get up on the trees.

Dimitri

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

Mike,

I bought the Hunter Safety System Pro Series (http://www.huntersafetysystem.com/store/pro-series.html# [mine is actually the HSS-6, which did NOT include the lineman's climbing strap]) last year after I nearly fell from my climber at about 25'. I had quit wearing the tangled-up strap mess that was included with my climber, mainly 'cause it's nearly impossible to put on in the dark, 'specially by yourself.

It does include the "Suspension Relief Strap". which is the "strap" you referred to that allows you to relieve the weight from your thighs while you wait for help. It also doubles as a deer drag.

The only negative I've found is the tree strap that was included with mine. It's kinda cumbersome to use, but I have a strap that came with another harness that works much better.

cbsweeney · Member Joined: Jun 18, 2010 Posts: 197 Location: New York

I hunt from a tree stand during bow season, and on occasion during rifle season. I do use a harness made by Gorilla. It is just a regular safety harness in brown instead of yellow. A little tedious to put on, but worth the effort. It has worked well for me for the last 4 seasons, and I won't climb into a tree without it. (dozed off once, and it scared the heck out of me)

wiersy111 · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

I use the harness that came with my Gorilla stand also it a bit of a pain to put on but I don't leave the ground without it. I'm working on a tree trimming crew right now and have been practicing with the spikes and climbing gear whenever I can, It has given me a few thoughts.

English Mike · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

I have a 100% foolproof way of preventing myself from falling out of a tree.....

.....I ain't getting up in one to start with. Very Happy

You young athletic types can accumulate all the bruises & broken bones you like but I'll keep my feet on terra firma.

slimjim · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: Tree stand safety harnesses

English Mike wrote:

I have a 100% foolproof way of preventing myself from falling out of a tree....I ain't getting up in one to start with.

+1 here!!!