Well I have been lucky so far I guess. I have been hunting in and out of treestands for 2 years now and have never used a safety harness before. I bought two new treestands this year that came with safety harnesses (gorilla), I actually thought about using one but thought it would be a hassle or poissibly clang a little the way the harness was made. Well.. yesturday morning I had just finished hanging a stand 28' in a tree. Wouldnt you know, i was stepping down from it after strapping it in and I slipped on the wet bark. I flung my hands out trying to grab anything and everything on my flight down. Took out a bunch of branches that semi-jersyed my jacket over my head. I was lucky though, I braced myself as much as possible to spring a little has I landed. I just layed there for a few minutes staring at the sky. and decided to try and get up. There was a bunch of branches laying ontop of me from my way down I had to get off. Managed to have a slightly bruised side with no broken bones and my life still intact.

Im sure theres gotta be a few guys out there that look atsome of the safety harnesses and think how much of a "hassle" they look like etc etc.. Anyways, I just bought the"Hunter Safety System Vest" and wont be going upany tree until it gets here.If its all the straps and everything that gets you deterred look into these vests, they got the clip on buckles rather then all the straps etc...

Im just glad I didnt smack my mellon on any of the tree steps and that. Would have been about a 15hr wait b4 anybody even would have started looking. Im on board now, sometimes it just takes things a little longer to sink into my skull.