I alway use a harness and always pull my muzzie, bow or rife or flintlock up with a rope, never over my back with a strap. I agree, safety is job 1, cause there is no job 2 if your not safe. As for "knocking me", I find itquestionable that a person would knock something that they have not tried and to say categorically it is "unsafe", how could they know that when they have notactually stepped into the stand, and stepped onto the steps, if they did so Iknow they would be surprised.

I felt the exact same way about 'flintlocks" thinking there were a lot of mess, bother and trouble to fire a gun. Well I got into in-lines and I liked them, much more in fact than centerfire rifles, then I tried flinting 2 years ago in Pa late season (I grew up in Tioga Co Pa),and with proper instruction found that it was not only fun but very very challenging to understand everyting that goes into makeing a flinter fire. This year I plan to hunt a week in Pa late season flintlock. But I tried it, got some expert instruction, read some books and found it fun and challenging, as is bow hunting, which I also like a lot.

I believe the stands are safe, my friends and I have used them without incident over 20 years. We have had to perform maintenance, replacing frayed ropes, replacing cracked steps, replacing Y-boards that were chewed thru, all these are normal for tree stands. If you leave a ladder stand out in the elements, it will have to be replaced in my guess 10 years. I have several that have been out 3 years, none 10 years yet, since I just started buying them when I was 55, wanting to be all ladder stands when I was 60. I hope to hunt till I am 80, 10 more years in ladder stands and then 10 more years in ground blinds. There is my "risk model".
Thanks Chap Gleason